Every podcast needs a proper intro and outro. A good introduction sets the scene for your listeners and creates anticipation for the episode, while the outro encourages your audience to come back for more.
In this comprehensive guide, we will show you how to make a podcast intro and outro that captivates your listeners and draws in new audiences. We will also share the best practices when opening and ending an episode.
If you want to learn more about podcasting, you might find our other articles helpful as well:
Why is the Intro and Outro Important
The intro is arguably as important as the cover art for your podcast. It is your first chance to make a good impression on a new listener. A good podcast intro speaks to your loyal followers as well as to people who just stumbled upon your show for the first time.
Similarly, a good outro encourages followers to keep listening to more episodes and coming back for more. Most podcasters also put their call to action in the podcast outro. More on that later.
Elements of a Podcast Intro
What do you include in a podcast intro? Well, there are no hard-set rules, but there are a few elements that are commonly found in an effective podcast introduction.
Podcast Title – You want people to remember your podcast. Restating your podcast title in the intro gives you a chance to strengthen the brand of your show.
The Host/s Name – Give a name to the voice on your show. It could be a nickname just as well as your real name. This is also a chance to grow your personal brand if you have that as a goal.
Sponsors & Disclaimers – The podcast intro is where you should include any sponsors you are affiliated with or any disclaimers for your show.
Tagline – You might also choose to include a tagline to your podcast opening. This could be your mission statement or a quick summary of what the show is about.
Music – Music is essential to any podcast intro. Use a song or track to get your listeners into the mood.
Voice Over – Pre-recorded voiceovers are very effective for podcast intros. You could record your own voice or outsource voice talent.
How to Introduce a Podcast Episode
Be brief – Nobody has patience for an overly long introduction to a podcast episode. You only have seconds to make a lasting impression on your listeners, so use them wisely. Ideally, you want to keep the intro length below 30 seconds.
Introduce yourself to new listeners – One of the podcast intro’s primary goals is for new listeners to get introduced to your show. Put yourself in their shoes and think about how to summarize your show to them in a few sentences.
Set expectations for the episode – Tell your audience what to expect from this episode. Create anticipation so that people will want to tune in for the whole episode.
Avoid loud music – A common mistake is to have music that is too loud in the opening. You don’t want music that drowns out your voice and makes the podcast difficult to listen to.
Test listening to your intro in different environments; some listeners might be at home while others on a noisy street. You want to find a balance that will work for both situations.
Elements of a Podcast Outro
Call to Action – Other than letting your listeners know the episode is over, a good outro presents a clear call to action your listeners can take to further engage with your content. The call to action could be to join the newsletter, donate to your Patreon, visit your website, or buy a product.
Tease the next episode – If you already have something planned for the next episode, tell your audience what to expect to create anticipation for the next show.
Thank the crew – If your podcast requires several people to make, make sure to thank them and recognize the work that goes into making the show.
Contact details – Give your listeners ways they can interact with you. Share your social media and website.
How to End a Podcast Episode
Be brief – Like the intro of your podcast, there is no reason to drag out the outro. Try to keep both the intro and outro below 30 seconds.
Only have one call to action – If a listener gets so far as to hear the episode’s outro, they probably really enjoyed your show. As we said above, this is the ideal time to ask them to take some action to further engage with your content.
A beginner’s mistake is to add too many things to the outro. Instead, focus on a single, clear call to action. Having several diminishes the chances that your listeners take action at all.
Make the call to action easy – Whatever call to action you include, make sure it does not require much effort from the viewer.
Audio Production
Creating a Podcast intro and outro segment is pretty straightforward.
Add the voiceover over the music track of your choice. Use effects to fade in/out the music track and level all the different sounds. This could be done with any tool you use to edit your podcast, like GarageBand or Audacity.
Music
Music is an essential part of any podcast intro and outro. Music can get listeners into the mood and excited about your podcast. It is also an excellent way to bump up production quality and make it feel like a real show.
But you cannot just use any music for your podcast intros and outros. Never use copyrighted work in your show without permission. Instead, you want to find royalty-free music you can use.
Where to Find Royalty-Free Music
Youtube Audio Library – Youtube Audio Library is a huge, free resource where you can find royalty-free tracks for your content.
Premium Beat – Premium Beat is a great place to go when you need high-quality royalty-free music. They only have a subscription offer, though, so it might not be worth it if you just need a track for your intro.
AudioJungle – AudioJungle is one of the biggest royalty-free stock music libraries. You can search through thousands of tracks by filtering for a specific instrument, genre, mood, etc.
Voiceovers
You might have decided that you want a third-person narration for your podcast intro. Maybe you really want that radio host voice for your opening. In that case, you will need to hire some voice-over talent.
Where to Find Voiceover Talent
Fiverr – Fiverr is one of the largest freelance platforms and offers a lot of affordable voice talent you can use for your intro. Styles and quality can vary a lot, so we recommend doing your research before hiring someone.
Voices.com – Voices.com is a massive marketplace for voiceovers. You can put up free job postings to find talented voice actors.
Music Radio Creative – If you want that radio host voice feel, this option is for you. Music Radio Creative offers affordable, quality voiceover talent that fits podcast intros/outros perfectly.
Sound Effects
You have to be careful with using sound effects, as it is easy to overdo it. But done right, a sound effect can be the perfect fit for your intro. Remember that not all intros/outros need sound effects; in fact, some do better without them.
Where to Find Sound Effects
AudioJungle – AudioJungle also has a vast library of sound effects you can use for your podcast intro.
Freesound – As the name suggests, freesound.org is a website where you can find entirely free sound effects for your projects. Quality can vary, but there are some great gems you can find.
In Conclusion
Remember that everything we showed you here is guidelines rather than hard-set rules. You should create an intro and outro that fits your podcast. Don’t overthink these segments of your show. You will know when you find something that works.
