How to Create a Podcast Intro

This blog post was originally published on 12/03/2023. It was updated on 30/12/2025.

One of the first things you’ll likely want to create before you hit ‘Publish’ on your new podcast is probably your podcast intro.

The intro is the part of your podcast that really anchors your show and tells your listeners that they’re in the right place and listening to something that is relevant for them.

Do I Need a Podcast Intro?

Ok, full disclosure – at the time of updating this blog post, my podcast does not have an intro.

Yes, you read that right.

I don’t have an intro on my podcast episodes.

I used to have an intro on my podcast, and a previous podcast that I hosted also had an intro, but I did make a conscious decision a while ago to get rid of my podcast’s intro.

Why?

Well, because I simply decided that an intro wasn’t the right thing for my show.

You see, my episodes are designed to be bingeable and only 10-15 long. Therefore, I didn’t feel that it was very listener-friendly for my audience to be listening to the intro every 10-15 minutes if they were listening to multiple episodes in one sitting. (This is something that I personally find really annoying, especially as you can’t skip intros to podcasts in the same way that you can skip intros on tv shows on Netflix, etc.)

Also, I found that because my show’s episodes are quite short, an intro was just adding an extra 10-20% of time to the episode, which I didn’t find was worthwhile for the length of my episodes.

So, I scrapped my podcast intro entirely and now I just open with saying hi, welcoming my audience back to the show and then jumping straight into the podcast episode.

All that being said, once you’ve decided that you do want a podcast intro for your podcast, there are a few things to consider before hitting ‘record.’

So, in this post, we’ll discuss the top points for you to consider when putting together the introduction for your podcast, including:

• Choosing music for your podcast intro (including where you can get music that you can legally use)
• How to include a call to action (CTA)
• How to introduce yourself
• The length of your podcast intro
• If you need more than one intro
• Top tips for creating your podcast intro

Related Post >> Finding the Sweet Spot: How Often to Release Your Podcast Episodes

Choosing Music for Your Podcast Intro

First and foremost, the vast majority of podcasts (in fact, I haven’t come across one that hasn’t yet?), have music playing in the background of their intro.

Music in your intro is great for a variety of reasons. This is mainly because having music in your podcast intro helps to the scene and tone of your podcast and episodes. Listen to a few different podcast intros and you’ll notice that podcasters will use quick-paced music for more upbeat shows, and slower or darker music for more shows that cover more ‘serious’ content.

Some podcasters even go as far as not having any talking in their intro and just having a few seconds of music leading into their episode.

When choosing the music for your podcast’s intro, it can be easy to get lost in listening to hundreds of clips and not actually end up choosing anything.

Points to consider when adding music to your intro:

• Make sure that your music doesn’t over-power you talking. Remember that your listener wants to hear you, not your music
• Keep the music short. Again, your listener is here for your episode and not the music. If they want music, they’ll listen to music, not a talking show
• Choose music that sets the tone and suits the style of your podcast

Related Post >> Podcast Titles: Should You Include Your Episode Numbers?

Where Can I Get Music That I Can Legally Use in My Podcast Intro?

I’m glad you asked! Because believe it not you can’t just take any old song that you like and use it in your podcast.

You need to make sure that you can legally use the music.

This means using music that is royalty-free and isn’t protected under copyright legislation that prevents you from using it on your show.

There are a whole host of platforms where you can purchase music to use in your podcast intro. My favourite is Pond5, where I’ve previously purchased tracks that I’ve used for intro music for just $5. (Oh, and if you use that link, you’ll get 20% off your first order!).

Including a Call to Action

During a podcast intro, you’ll probably notice that a lot of podcasters like to include a Call to Action (often called a CTA).

A CTA is basically just something that you’re asking your listener to do. This might include:

• Subscribing to your show
• Leaving a review
• Signing up to your newsletter

Ideally, you want to keep your calls to action to a minimum within your introduction. After all, if you’re asking someone to go away and do something else, is there a guarantee that they’ll come back to listening to the rest of your episode?

(And yes, you might be thinking that you’ve still got a download, but if that person hasn’t listened to that episode, then what’s the point in the download stat?)

Also, remember that if you include too many things for your listener to do within the first minute or so of your episode, it can feel overwhelming, and your listener will likely do none of the actions you’ve asked of them. That, or they will switch off because they feel as though they just have a list of tasks to complete.

If you do include a call to action in your intro, keep it short and sweet, such as asking the listener to subscribe to your podcast.

Otherwise, you’re better off leaving calls to action until later in your episode, or putting them in your outro.

Related Post >> How to Write Your Podcast Outro (+ 3 Free Templates)

Introducing Yourself in Your Podcast Intro

Introducing yourself and your show sets the scene for your podcast and is the one thing I’d recommend 100% including in your podcast intro. Even without a podcast intro, I still introduce myself and the show’s name at the beginning of my podcast episodes.

This could be as short and simple as saying; ‘Hi, welcome to XYZ Podcast, the podcast for… I’m your host, Verity Sangan.’ It could be shorter with a simple: ‘Welcome to the podcast, hosted by me, Verity Sangan;’ or it could be longer and go more in-depth about the topics covered within the show.

I would always recommend introducing yourself as the host as a minimum. This helps to humanise and personalise the voice that your listener is hearing and builds a connection between you and your audience right from the start.

Related Post >> Should You Leave Your Pauses in Your Podcast Episodes?

How Long Should Your Podcast Intro Be?

Podcast intros need to be short and snappy.

After all, your listener is there to hear the contents of your episode, not your intro. Depending on how you want to layout your intro, you might want to include the following:

• Your podcast’s title
• Introduce yourself as the host
• A brief explanation of what the podcast talks about and who the target audience is

Ideally, you want your podcast intro to be 30 seconds or less. Any longer and your listener will probably switch off.

Also, consider your episode length.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I got rid of my podcast intro because my episodes are designed to be binge-worthy. Personally, I find it really off-putting to listen to a podcast where I’m listening to the same intro every 10-15 minutes when I start a new episode.

Related Post >> How to Start a Podcast with No Audience

Having More Than One Podcast Intro

Switching up your intro can be interesting for your audience to listen to.

After all, ss humans, if we listen to something over and over, we eventually get bored with it. I mean, have you ever skipped through a podcast or tv series trying to find an episode to watch/listen to and getting frustrated with the same intro continually? And think about it, lots of tv series change their intros for a new season.

You might want to switch up your intro every season or series or your podcast. It might be that every few months you change your intro.

You might have 2-3 intros that you rotate throughout your show.

The choice is yours.

For my first podcast, I ended up with 3 different intros for that podcast over an 18-month period. I kept the same music, but updated the wording of the intro as the show evolved and I tweaked the content that was being produced.

Related Post >> Rebranding Your Podcast: How to Choose a New Name

Tips for Creating Your Podcast Intro

Now that we’ve gone through everything to do with creating your podcast intro, here are some quick-fire bullet points to help you further:

1. Once you’ve created your intro, save it as an MP3 and save it somewhere easily accessible, such as on GDrive. Then, when you’re editing your episode, you can easily drag and drop the intro MP3 into your episode.
2. Practice before recording. You want your intro to be as engaging as possible, as this is what will keep your listener hooked.
3. It’s ok to change your intro. You might want to have different intros with different calls to action depending on the episode or season of your business. You might simply have fallen out of love with your intro; in which case, there’s nothing wrong with creating a new one.
4. Remember that it’s your intro. Regardless of the advice out there, it is your podcast and you need to be happy that your intro suits yourself as the host and the premise and ethos of your show.
5. Insert your intro at the start of your podcast episodes as dynamic content. That way, if you make any tweaks or updates, your intro will be updated automatically across all of your episodes. This will save you from having old episodes with an outdated intro.
6. Above all, have fun creating your intro and your podcasting!