Find The Best Podcast Intro Music: Free & Paid

Choosing the right podcast intro music is one of the best ways of creating a professional look. In addition, the intro music will help your audience remember you because it sets the tone and builds your brand. It also helps people recognize your podcast episodes. However, using music without permission can lead to copyright strikes and takedowns. This is why it's important to use licensed music or music that's free to use. With this article, we are sharing the 20 best free and paid platforms from which you can get music for your podcast intro. Have a look to see if you are ready to upgrade your podcasts!

Part 1: Best Free Podcast Intro Music Sources

1. YouTube Audio Library

The YouTube Audio Library is a free collection of royalty-free music and sound effects that creators can use safely, even in monetized videos. It's found in YouTube Studio and lets users search by genre, mood, duration, or attribution needs when they need podcast intro songs. You can download tracks or save them to your favorites. As long as you follow the license rules, the music won't cause copyright problems.

2. Free Music Archive (FMA)

The Free Music Archive, managed by Tribe of Noise, gives users instant access to independent artists and original music that is free to play, download, and share for their podcast intros. Created in 2008, it was designed to let music flow more freely between musicians and creators by removing traditional licensing barriers. FMA supports global independent artists while helping podcasters, filmmakers, and YouTubers find music easily.

3. Pixabay Music

Pixabay Music offers more than 190,000 free music tracks shared by its creative community. All audio is released under the Pixabay Content License, meaning it's safe to use without permission or credit, even for many commercial projects and podcast introduction music. The platform also features curated royalty-free playlists through Pixabay Radio, along with trending tracks, editor's picks, and music searchable by themes like upbeat, horror, festive, or corporate.

4. Incompetech

Incompetech, created by Kevin MacLeod, offers free music licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0, which means you can use the tracks in YouTube videos, podcasts (intro or whole), streaming, live productions, and more, as long as you credit the composer. Users must clearly provide credit, such as "Title – Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)". All music is copyrighted, not public domain, and a paid Standard License is available when attribution isn't possible.

5. Mixkit

Mixkit, created by Envato, is a free library offering stock video clips, music tracks, sound effects, and video templates with no watermark. All assets can be downloaded without sign-up or attribution under the Mixkit Free License, which allows commercial and non-commercial use. This means you can use the music tracks as an introduction music for a podcast. The site adds fresh, exclusive content weekly and includes curated music categories like pop, acoustic, futuristic, and more.

6. ccMixter

ccMixter is a collaborative music community where creators share remixes, samples, and a cappellas under Creative Commons licenses. You can search music by style, BPM, or instrument, and use it for free in videos, podcasts, apps, and games as long as you give proper credit. The site offers liberally licensed tracks through dig.ccMixter, along with community remix events and editor-curated picks.

7. Bensound (Free Selection)

Bensound offers royalty-free music that is copyright-safe and cleared for use on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, Vimeo, and more. This makes it suitable if you need free podcast intro music. Your videos remain cleared even if you cancel your membership. Tracks can be searched by genre, mood, and duration, and the site provides a "Free Music for Videos" section where creators can use selected songs at no cost under Bensound's licensing terms.

8. SoundCloud (CC Licensed Tracks)

SoundCloud hosts millions of tracks, including music uploaded under Creative Commons licenses, which creators can legally use in podcast intros when the license allows it. You can search by tags like #podcastintro, explore user-made intro playlists, or filter tracks that are marked for free use. Many artists offer downloadable or royalty-free music, but creators must check each track's description for licensing terms before using it for a podcast intro.

9. Audionautix

Audionautix offers completely free production music created and produced by Jason Shaw. All tracks are royalty-free and can be used for commercial projects, including podcast intros, as long as you provide proper credit under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. The site lets you search music by mood, genre, tempo, and title, and every song is downloadable without extra permission, including for podcast intros.

10. Jamendo

Jamendo helps users discover new independent artists with free streaming and free downloads. This means you can use it to find your podcast jingle. Its platform includes a section of royalty-free music for commercial use, making it useful for creators who need background music for videos, venues, or podcasts. Jamendo also supports artists by offering upload tools and licensing options, while listeners can explore music through its "Discover" and "Radios" sections.

Part 2: Best Paid Podcast Intro Music Sources

1. Epidemic Sound

Epidemic Sound provides premium music, voiceovers, and sound effects with unlimited downloads and worldwide royalty-free licensing. Its catalog includes exclusive tracks used by major brands like GoPro, Squarespace, Nissan, and the NFLPA. Creators can search by video, find similar tracks, or use plugins for Adobe and DaVinci Resolve for their podcast intros. Epidemic Sound also offers a mobile app for discovering and downloading music on the go.

Pricing

• Creator Plan: $5.99/month (billed yearly)
• Pro Plan: $11.99/month (billed yearly)
• Business Plan: $17.99/month (billed yearly)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

2. Artlist

Artlist provides royalty-free music licensed for any project, from social media videos to podcasts and worldwide commercial use. Its catalog includes cinematic, orchestral, electronic, and indie music from global artists, with curated highlights like "Ballerina," "Magnetism," and "The Journey." Artlist also features powerful search filters and supports creators with AI tools, voiceovers, sound effects, footage, templates, and plugins for Premiere Pro.

Pricing

• Standard (AI Suite): Starting at $15.99/month
• Artlist Max: Starting at $39.99/month
• Music & SFX Plan: Starting at $9.99/month

3. AudioJungle

AudioJungle offers over 2,386,000 royalty-free music tracks and sound effects. Creators can browse categories like Music, Sound Effects, Logos & Idents, Music Kits, and Source Files, all uploaded by a global community of musicians and sound engineers. The platform highlights bestsellers, featured music, and weekly staff picks, ensuring high-quality, reviewed tracks for any podcast intro.

Pricing

• Envato Elements (alternative subscription): from $16.50/month for unlimited downloads

4. PremiumBeat

PremiumBeat offers studio-quality royalty-free music and sound effects with unlimited downloads under simple, all-rights-included licenses. It has powered over 4.2 million creative projects, including podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, film, commercials, and broadcasts. Creators can explore curated playlists, stems, loops, and multiple track versions. PremiumBeat also provides unique IDs for each licensed song to prevent YouTube copyright claims when you use it for podcast intros.

Pricing

• Creator: $9.99/month (billed annually at $119.88/year)
• Standard: $24.99/month (billed annually at $299.88/year)
• Enterprise: Custom quote 

5. Pond5

Pond5 offers a massive creative library with 2.6 million music tracks and 2.8 million sound effects, along with footage, photos, illustrations, and templates. All assets come with a simple, comprehensive license included in each purchase. This allows worldwide and forever royalty-free use across platforms like YouTube, podcasts, film, TV, ads, and games. Over 150,000 creators and major brands such as BBC, Disney, and Netflix rely on Pond5, so you can also use it for your podcast intros.

Pricing

Subscription Plans:

• Music: $10/mo (60% off) or $60/yr
• Music & SFX: $15/mo (50% off) or $90/yr
• Footage Plus: $199/mo or $999/yr

Credit Packs

• Pay $250 → get $25 bonus credit
• Pay $500 → get $65 bonus credit
• Pay $1,000 → get $160 bonus credit
• Pay $2,500 → get $500 bonus credit

6. Splice

Splice is a great tool for finding the perfect intro music for your podcast. It gives you millions of royalty-free sounds, so you can pick something that matches your style, such as calm, fun, or dramatic. You can also use easy music tools to shape the sound exactly how you want it. Everything you download is yours to keep, and you don't need any special skills to get started. It's made for all kinds of creators.

Pricing

• Splice Sounds+: $12.99/month and 100 credits per month
• Splice Creator (Trial Offer): $4.99/month for 1 month and $19.99/month after, and 200 credits per month
• Splice Creator+: $39.99/month and 500 credits per month
• Splice INSTRUMENT Plan: $12.99/month. Unlimited access to all instrument premium presets

7. Audiio

Audiio offers a large catalog of music updated daily, adding 500–1000 new songs each month from real artists and composers. Features include LinkMatch 2.0 for finding similar tracks, curated playlists across genres and moods, and a license that covers projects ranging from YouTube content to local broadcast. This makes it easy to find suitable music for podcast introductions. Downloads require no attribution, and all tracks are created by human musicians, not AI.

Pricing

• Lifetime Music Membership: $499. A one-time payment with unlimited music downloads and new releases

8. Soundstripe

Soundstripe offers a premium royalty-free music library featuring nearly 120,000 tracks created by real musicians and refined by professional engineers. The platform includes almost 100,000 sound effects, stems, alternate versions, and AI tools for fast searching and editing. Its license covers platforms from social media to broadcast. Also, creators can find music by mood, genre, or curated playlists designed for specific themes, including podcast intros.

Pricing

• Personal Yearly: $119/year (equal to $9.99/month). It saves 50%
• Personal Monthly: $19.99/month
• Business Quarterly: $299/quarter
• Business Yearly: $999/year. It saves 16%
• Enterprise: Custom plan for organizations

9. Musicbed

Musicbed provides a highly curated library of over 70,000 songs and 150,000 sound effects, selected for emotional impact and cinematic quality. The platform represents more than 1,500 artists and composers, accepting less than 1% of submissions to maintain strict curation. New tracks and sound effects are added daily, and creators can search by mood, genre, or use tools like Search by Song™. This means you will have a wide variety for podcast intros.

Pricing

Individual Plans

• Unlimited Songs: $29.99/month (billed annually)
• Unlimited Songs+Sound Effects: $39.98/month (billed annually)

Business Plans (0–100 Employees)

• Unlimited Songs: $99.99/month
• Unlimited Songs+Sound Effects: $109.98/month

Medium Business Plans (101–250 Employees)

• Unlimited Songs: $199.99/month
• Unlimited Songs+Sound Effects: $219.98/month

Enterprise Plans: Custom quote

10. TunePocket

TunePocket is a royalty-free music library offering access to over 13,000 tracks, loops, and sound effects, with new audio added daily. Members can download unlimited music for personal or commercial use and keep it forever, including podcast introductions. The platform includes AI tools for YouTubers, preview downloads for testing, curated search filters, and coverage for videos, podcasts, apps, games, and more.

Pricing

• Personal Membership: $8.25/month (billed yearly at $99)
• Business Membership: $16/month (billed yearly at $199)
• Pay-As-You-Go: $39 one-time and download any five songs, loops, or sound effects. 

Part 3: FAQs About Podcast Intro Music

1. What is a good podcast intro song?

A good intro song matches your podcast's mood, is short, and helps listeners know what to expect.

2. What is the best opening line for a podcast?

A strong opening line quickly says who you are, what the episode is about, and why listeners should stay.

3. How to find music for a podcast intro?

You can browse free or paid music libraries, filter by mood or genre, and check licensing to make sure it's safe to use.

4. What song has the most iconic intro?

Many people consider songs like "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson or "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple to have iconic intros.

Conclusion

Finding the right podcast intro music helps your show stand out and sound more professional. Whether you choose free platforms like Pixabay, Mixkit, and FMA, or paid sites such as Artlist and Epidemic Sound, the key is to pick music that follows proper licensing rules. Tools like the OBSBOT Tail 2 can also improve the visual side of your podcast if you film your episodes. With the sources and tips in this article, you'll be ready to build a strong, memorable introduction for your podcast, but make sure you choose the intro music that suits your podcast's theme and genre.