Music and sound effects
Recognizable theme music, a stinger between segments and soft music under the voice give a podcast identity and rhythm. Used badly, they bury the voice and wear people out. Here you'll learn how to place them, how to lower the music when you talk, and how to stay out of trouble with rights.
What music is for in a podcast
In a podcast, music isn't there to fill space: it's there to guide the listener. It tells them “the show is starting”, “we're changing topic” or “this is wrapping up”. It also creates an identity: many listeners recognize their favorite podcast from the first three seconds of its theme music.
The voice is always the star. If someone has to strain to understand what you're saying because the music is too loud, you've lost.
The musical elements
| Element | What it is | Rough length | Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme music | The music that opens (and often closes) the podcast | 5–20 s | Always the same: it's your brand |
| Stinger | A short piece that separates segments or sections | 2–5 s | In the same style as the theme |
| Music bed | Soft music under the voice | As long as the segment | No lyrics and not much in the mids |
| Sound effect | A one-off sound: a bell, a door, a “swoosh” | Under 2 s | In moderation and with a purpose |
A song with lyrics under your voice competes with it: the brain tries to understand both. For beds, use instrumental music with few instruments in the midrange (between 300 Hz and 3 kHz), which is where the voice's intelligibility lives.
Ducking: the music steps aside
Ducking means automatically lowering the music when there's voice and bringing it back up when the voice stops. That way the theme music can play at full strength at the start and politely step back as soon as you start talking.
There are two ways to do it:
- By hand, drawing the volume envelope on the music track. It's the most precise and the most common approach for theme music and stingers.
- Automatically, with a compressor or a ducking effect that “listens” to the voice track (this is called a sidechain) and lowers the music when it detects signal.
Look at the simulator above: you'll see the music track drop on its own every time the voice comes in, and rise again in the silences.
| Ducking setting | Starting point | If you overdo it |
|---|---|---|
| How far the music drops | Between −12 and −20 dB under the voice | Too little: it buries the voice. Too much: it vanishes and seems like a mistake |
| How fast it drops | Fast, a few hundred milliseconds | Too slow: it steps on the first words |
| How fast it comes back | Slower, half a second to a second | Too fast: the music “pumps” in every pause |
Transitions and fades
A hard music cut sounds like a mistake. To make everything fit:
- Use fade-ins and fade-outs on the music, even short ones (half a second to two seconds).
- Make the music end on a complete musical phrase, not in the middle of a bar. If it doesn't fit, trim in the middle, not at the end.
- Try starting to talk while the theme is still playing and bring it down under your first sentence: it sounds more professional than waiting for it to finish completely.
Don't
The theme plays in full at maximum volume, cuts off abruptly and you start talking two seconds later, in silence.
Do
The theme plays for a few seconds, drops under your greeting and fades out gradually as you get into the topic.
Theme music volume
When it plays on its own, the theme can be a little louder than the bed, but it shouldn't jump out compared with the voice. If the listener has to turn the volume down at the start and up again when you talk, the theme is too loud. A simple reference: it should sound about as loud as your voice, never louder.
Sound effects in moderation
A one-off effect can underline a joke or mark a recurring segment (“and now, the question of the week”). But if it plays every two minutes, it stops being funny and starts to annoy. Some simple rules:
- Every effect should have a clear purpose: to separate, signal or illustrate.
- Always use the same effect for the same thing: the listener learns what it means.
- Watch the volume: effects often come mastered very loud. Turn them down until they blend with the voice.
- Ask yourself whether the podcast would work just as well without that effect. If the answer is yes, it probably isn't needed.
Royalty-free music and licenses
Just because a song is on the internet doesn't mean you can use it. Using commercial music without permission can get episodes taken down or clips blocked on social media. The safe options are:
- Licensed music libraries, free or paid, that allow podcast use. Always read the terms: some require crediting the artist or don't allow commercial use.
- Creative Commons licenses that permit your use, respecting what they require (attribution, no derivatives, non-commercial…).
- Original music composed for you, with a written agreement about how it can be used.
The term usually means you pay (or don't) once and don't have to pay per use, but there's still a license with rules. Keep a copy of the license or receipt for every track you use.
- Music guides the listener and gives identity; the voice always comes first.
- Theme music, stingers and beds in the same style, with no lyrics under the voice.
- Ducking: music between −12 and −20 dB under the voice, fast drop and gentle return.
- Always use fades, and effects only with a clear purpose.
- Use licensed music and keep the proof.
Your turn: dress up your intro
Build the first 60 seconds of your podcast with theme music, ducking under your greeting and a stinger into the first segment.
- Choose a licensed theme that allows podcast use and keep the proof.
- Put your greeting over it and lower the music by 12 to 20 dB while you talk, with gentle fades.
- Add a 2–5 second stinger before the first segment and listen on your phone with headphones.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use famous songs in my podcast?
Not without a license. Using commercial music without permission can lead to claims or the episode being taken down. Use music from licensed libraries, Creative Commons music that allows it, or original music.
What is ducking in audio?
It's automatically lowering the music's volume when there's voice and bringing it back up when the voice stops, so the music never covers what's being said.
How loud should background music be in a podcast?
As a starting point, 12 to 20 dB below the voice. If you have to strain to understand what's being said, it's too loud.