Podcast intro and outro script
A podcast intro works best in 30 to 60 seconds: a one-line hook from the episode, the show name and who you are, what this episode covers and why it is worth the time, then straight into the content. The outro is shorter, about 30 seconds: thank the guest, give one call to action and say when the next episode comes out. Together that is about 175 words at 140 words per minute.
Target: a 45-second intro and a 30-second outro, about 175 words at 140 words per minute · Example below: 142 words, about 1 min 1 s
How long it should be
At 140 words per minute, a 45-second intro is about 105 words and a 30-second outro about 70.
Listeners can skip ahead, and a long run of music, sponsor reads and housekeeping before the first real sentence is where they do it. Move announcements to the middle or the end.
The structure
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Hook
A line from the episode or the question it answers. Optional, but it gives a new listener a reason to stay.
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The show line
Show name, what it is about and who you are, in the same words every week.
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This episode
Who the guest is, two or three things you get into, and the one listeners will not expect.
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Handoff
Welcome the guest or start the first segment. Do not recap the hook.
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Outro
Thanks for something specific, one ask, the next episode, and the show line to sign off.
Template
Replace everything in {braces}. Lines in [square brackets] are cues: they show faintly on the prompter and are never read or counted. Keep, change or delete them. New to the format? See how to format a teleprompter script.
[INTRO]
{A line from the episode, or the question it answers}.
[music in]
This is {show name},
the show about {what the show is about, and for whom}.
I'm {host name}.
[music under]
Today I'm talking to {guest},
{who they are, in a few words}.
We get into {topic one},
{topic two},
and {the thing listeners won't expect}.
[music out]
{Guest's first name}, welcome to the show.
[OUTRO]
That's it for this episode.
Thank you to {guest} for {something specific they gave}.
If {who would get the most from this episode},
{one ask: follow, share, reply}.
Next {day}, {what's coming next}.
I'm {host name}, and this has been {show name}. Tapping copies your script first. Paste it into a new script in OwlPrompter (free, no account).
Example: a gardening interview show
The host of a weekly show about growing food in small spaces records the intro and outro after the interview, so the hook can quote the guest.
[INTRO] "I grew more tomatoes on a balcony than my parents ever got from their garden." [music in] This is Small Plot, the show about growing food in whatever space you've got. I'm Tomasz Nowak. [music under] Today I'm talking to Inês Ferreira, who turned a third-floor balcony in Porto into the most productive garden on her street. We get into which pots actually matter, how she keeps everything watered when she's away, and why she gave up on lettuce. [music out] Inês, welcome to the show. [OUTRO] That's it for this episode. Thank you to Inês for being so generous with her watering spreadsheet. If you've got a balcony and this gave you ideas, send this episode to the one friend who keeps killing their basil. Next Tuesday, we're talking compost for people who don't have a garden at all. I'm Tomasz Nowak, and this has been Small Plot.
Tapping copies your script first. Paste it into a new script in OwlPrompter (free, no account).
Opening a script in the browser replaces the one saved in the online teleprompter on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
Read it on your phone
Keep your intro and outro as scripts in OwlPrompter on your phone and update the episode lines each week. For a video podcast, record the intro to camera with the script next to the lens.
OwlPrompter is free with no account, for up to 3 scripts, with recording, a Delivery Score and an .srt file with every take. Voice scroll (the script follows your voice) and eye-contact mode are part of Pro, and both Pro plans, monthly and yearly, start with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.
Tips for podcast intros and outros
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Write the intro after the interview
You will know the real best moment, and the hook can be the guest’s own words instead of your guess at what they will say.
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Keep the show line identical
Regular listeners hear it as the signal that the episode has started. New listeners learn the name from it. Change it and both lose that.
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One ask per outro
Follow, rate, review, share and join the newsletter is five asks, and listeners do none of them. Pick the one that matters this week.
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Read slower than feels natural
With no picture, listeners cannot read your face. Leave a real pause after the show name and between topics.
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On a video podcast, read the intro to the lens
If you film the show, put the intro and outro on a prompter next to the camera. For the conversation itself, look at your guest.
Questions
How long should a podcast intro be?
About 30 to 60 seconds before the content starts. If music, a sponsor read and housekeeping push it past that, move some of it to the middle of the episode.
Should a podcast intro be scripted?
The fixed parts, yes: the show line and the sign-off. The episode-specific lines work best as a short script you have read aloud twice, so they sound like you rather than an ad.
What should I say at the end of a podcast episode?
Thank the guest for something specific, give one call to action, say when the next episode comes out, and sign off with the show name.
Finished your draft? Check its length in the speech timer, then rehearse it in the free online teleprompter or in the app.