Podcast Intro: 6 Tips to Nail your Podcast Introduction

There is no doubt, your podcast intro is the most important part of your podcast. It’s in these first few minutes that you’ll need to convince the listener to keep listening to your episode until the end.

Today we will give you 6 tips to make your podcast intro powerful thanks to your content, your script, your voice, and the music.

By the way, these introduction tips also work if you are doing a video podcasting! Just take what we are saying about audio and apply it to video as well.

Let’s get started! 💪

6 tips for creating a great podcast intro

1. Your podcast intro needs to give information about you and your podcast

Keep in mind that there are no predetermined rules for putting together a good podcast intro. You can be as creative as you’d like. Nevertheless, you only have a few seconds to convince your audience that this is the podcast they are looking for, this is a brand they vibe with. Now that they have found you and that you have their attention, use those precious seconds of audio to give them the most important information about you! Here’s a list of things you can present at the beginning of your episode:

The podcast name
Your own name (assuming you are the host)
The theme of your podcast
The subject of this episode in particular
The guest you are going to interview

This list is by no means exhaustive. However, it does provide a great starting point for explaining what things the listener may find in your podcast. It will help them to understand what they are listening to if it’s the first time they are listening to one of your episodes. 👂

2. Find a hook for the topic of your episode

To make your intro especially interesting, it’s not enough to simply say what you’re going to discuss. Having a great title or good elements throughout your episode isn’t enough. You need to announce your topic with a great hook: How and why did you decide to discuss this today?

Your idea may have come from a story you were told long ago or from something you found intriguing last week. Your audience needs to understand your thought process to be deeply interested in your podcasting content.

If it’s an interview, explain why you wanted to talk to this particular person. If you’re interviewing several people, try to find a common thread among them. Your listeners must know why you chose to gather them specifically for your recording.

By being as sincere as possible about your own journey, you can create that same interest in the listener and you will be amazed to see your completion rate skyrocket! 🚀

3. Keep your podcast intro short 📏

If you are reading this, you already know that your podcast intro is strategic. It will be tempting to be as comprehensive as possible in your intro… But you must keep one thing in mind: the shorter the better. By making your intro too long, you will delay the moment you’re getting to the heart of the matter, and you will risk losing your listeners’ attention.

Try to make the introduction at least 15 seconds, and don’t make it longer than 30 seconds. The best way to respect this golden rule is to script your intro. We promise you it won’t kill all the fun. A podcast script will allow you to rehearse before recording, helping you find the perfect timing and voice for your podcast intro.

Did someone say voice ? 📣

Be sure to control it but not to change it too much when you record, compared to your natural voice. Your audience might be a bit lost, especially first time listeners! Rehearse your intro, read your script a thousand times and read it again, but be careful not to lose your voice in the process. 😮‍💨

4. Choose your intro music wisely

The music track you choose for the beginning of your show is extremely important. It’s the music your listeners will hear every time they listen to your podcast, it’s the music they will think about when they think about your podcast, it’s the music they will find themselves whistling when they are taking a shower (okay, maybe not to this point)… But don’t take it lightly!

To help you select your audio soundtrack, keep in mind the following:

Your podcast music should be pleasant in order to avoid annoying your regular listeners
It should complement your voice without rendering it inaudible
It should fit the tone of your show and not sound too dramatic or too joyful
It shouldn’t be used as the intro for any other podcasts
You should check the copyrights

When in doubt, feel free to test your intro text with several music tracks! This will help you choose the best one. 🎶

When you start your episode, you can also include a particular sound or several podcast sound effects to make your intro stand out from the other podcast intros. It’s a well-known podcasting technique, almost like a subliminal audio message that will become embedded in the mind of your listeners.

If you are a musician or if one of your friends is, do not hesitate to compose a jingle for your podcast intro. If you need help having some inspiration, just listen to your favorite radio station: most of the time, radio talk-shows have interesting jingles! If you want to step up your music identity even more, you can write and record original tracks for your music library… it is free and it will be worth the effort. You will be proud to hear it throughout your episodes. 🎺🎸🎷

5. Use a teaser with a clip from the episode

Once you have your intro, you can preface it with a particularly powerful excerpt from your episode. Indeed, even if you have chosen the best music and you know that the content of your episode is interesting, you may still need to be able to catch the attention of your listeners through this technique.

For example, you can highlight a passage from your discussion with your guest. By doing so, you will give your listeners an idea of the episode’s content and intrigue them.

You can also choose a moment where you and your guests are laughing to show your audience the good times you will share with them (or you can include a moment where the tone rises to arouse their curiosity 🧐 ).

6. Showcase your personality

In the podcast, the relationship between the host and the listener is often quite close. When listening to an episode on headphones, you almost get the impression that they’re speaking directly to you. The host becomes someone familiar, with their own name, voice, tone, and humor.

For first-time listeners, you’ll need to use your personality in your intros to win them over. You could, for example, tell a story that will surprise or amuse them. In this way, you’ll show who you are and what moves you, while provoking a reaction on the part of the listener.

For your regular listeners, the intro can start to be an expected and familiar meeting place. 🤝

What about the outro of my podcast?

Well, thanks for asking! Your podcast outros is as important as your intros, if you want people to come back for your next episodes. Your audience needs to understand that the episode is ending for today. Create a feeling of instant nostalgia to help your listeners fall in love with your brand even more. It’s the perfect occasion to interact with them by asking them to follow you on your different social media accounts and to leave you 5 stars on Apple Podcasts.

Of course, there is much more to learn to have the best podcast outro track, so be sure to check our article on how to improve your podcast outro, it is full of the production tips that you are looking for. 👀