Selecting and Purchasing the Perfect Podcast Jingle: A Comprehensive Guide

Starting a podcast can be tough, but keeping it engaging and interesting over time can be even tougher.

After the initial excitement, if results don’t show up within a reasonable timeframe, it's easy to feel discouraged and slowly give up.

Therefore, it’s critical for a podcaster determined to make a mark in the communications landscape to pay attention to every detail of their project.

Among these details is one that might seem minor but is actually essential for boosting audience engagement: the jingle.

This brief sound motif is used to open or close the podcast ,or to announce an ad break.

In this blog post, we’ll show you how to pick successful jingles for your podcast, giving your video or audio show that special touch it’s still missing.

If you prefer buying a ready-made or custom jingle instead of creating one yourself, continue reading to find out the best places to purchase jingles and royalty-free sound effects tailored for your podcast.

What Is a Jingle, and Why do I need one?

In a podcast, a jingle is a short musical or sound motif used to identify the podcast and make it unique and recognizable.

It’s brief, usually consisting of a catchy melody and can include a slogan or the podcast's name.

Generally, a jingle marks the opening or closing credits. At the beginning (the intro) it helps create a special connection with the listeners, while at the end (the outro), it helps the podcaster leave a lasting positive impression on the audience.

But that’s not all: jingles can also be used to signal transitions between different sections of the podcast, easing the shifting and keeping the audience’s attention high.

A catchy opening signature contributes significantly to the podcast's identity.

A memorable jingle can build an empathetic connection with the audience and increase listener loyalty.

Moreover, you can tailor the jingle to match the message of your podcast, enhancing its overall impact.

Whether your podcast is informative, entertaining, serious, or narrative-driven, the jingle should set the appropriate tone and help listeners dive into the desired atmosphere.

Using a jingle or sound effects well-distributed throughout the episode also shapes how the audience perceives what happens behind the scenes: managing this technical aspect of the project shows professionalism and skill in production.

How to Create the Perfect Jingle for Your Podcast

To create a jingle that reflects your content and makes you memorable, you need to consider several factors:

1. Stick to the theme! If your podcast is informal and fun, choose a cheerful and warm tone, while if you’re presenting crime narratives, a bit of suspense would be right up your alley.

2. Be brief, but outstanding: intro and closing credits should be short—you’re not writing songs! You just need to open and close the show, and possibly segment the episode, maybe to insert an ad break. A duration of 15-30 seconds is ideal for a shorter, more informal podcast, while longer or more significant programs generally prefer a longer duration, around 30-60 seconds. Keep in mind that creating a catchy 60-second jingle might be more challenging than inventing a 30-second one. However, this factor is up to the podcaster's preference, so the decision on the length of your sound motifs is entirely yours.

3. Ensure it’s unique, not just because you want to stand out among many podcasters, but because presenting with a copied jingle, perhaps from an important podcast, would provoke criticism among your listeners and be harmful to your show’s growth.

4. Choose one you’ll keep over time: even though we live in an ever-changing world, your jingle’s purpose is not just to open your program, but rather to create an enduring and indelible bond between you and your listeners. If you’re just starting out and realize you made a mistake, you can change the opening signature and create a better one, but ideally, you'd want to build audience loyalty with a sound break that lasts over time, speaking of you from the first notes.

5. Experiment with sound effects: Your jingle can be entirely musical, may include lyrics, be composed solely of sounds, or a mix of these. Again, the choice is yours.

6. Have it listened to before deciding, as the opinions of friends and family could be crucial in choosing your intro, if you have multiple options or if you’re unsure whether it will appeal to a broad audience. Alternatively, rely on listener feedback; if your jingle collects only negative reviews from its first presentation, take a step back and start over.

7. Elevate your sound quality: a successful podcast must be produced at a high technical level. Sound isn’t everything, but it’s definitely a crucial factor. Poor or amateur sound can give a bad impression and discourage listeners from following you.

Can I Buy a Podcast Jingle?

If you’re not skilled in using music and sound effects, or you can do it but not at the best quality, turn to an expert and buy a jingle, or have one created.

By purchasing a jingle through a gig, you have the chance to work directly with a music creator or sound designer to develop something unique that perfectly fits the tone and style of your podcast.

Creating a jingle yourself requires technical skills in music production and sound design. By buying a jingle, you save time that you can instead dedicate to creating content, promoting your podcast, or other productive activities.

By interacting with music creators, you can explore different musical and sound ideas and find the one that best reflects your content and personality.

Moreover, choosing from the many proposals, you can find offers for all budgets.

The prices are really affordable, and you can buy individual tracks or pay for monthly subscriptions with limited or even unlimited downloads, in case inserting different sound tracks is an integral part of your podcast.

Where Can I Buy a Podcast Jingle?

There are many sites where you’ll find many freelancers available for that.

Here’s a list of options you can consider:

• Fiverr: This site is an online platform for freelance services that allows users to buy and sell a wide range of digital services, including podcast jingles. Fiverr hosts thousands of freelancers, with services starting at really low prices. It’s ideal for those on a tight budget or looking for more customization.

• AudioJungle: Part of Envato, AudioJungle offers numerous musical tracks and sound effects created by independent musicians. On this site, you can find options that match the tone of your podcast.

• PremiumBeat:This site offers a curated collection of royalty-free music. PremiumBeat has search filters that let you easily find music suitable for your podcast.

• Pond5: Known for its vast multimedia library, Pond5 also has a section dedicated to music, where you can find jingles suitable for podcasts. You can search by mood, genre, and duration to find the perfect jingle.

• Bensound: Offers a variety of royalty-free musical tracks, many of which are available for free for non-commercial use with attribution. For commercial use, Bensound offers paid licenses.

• Epidemic Sound: This site is very popular among content creators for its vast selection of copyright-free music. Epidemic Sound allows you to subscribe to a plan that gives unlimited access to their library, ideal for those who regularly produce podcasts.

• Music Vine: Offers a curated selection of music from independent artists, and its interface makes it easy to find tracks that fit the atmosphere of your podcast. Music Vine is known for the quality of its tracks, an excellent choice for podcasters looking for something special and have a clear idea of what they are searching for.

• Artlist: Another great option for royalty-free music with a global license that covers just about any possible use, making the tracks usable not only in podcasts but also in video projects, radio, and more.

• Jamendo Music: Offers royalty-free music with options for single track purchases or subscriptions. Jamendo is particularly useful for those looking for music from independent artists from around the world.

  

  When you choose a jungle, you might be able to buy with or without attribution:

  1. Without Attribution

  • Usage Rights: You can freely use the content, even in commercial projects.

  • Obligations: No need to credit the author.

  • Examples of Platforms: Pixabay, Mixkit (for most content).

  2. With Attribution

  • Usage Rights: You can use the content, but you are required to credit the author or website.

  • Obligations: Include a note in your project, such as:

  • In credits: "Music by Kevin MacLeod, provided by Incompetech."

  • In the podcast or video description: "Soundtrack provided by Free Music Archive."

  • Examples of Platforms: Incompetech, Bensound (for the free tier), some tracks from YouTube Audio Library.

  Why Is It Important to Know the Difference?

  • Professionalism: Attribution may feel less professional in a podcast or commercial video, so knowing which tracks don’t require it is useful.

  • Legal Compliance: Failing to credit when required violates the terms of use for the track, putting you at risk of legal action.

Keep in mind that:

All these sites offer licensed or royalty-free tracks and sound effects, but I prefer to remind you once again that it’s crucial to ensure you have the rights to use the music chosen as your jingle.

If you intend to commission an original track, make sure to purchase the license for an existing track, or use royalty-free music to avoid legal issues.

As you can see, choosing the right jingle for your podcast is just a matter of taste.

Even without technical skills, you can still buy one track that represents you; while if you are an expert in sound design and music production, you can create one that carries your signature and further proves your level of professionalism.

Just follow our guidelines when crafting or selecting your signature jingle, and success is sure to follow!

Author's note:

If you need extra help in all stages of your podcast production, try PodcastAI, a next-generation software that’s continuously evolving, allowing you to explore your creative side without worrying about the technical side.

Running tight on budget? Don’t worry, there’s also a basic plan designed especially for those who can’t handle large expenses but don’t want to miss out on the benefits of innovative software. Come discover it at PodcastAI