How Long Should Your Podcast Intro Be?

Exactly how long should your podcast intro be? All of a sudden, I have started getting a lot of questions about this topic. I am not sure what has inspired all the questions. It may simply be the influx of new podcasters and new podcasts. Or, it may be all the different advice swirling around out there. As podcasting is growing at an accelerating rate, so is the number of websites, online courses, and events geared to helping podcasters get started. This means there are a lot of different opinions out there on every aspect of podcasting.

I recently attended Texas Podcon here in San Antonio. Most of the attendees were very new to podcasting or hadn't even started yet. I was impressed with the speakers, and they shared a lot of information. However, every once in awhile, I wanted to raise my hand and ask, "How do you know that?" 

We are reaching the point where we are starting to see some excellent research about podcasting, but there is still an awful lot that is just guesswork. Often it is as simple as finding a show that is wildly successful and then assuming that what they are doing must be the right thing to do. Well, that sounds good, but it is not necessarily true.

There are many highly successful podcasts that have serious audio problems, go on for an hour and a half, and have no discernable intro or outro. So, should you model your podcast after those? Or, should you try to imitate the slick production of podcasts from producers like NPR or Panoply? Or, since your podcast is unique to you, should you do something completely different?

Let's look at some intros from popular shows.

(By the way, if any of the terms below are new to you, I have included a glossary at the bottom of this post.)

The Joe Rogan Experience  

Currently #1 on the Apple Podcast Charts - Episode 1395 - Glenn Villeneuve

The first pre-roll ad goes until 1:48. Then another ad takes us up to 3:31. The final pre-roll ad finally finishes up at 5:15. After that, there is a pre-intro plugging that episode's guest. The actual intro starts at 5:45 and is pretty much over by 5:55.

So, if you ask how long Joe Rogan's intro is, the answer would be ten seconds. However, that only tells part of the story since it doesn't start until nearly six minutes in. This in itself is really not that long when you consider this episode runs over three hours. Please note, this is not a criticism of The Joe Rogan Experience. This is an impressively popular show, so this seems to be working. Let's look at another.

Crime Junkie 

Currently #3 on the Apple Podcast Charts - 09 Dec: MURDERED: Jody LeCornu

The episode starts with a pre-roll ad that is 29 seconds long. After about a two-second pause, the next pre-roll begins at the 32-second mark and goes until 1:05. At 1:06 the pre-intro starts with the hosts previewing the show. At 2:04, the intro begins. It is just over 30 seconds long. And, here is what is interesting: it is all music. There is not one word spoken in the 30 seconds of the intro.

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard  

Currently #17 on the Apple Podcast Charts - 09 Dec: T.I.

The show begins with a disclaimer from the hosts about the guest on this particular episode. That goes until about 2:22. After that, it's time for the sponsor, which goes until 3:41. At 3:42, we get to the intro. Fascinatingly, the intro is basically a song that repeats the phrase, "He's an armchair expert." The tune goes on for a little under 20 seconds.

Dolly Parton's America

Currently #6 on the Apple Podcast Charts - 03 Dec: Dolly Parton's America

This podcast starts out with pre-roll ads. The first one ends at 15 seconds and is followed by another that ends at 38 seconds. After this is an appeal from the show's producer to help support the show since it originates from a public radio station. At 1:28 comes a hybrid intro that lasts until 2:08. I say hybrid because it includes a preview of the show from the host, a very short announcer vocal with the name of the show, and several clips from the episode.

In case you are interested, stay tuned for a future blog post where I will tell you how to easily create an intro that includes highlights from your show.

So, What Did We Learn?

It might be challenging to see the takeaways from these examples immediately. They seem to be all over the place. It gets worse if you keep listening to some of the other top-rated podcasts. However, I think there are a few takeaways that can help us make our own show intros work better.

1. Time Doesn't Really Matter - At least not the way we think it does.

I recently had a client that was absolutely insistent that his intro be under 14 seconds. We went through a lot of revisions because the client also wanted quite a bit of information in the intro. When I asked why, he said that he was told that after 14 seconds, listeners tune out. There may be some truth in there, but that certainly isn't the whole truth. Otherwise, all of the shows mentioned above would be doomed. I can see the objection, "People already know these shows are great, so they are willing to listen for a while before the show starts." That makes sense, except these shows continue to grow their listener bases.

I think when you are just starting out, there is probably a valid reason to get to the main portion of the show fairly quickly. However, that doesn't mean you can't set the tone with an intro. These shows all have relatively short intros but consider Crime Junkie, which has a 30-second intro that is only music. Which leads to the next point.

2. Words Don't Seem to Matter - At least in the intro.

In all of these examples, there are a lot of words before the actual program begins. Pre-roll ads, disclaimers, previews of the show, these are all words. However, when we get to the actual intros, three out of four contain very few, if any, words. One thing that makes me very nervous is when someone asks me the maximum word count I allow for podcast intros. That usually means they are going to try to cram every last word into the intro. I think that this is a mistake. If you like, go back and read my post, "Podcast Intros: Catching Your Listeners' Attention." In the article, I make the claim that your intro has two purposes: First, to convince new listeners to keep listening. Two, to keep current listeners listening. I am not sure it is practical to convince new listeners to keep listening by offering a one-minute (or longer) explanation of the premise of the podcast. It's not the length that is wrong. It is the fact that just explaining may not do it. There is much more to audio than just words.

Your podcast intro needs to convince new listeners to keeps listening. Say someone stumbles upon your podcast, or one of their friends invites them to listen. Just because they hit play doesn't mean they are going to keep listening. What they hear in the first few seconds may determine whether or not they continue listening. If you listen to podcasts like Crime Junkie or any of the shows from producers like NPR, The New York Times, Panoply, or Gimlet Media, you will find that they are not afraid to use music, sound effects, or ambient audio to set a mood. Sometimes an atmosphere can pull listeners in much better than a lot of words.

This may be even more important to think about to keep current listeners listening. It will ultimately be your content that helps listeners decide whether or not to listen to your podcast. However, the intro may help your listeners along. Some of my favorite podcasts have intros that remind me why I like the show so much. I look forward to hearing the intro because it means great stuff is on the way.

This may also be especially true in the negative. If you have a long wordy intro, it may actually be more of a tune out factor than a ton of pre-roll ads.

3. There is No "Correct" Intro Format.

There are shows with no formal intro, some with elaborate productions with preview clips from the show, others with just music. The post I shared earlier offers a template for crafting an intro. I provide that because people ask, and it is one way to do it that many podcasters can relate to. However, I find myself producing a lot of intros that go nothing like my example. Lately, I have done a few that have one word or only have the name of the show. Some are mostly sound effects with a few words thrown in.

4. Have a Lot to Say in Your Intro? Consider a Trailer.

If you really want the chance to explain, in-depth what your show is all about, consider producing a short trailer. Trailers are usually around a minute or two and give you a chance to explain in more detail the premise of your show and what people can expect. This might help to contain the temptation to put all of that in your intro. You can post the trailer just like a regular episode, and people who want to know more or want to decide if they should listen can check it out. If you want to hear an example, check out the trailer from Dolly Parton's America.

So, How Long Should Your Podcast Intro Be?

If you were looking for an easy answer, sorry. Okay, if you really want one, let's say no more than 20 seconds. There is no evidence to back that up, but it's what people are saying. Instead of going for an easy answer, take a listen to some podcasts you like, especially those that are in the same niche as yours. Then, don't just copy them. Figure out what works about them and what doesn't work. Then think about what is unique about your show and how that can be highlighted in an intro. If you need some help putting it all together, just let me know.

Glossary

Intro (or introduction) – In this context, the intro refers to the (usually pre-recorded) introduction to the show that usually remains the same week after week.

Pre-roll ad – An advertisement that runs before the podcast begins. It can either be at the very beginning or after the intro and before the main part of the show starts. They are often pre-recorded (before the actual episode.) They are usually voiced by the host of the show (but not always.) Sometimes they are actually a part of the recording of the show and other times they are inserted automatically by the podcast hosting platform.

Pre-intro – An introduction (usually to the topic or guest of the episode), usually voiced by the show’s host, that comes right before a produced intro and sometimes before pre-roll ads.