How To Create a Podcast Intro and Outro

In this episode, the host emphasizes the significance of keeping podcast intros and outros short, concise, and focused. These elements serve as the bookends for each episode and are typically accompanied by a jingle or a brief message. While it is debatable whether listeners truly pay attention to intros and outros, it has become customary to include them.

The host advises against creating lengthy intros and outros that provide a detailed explanation or summary of the podcast. Instead, they should be brief and dive right into the episode's content. The intro should consist of approximately four sentences, welcoming the audience, briefly explaining the show's purpose, and introducing the host. Similarly, the outro can be concise, expressing gratitude to the listeners for tuning in and encouraging them to subscribe and share the podcast.

[00:00:30] Starting a podcast.
[00:04:18] Short and sweet intros.
[00:07:26] Outsource, outsource, outsource
[00:10:31] Outsourcing podcast intro and outro.

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By keeping the intro and outro short and to the point, the host aims to capture the listeners' attention and maintain their interest. The goal is to deliver valuable content and ensure that listeners take away at least one or two new insights from each episode. By avoiding lengthy intros and outros, the host acknowledges that listeners are already seeking content when they search for podcasts, and they may be less inclined to listen to excessive introductory information.

Overall, this episode emphasizes the importance of creating concise and engaging intros and outros that swiftly introduce the show and its host while leaving a lasting impression on the listeners.

RESOURCES:

Audio Editing Software (PC & Mac): https://www.audacityteam.org/

GarageBand (Mac only): https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

YouTube Library: YouTube.com/PodcastsSUCK

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Need help launching your podcast?
Schedule a Free Podcast Strategy Call TODAY!
PodcastLaunchLabNow.com
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Social Media Links

Instagram: Instagram.com/PodcastsSUCK
Facebook: Facebook.com/srusk
LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/sebastianrusk/

Transcript

What's happening, podcasters, new podcasters, aspiring podcasters, come one, come all. Episode four is going down right now. If you're just joining us, you may wanna back up to the very first episode. I mean, we're only on episode four, so I need to settle down a little bit. But episode one kicks things off on this step-by-step process of starting a podcast. I figured if I'm gonna start a podcast about how to start a podcast, Let me unpack my process, a proven solution that we've created at the podcast launch lab to take you from idea to iTunes in 90 days or less by starting a podcast with our proven podcast launch solution. So I'm unpacking that, I don't know, 14, 15 steps we have of being able to start a podcast. Each step feeds into the next step. So if you're just starting this, And thinking, I'll just listen to the most recent episode, back up a couple episodes. This is only episode one or excuse me, four and go back to one episodes or less than 10 minutes. That's another plus of this podcast short and sweet. And not to get sidetracked, but you know why I do 10 minutes or less. Think about when you pull up your phone and someone either sends you a message or you're pulling up a podcast to listen to. If that podcast is eight minutes and 20 seconds, you're like, I got that. Now, if somebody sends you a voice note that's eight minutes and 20 seconds, they're probably not friends with you. I'm kidding, but you're probably not going to be as inclined to listen to that, that voice note, but you're already looking for content to consume when you're searching for podcasts. So when you pull up a podcast and it's seven minutes long, you're like, I got that. So that's what I want to do. It's short, sweet to the point. I want you to extract at least one or two things that you did not know about starting a podcast from each episode. So let's dive in real quick. Episode four, is all about your podcast intro and outro quick recap. This doesn't prevent you from going back to episode one, but episode one kick things off. It's a quick overview on why you're starting a podcast, getting clear on that. Why then coming up with a name, how to do that effectively. And then episode two was all about, uh, being able to, uh, figure out how to create your podcast cover art. So we did an introduction. We talked about getting clear. We talked about how to create your podcast cover art, which is your podcast logo. Now we're going to dive into your podcast intro and outro. For those of you not familiar, a podcast intro and outro are the bookends for every episode. So that little jingle you hear at the beginning and they welcome you to the show. That's an outro, that little jingle on that little, thanks for tuning in. That's the outro. Now, Full transparency, it's questionable whether or not people even listen to intros and outros, especially returning listeners. However, it has become a very common protocol to have. It signifies the beginning and the ending of each episode. Now, when creating an intro script, here's what an intro script does not need. An introscript does not need an entire dissertation and explanation and full-blown three paragraph summary of what the podcast is all about. It needs to be short, sweet, and to the point. Again, put yourself in the listener's shoes for a minute. When you're listening to a new podcast, if that intro gets you excited, tells you a little bit about the show and gets right into it, you're more excited, but they keep going and going and going. You're like, is this person ever going to shut up and start the episode and do a little whistle there? Uh, what are you going to do? 44 with braces over here. Okay. Whistle sometimes when I talk, working through it, y'all working through it. Imperfect action. No, we don't cut this part out. That's part of the show. But when we talk about an intro, we want it to be short, sweet, and to the point. For example, welcome to my underwater basket weaving podcast, a show dedicated to, you guessed it, underwater basket weaving. And now, here's your host, Rooster McRooster. Get it, it's short and sweet and to the point. An outro. Thanks so much for tuning into this episode. We sure do appreciate it. Be sure to subscribe and wherever you listen to podcasts and tell your friends about the show. Thanks again for tuning in. Talk to you next time. Again, that's a very informal way of doing it, but I wanted to dumb it down and make it as elementary as possible so you understand the intro is going to be short and sweet. I'm talking maybe four sentences if I'm, if I'm exaggerating, welcome to the show, what the show is all about. Welcome the host. You do not need to go into this entire huge explanation and definitely don't make your standard intro. Different on every episode meaning you a welcome back to this episode on this episode we're sitting down with Billy Bob and Billy Bob's gonna talk about this that or the other and Billy Bob did this and Billy Bob did that and Billy Billy Billy Billy Billy Billy Billy Billy Billy it's too much Now if you want to have your quick short and to the point intro and do it a bumper after the end. Now, here's your host, Sebastian Rusk. What's happening, everybody? Welcome to episode 57. I am so excited to sit down with my pet giraffe today. I've had this pet giraffe for 10 years. He does all kinds of interesting things in my backyard, like eat my trees and knock on neighbors doors. And it's just it's just quite the comical life we live here with my pet giraffe. So let's get into it. You understand I'm given a short little bumper, but I'm not going in. I don't want to I don't want to steal the sizzle from the episode. A lot of people just go intro right into the episode. That's what I'm a fan of. You know, the intro has got music. It's got a voiceover. Welcome people. Tell them what it's all about. Very quickly introduce the host, let the music fade out and what's happening. Here we are the next episode. Let's dive right into it because think about it as a consumer of podcast. You just want to get to the meat and potatoes. Just give me the content. All right. So when creating an intro and outro, make it short and sweet on both ends. These can be standard. You want to buy music for your intro and outro. You can go to audio jungle.net. I'm going to put that link in the description of this podcast episode. Don't pay any more than 20 bucks for a song. That means you own the rights and have a license to use it on your podcast. Don't just go Google. No, you can't put Led Zeppelin on your podcast. There's a little thing called a copyright and you will get your hand slapped. So you don't want to do anything that's going to jeopardize. what you're doing, the legality is your show, your business, et cetera. So go buy some background music. If you're a musician, you can make your own music. Sure. That absolutely works. Maybe, you know, a friend that's a musician, whatever the case is, you can also, uh, Find somebody that can create the entire process for you. We talked about this on the last episode for podcast, cover our fiverr.com Upwork these, these freelance sites, phenomenal place to find people that are more than willing to write your script for you, to record it for you, to put the background music, to edit it all up for less than nothing. I think I paid like 45 bucks for my first intro and outro that I got done professionally. So it's not a lot of money unless you're an audio editor. You're, you're probably going to save yourself a lot of time and frustration by just saying, let me hire somebody. I always, I'm always going to default back to outsource, outsource, outsource, outsource, outsource, go find a freelancer, find somebody on your team, call us. We can help. This isn't a pitch. It's just how I feel deeply about. work that you don't know how to do or don't want to do. If you don't want to do it or don't know how to do it, don't do it. Go find somebody who wants to do it. Does that make sense? Now, if you're a do-it-yourselfer, I always love to just cater to the do-it-yourselfers for a hot minute, just so you guys can, I can appease the do-it-yourselfers until you get frustrated and go, I'm not doing this. I'm going to hire somebody to do it. Sebastian was right. And I'm not trying to be right. I'm just trying to save you some time and frustration. However, comma, If you do want to do it on your own and you're a Mac user, you can open up GarageBand and, well, good luck. No, I'm kidding. You can record the intro, you can buy the background music, you can slap the background music as an additional track over the voiceover, adjust the volumes, all that good stuff, or you can just cut the raw track and send it to a video editor. But if you're a PC user, you weirdo, I'm kidding. Totally kidding. Uh, you can use audacity just like it sounds audacity. I'll drop a link in the description of this podcast episode so that, uh, you can check it out. It's free software, PC or Mac. It's a little easier to use in my opinion than garage band, but they're both equally complicated. Audio editing is a less than pleasurable experience. Again, outsource it. Did I mention outsource it? You should totally outsource it. Unless you're like, I'm a musician, or I want to learn this, or I get it, or I'm a fast learner, I'm a do-it-yourselfer and a fast learner. Listen, I embrace whatever it takes to get you through the day. So I just want you to be able to have those tools at your disposal. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, GarageBand, or Audacity, you can cut the track, go to audiojungle.net, buy background music, slap it in there. Obviously, you want the volumes to be different on, so the music is up, then you bring the music down when there's a voiceover, not all the way down, but just a little bit down so the voiceover is more prominent. And then when it's done, voice and music back up. You don't want just music blaring the whole time and you're trying to talk over it. Same thing with the outro. So two options on your intro and outro do it yourself, which I do not recommend, but you absolutely can with garage band or audacity or outsource it, go to fiverr.com. There are plenty of individuals that would be more than happy to script it, record it, put background music, master it, D all of the above. So questions, thoughts, ideas, concerns around the world of intros and outros for your podcast or any topic on this show. Go ahead and shoot me a DM. I hang out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram. I'm at podcast suck. That's podcast, plural podcast suck. I know that's shocking that that's my handle. Shoot me a DM and say, Hey, I just listened to the podcast. I have a question. Be sure to check out YouTube as well, because we have an entire library of every single thing you could ever imagine asking about starting a podcast. And that links in the description of this podcast episode as well, too. It's youtube.com forward slash podcast launch lab, youtube.com forward slash podcast launch lab. I appreciate you tuning in. I hope you're walking away with at least one or two things that you did not know about an intro and outro for your podcast. I hope I've encouraged you. I hope I've gotten in your head and in your ears about outsourcing it and taking whatever you do not like off your plate. Cause I guarantee there's somebody that absolutely loves to do it until next time, friends.