Podcast intro music:length, fade and voice-over

An intro plays at the start of every episode, so regular listeners hear it hundreds of times. It needs to be recognisable, short, and not so long that people reach for the skip button.

How long?

Shorter than you think. Many shows use somewhere between five and fifteen seconds of music before the host speaks. Listeners who binge a show will skip a long intro every time, and new listeners want to know what the episode is about.

Two common structures

• Music, then voice. A short musical sting, then the music drops under the host's welcome. Simple and clear.
• Cold open, then intro. A clip from the episode first, then the intro music as a title card. See Cold opens.

Talking over the intro

If you speak over the intro music, pull it down while you talk and bring it back up for a short tail before the conversation begins. Ducking music under voice has a starting recipe.

Pick something with a clear identity

Your intro should sound like your show. A crime podcast wants tension from the first note; a friendly chat show wants warmth.

• The Final Ticking on the Mystery & True Crime shelf
• Morning in the Kitchen on the Kitchen & Lifestyle shelf

The Final Ticking says "something is wrong" instantly. Morning in the Kitchen says "pull up a chair". Edit a short, clean section of the track rather than using the full piece.

Keep it the same

Once you have an intro, keep it. Changing it every few episodes throws away the recognition you have built. Making a series sound like itself explains why.