Podcast Music: Free Intro Themes and Background Beds

How to use music in a podcast

Take 10 to 20 seconds for the intro

Use the opening of a theme and start talking where the phrase ends. For a smoother entry, fade the music out over 2 or 3 seconds under your first sentence.

Set the bed level

Start with the bed about 15 dB below your voice, then listen once on headphones. If you can hear it but never want to listen to it, it's right. The stronger the melody, the lower it should go.

Let your editor duck it

Most editors can lower the music automatically whenever you talk. The feature is usually called ducking, like Auto Duck in Audacity or the Ducking setting in Premiere Pro.

Mark segment breaks

Before a topic change or an ad break, play 3 to 5 seconds of your theme. After a few episodes, listeners learn that it means a new segment is coming.

Outro

Bring back your intro theme so the episode ends on a bookend. The outro can run a little longer, under your thanks and the teaser for next time.

Long episodes

Don't run a bed under the whole episode, because it gets tiring. If one long segment needs it, place the track twice and crossfade the copies over 2 to 4 seconds.

Even loudness

Every track here is leveled to -18 LUFS, so swapping one for another won't jump in volume. Set your show's final loudness once, just before you export.

Choosing a theme and a bed

A theme has one job: be recognizable. Look for a track with a clear tune or rhythm in the first few seconds, so listeners know it's your show the moment it starts. Warm electric piano or acoustic guitar suits conversation and interview shows; tight, uncluttered beats suit explainers and news.

A bed is the opposite: the less it stands out, the better. Choose tracks with few instruments, no strong lead melody and steady energy, and skip sections with heavy drum hits or high melodies, so your voice always stays in front.