Free podcast intro music

Need to find some good intro music for your podcast? When editing your episode (in Garage Band or Audacity), you're likely adding a short intro theme song to the beginning.

Can I use music from my favorite band on my podcast?

Unfortunately, no. Any commercial music is under copyright, and can't be used in your podcast. Instead, here are some good sites to get free music for the beginning of your episode.

Free podcast theme songs:

• Music for Makers – when you sign up for their mailing list you'll get a new free track every week. There's a lot of variety in the songs that Logan produces. I ended up upgrading to the paid service because it's so good. (The song we use on the Build your SaaS podcast is from here!)
• Joseph McDade Music – I honestly can't believe Joseph is giving these tracks away for free. He wants to be the "Unsplash for audio." He currently has 14 songs you can download. There's quite a variety, and you don't even need to give him your email address to get them. (Although, you should support his Patreon)
• Kabbalistic Village – this composer sells music on AudioJungle but gives away some of his songs on Soundcloud. All you need to do his credit him in your show notes.
• Vlad Cuiujuclu – this 24-year-old composer from Brooklyn, NY recently said he was "happy to provide for free, with the only condition that I am contacted and credited for my music."
• Free Music Archive – the biggest repository for free audio downloads. These songs are licensed under Creative Commons and other licenses.

Paid podcast theme songs:

• Themesong.studio – buy the complete rights to high-quality theme songs and intros
• Ben Sound
• Premium Beat
• Audio Jungle
• Sound Stripe

Tips for podcast intro music

• Keep it short – too many podcasts have music that plays for 30 seconds at the beginning of every show. Keep it to five seconds.
• Match the volume to the rest of your show – you don't want your theme music to be too much louder than the rest of your show. In fact, I prefer my intro music to be on the quiet side. Be sure to fade it down even more if you're overlaying narration.
• Don't use a song, use a signature sound – you might not even need a whole theme song. Some podcasts will have a 1-2 second clip. It could be a banjo strum, an alien ship taking off, or bells. Make it distinct; something that people think of when they hear your show.