Podcasting:Scoring a true-crime episode, segment by segment
This is a template for scoring a typical case episode. Your structure will differ, but the principle holds: plan the music by segment, and change it only when the story changes.
1. Cold open
A short, gripping clip or line from later in the episode. Music: something dark and immediate, which cuts out hard before the intro.
- The Ticking Void on the Mystery & True Crime shelf
The Ticking Void is ominous from its first seconds, perfect under a cold-open line.
2. Intro and welcome
Your show's recurring intro, the same every week. See Podcast intro music.
3. Background: who, where, when
The longest segment and the one most at risk of feeling slow. Music: a patient, low bed, well under the voice.
- Evidence Room Ambience on the Mystery & True Crime shelf
Evidence Room Ambience is tense but patient, and stays out of the narrator's way.
4. The timeline
Events start happening in order and pressure rises. Music: a cue with a pulse, brought in on the moment things begin to go wrong.
- The Final Ticking on the Mystery & True Crime shelf
5. The turn
The discovery, the twist, the arrest. Pull the music completely for the key line, then come back harder.
- The Final Ticking (Alt Mix) on the Mystery & True Crime shelf
Switching from The Final Ticking to its relentless alt mix raises the pressure without starting a new piece. Main mix or alt mix? explains how.
6. Reflection and outro
What it means, what is still unknown. Music: back to the patient bed, or no music at all, then your outro.
Why four tracks is enough
All four tracks come from the Mystery & True Crime shelf, so they share a palette. The episode sounds scored rather than assembled, and your listeners start to recognise the sound of your show.