The best music for a podcast depends on your podcast’s tone, genre, and audience, but here’s a general breakdown to help you choose the right music:

🎙️ Types of Podcast Music

1. Intro/Outro Music

Sets the tone and creates brand identity.

• Ideal Style: Short (10–30 sec), catchy, loopable
• Best Genres:
  • Chillhop / Lo-fi (for casual, lifestyle, or creative podcasts)
  • Ambient / Cinematic (for serious, thought-provoking topics)
  • Upbeat Corporate / Acoustic (for business or self-help)
  • Funky / Jazzy (for fun, entertainment, or culture podcasts)

2. Background/Bed Music

Plays softly in the background to enhance the mood without distracting.

• Ideal Style: Loopable, minimal, low melody
• Best Genres:
  • Lo-fi / Chillhop
  • Soft electronic
  • Light acoustic
  • Ambient textures

3. Transition/Stinger Music

Used for segment changes, breaks, or emphasis.

• Ideal Style: 2–10 seconds, punchy or quirky
• Best Genres:
  • Electronic
  • Funk
  • Percussion-based

🎧 Top Music Sources (Royalty-Free or Licensed)

PlatformNotes

Artlist.io High-quality, royalty-free, great for intros & moods

Epidemic Sound has a Huge library, curated playlists by podcast genre

Soundstripe Subscription model, podcast-specific licensing

Audiio.com One-time lifetime license deals, clean and modern music

YouTube Audio Library Free and safe for most use cases (check attribution)

Free Music Archive Public domain & Creative Commons music

🧠 Tips for Choosing Podcast Music

• Match your niche: True crime = dark/ambient; comedy = upbeat/funky.
• Keep it consistent: Reuse the same intro/outro for branding.
• Avoid vocals (in beds): Lyrics distract from dialogue.
• Check licensing: Even royalty-free tracks may have limitations.

🧪 Example Podcast Music Styles (by Genre)

Podcast TypeSuggested Music Style

Health & Wellness Ambient, chill hop, acoustic

Tech or Business Minimal electronic, corporate

True Crime Dark cinematic, suspenseful ambient

Comedy Funk, quirky jazz, retro pop

Self-Improvement Uplifting piano, indie pop, soft rock

Storytelling Orchestral, cinematic, emotional acoustic