Composers can sell custom podcast intro and outro music as a priced custom request: the host sends their show name, tone, and episode length, the producer delivers an original intro sting and matching outro bed within a set turnaround, and the host owns a finished file instead of a stock loop shared with thousands of other shows. Custom Work lets you offer clearly scoped commissions and services: you set the price, the scope and the delivery time, and followers submit a brief and pay before you start.
No monthly fee, you only pay a small platform fee when you get paid. 8% platform fee when a follower pays for work, 5% platform fee on tips and goals. Card processing is separate (pricing). Followers pay before you start, and you deliver on your own time. You can also decline a request.
U.S. podcast consumption keeps climbing: 58% of Americans age 12+ (167 million people) consumed a podcast in the last month, an all-time high, and 45% (130 million) did in the last week, per Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026. More hosts competing for that same listener base is exactly why "does this show sound custom or does it sound like every other show that used the same free pack" has become a real question — and a sellable answer.
What counts as custom podcast intro and outro music?
Custom podcast intro and outro music is a short original audio identity commissioned for one show: an opening sting that plays before the host speaks, and a closing bed that runs under the sign-off. Unlike a royalty-free library loop reused across unrelated shows, the track is written for that show and licensed to it.
Most requests split into deliverables that should be priced and scoped separately. Use these example lengths as a starting point for scoping, not as a Brillay rule; agree on the exact intro, outro, and bumper lengths with the buyer before checkout.
| Deliverable | Field-guidance length | What it does | Price it as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro sting | 5–20 seconds | Sets tone before the host's first word | Base tier |
| Outro bed | 10–30 seconds | Runs under "thanks for listening, subscribe" | Second line item |
| Mid-roll bumper | 3–8 seconds | Marks an ad break or segment change | Optional third line item |
Fold nothing in silently. A composer who quotes an intro price and then delivers an outro and a bumper for the same fee has priced three deliverables as one.
Who actually buys custom podcast branding audio?
The buyer is typically a host who already has a show name, a recurring format, and several recorded episodes, and who now wants the show to sound intentional. That profile is Brillay field guidance from how these requests arrive, not survey data — but published audience research explains why such a host has a reason to spend.
Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 found that 68% of Americans aged 35–54 consumed a podcast in the last month — a higher rate than the 58% recorded across all Americans age 12+. Edison Research's Podcast Consumer 2026 reports that 76% of weekly podcast consumers have taken action as a result of a podcast ad — a show that converts for advertisers has a commercial reason to invest in sounding like a real brand.
The format is also shifting toward video, which widens what a branding commission can cover. Edison Research's Podcast Consumer 2026 found that 82% of weekly podcast consumers actively watch video podcast content while 78% listen to audio only, up from 73% watching in 2023.
"Video isn't replacing podcast audio. It's expanding the tent. Whatever your feelings on video podcasts, the data is clear: this is a dual-format medium now." — Megan Lazovick, Vice President of Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026
Should this be a Paid Question or a custom request?
Sell a finished intro-and-outro package as a custom request. Custom Work accepts files attached by the follower and lets you deliver text plus files and/or a link.
Brillay's Paid Questions page states the reply format directly: it's a single written text reply delivered privately, with no voice, video, or live call — quick for the creator to send and easy for the follower to keep and refer back to.
The Custom Work page describes the delivery package that a mixed track actually needs: a written note plus files in formats such as video, audio, images, PDF, Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, and/or a private link such as Google Drive, Loom, or Dropbox for anything larger. That same service type lets the follower attach their own files when they order, which is how reference tracks reach the composer before work starts.
| Request | Right offer | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "How long should my intro be?" | Paid Question | A text answer, no file delivered |
| Finished intro sting + outro bed | custom request | A delivered audio file is the whole point |
| "Make our show sound more energetic" pep talk | Personalized Video | A delivered video message, not a mixed audio asset |
| Funding a full rebrand across intro, outro, and stingers | Goals | Cash toward a defined goal |
How should intro and outro packages be scoped and priced?
Scope each package as a fixed deliverable with a stated price and delivery time rather than an open-ended "make my show sound good" request. Custom Work is a one-time purchase, not a membership or subscription, so the follower is paying for the single delivery described in the package. A three-tier ladder covers most inquiries.
Brillay's custom request editor offers delivery time as whole hours from 1 to 24 or whole days from 1 to 5 — a hard ceiling of up to 5 days — and Brillay's own how-it-works page describes the model as: "Reply, record, or deliver asynchronously on your own time within the delivery time you set — no live calls or appointments to schedule" (how it works). The follower pays when they ask; you reply when you can.
Pricing math, shown as illustrative arithmetic — not a market rate survey. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $47.80 for musicians and singers in May 2025 (Occupational Outlook Handbook: Musicians and Singers). Multiplying that published median by the hours a package realistically consumes gives a defensible floor a composer can explain to a buyer:
| Package | Deliverable | Work hours (est.) | Illustrative price | Approx. net after 8% + typical US Stripe fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intro only | One opening sting, mixed and mastered; 1 final file; no revision rounds | ~2 | $95 | ≈ $84.34 |
| Intro + outro bundle | Matching opening sting and closing bed; 2 final files; no revision rounds | ~3.5 | $165 | ≈ $146.72 |
| Full branding pack | Intro, outro, and a short mid-roll bumper; 3 files, no revision round | ~5 | $240 | ≈ $213.54 |
Net figures apply Brillay's 8% platform fee on paid work plus typical US online-card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 (Stripe pricing). On the $165 bundle that is $13.20 in platform fee and about $5.09 in card processing. Tips and goals from followers carry a 5% platform fee instead.
Two calibration points. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $73,710 for music directors and composers in May 2025, with the lowest 10 percent earning under $39,880 (Occupational Outlook Handbook: Music Directors and Composers) — a spread that explains why two composers quote very different numbers for the same brief. Brillay's own guidance for services generally is lower: "Many creators offer tiers like $10, $25, and $50 for progressively more involved help", a band that fits a quick review rather than an original mixed and mastered composition.
Any price shown to a buyer is illustrative, not a guarantee. The composer sets the final rate based on experience, the show's genre, the license granted, and how much custom instrumentation versus library-adjacent sound design is involved.
What rights and licensing terms should the listing define?
Define the license in the listing, not after delivery. Three options cover most podcast commissions: a non-exclusive license, an exclusive license limited to that show, and a full buyout assigning the copyright. Under U.S. law an exclusive license or an assignment is invalid unless it is set out in a signed writing.
Section 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act defines a "transfer of copyright ownership" as "an assignment, mortgage, exclusive license, or any other conveyance, alienation, or hypothecation of a copyright or of any of the exclusive rights comprised in a copyright, whether or not it is limited in time or place of effect, but not including a nonexclusive license". Section 204(a) then supplies the formality requirement.
"A transfer of copyright ownership, other than by operation of law, is not valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a note or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed or such owner's duly authorized agent." — 17 U.S.C. § 204(a), U.S. Copyright Office
| License tier | What the host may do | What the composer keeps | Signed writing required? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-exclusive license | Use the track on that show's episodes, trailers, and social clips | Ownership, plus the right to license the same track to other buyers | Not required by statute — § 101 excludes a nonexclusive license from "transfer of copyright ownership" — but still write it down |
| Exclusive license (podcast use, defined term) | Sole right to use the track in podcasting for the stated term and territory | Copyright ownership; can re-license outside the carve-out once the term ends | Yes — an exclusive license is a transfer under § 101 and invalid without a signed writing under § 204(a) |
| Full buyout / assignment | Owns the copyright: may re-edit, extend, re-score, or resell | Fee and credit only | Yes — signed instrument of conveyance under § 204(a) |
One trap deserves naming. A commissioned podcast theme is usually not a work made for hire, even if the contract says so. U.S. Copyright Office Circular 30 states that a specially ordered or commissioned work qualifies only if it falls into one of nine enumerated categories — a contribution to a collective work, part of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, a translation, a supplementary work, a compilation, an instructional text, a test, answer material for a test, or an atlas — and only "if the parties expressly agree in a written instrument signed by them that the work shall be considered a work made for hire" (Circular 30: Works Made for Hire, U.S. Copyright Office). A standalone audio theme delivered to an audio-only show does not sit cleanly in any of those nine categories, so a buyout should be drafted as an assignment under § 204(a) rather than relied on as work-for-hire language. None of this is legal advice; a composer selling exclusivity or buyouts regularly should have a lawyer draft the template once.
Four terms belong in every listing alongside the tier, and each should be stated as a number or a yes/no rather than left to interpretation:
- Reuse limits: whether the license covers only podcast episodes, or extends to YouTube video versions, live shows, and paid ads.
- Stems: whether the buyer receives only the stereo mixdown, or the separated stems as well. State it explicitly — stems make a track re-editable forever, which is effectively a partial buyout.
- Term and territory: perpetual and worldwide, or limited to a stated period after which rights revert.
- Credit and re-use by the composer: whether the composer may include the track in a portfolio or demo reel.
What technical specs should a podcast intro deliverable meet?
A podcast intro or outro should be mixed to sit under speech, not to peak like a music release. Apple Podcasts publishes the target: overall loudness around -16 dB LKFS with a true peak below -1 dB FS, a spec that applies to the finished episode including any music bed running under the host's voice.
"We recommend that the audio signals are preconditioned so the overall loudness remains around -16 dB LKFS, with a +/- 1 dB tolerance, and that the true-peak value doesn't exceed -1 dB FS." — Apple Podcasts, Audio requirements
Format guidance comes from the same page. Apple Podcasts Connect accepts WAV, FLAC, or MP3 for uploaded subscriber audio and recommends MP3 stereo at a 44.1 or 48 kHz sample rate and 128–256 kbps, while RSS-delivered episodes accept MP3 or AAC. Delivering a WAV master plus a reference MP3 covers both the host's editing session and a quick approval listen.
Deliver a note stating the music bed's intended loudness rather than describing the mix as "loud and punchy." Stating the loudness target in the listing avoids a round of "can you make it quieter" requests after delivery.
What should a podcast branding listing include?
Delivery is one-time, so write these six fields into the service description itself rather than answering them one message at a time after the order has already arrived in the inbox.
- Inputs required: show name, genre/tone (true crime, comedy interview, business), reference tracks or shows the host likes, and target episode length.
- File format: WAV master plus a reference MP3, matching what the host's editing software expects.
- Deliverable: number of files (intro only, intro + outro, or full pack) and their approximate lengths.
- Revision limit: Brillay services are one-time deliveries.
- Delivery time: a specific window inside Brillay's 120-hour delivery-time ceiling.
- Rights: which license tier the price buys, whether stems are included, and whether the host may re-edit or extend the track later.
For example: "One custom intro sting (10–15 seconds) and matching outro bed (15–20 seconds), delivered once as WAV plus MP3, stereo mixdown only (no stems), non-exclusive podcast license, 72-hour delivery time — $165." That single sentence resolves most pre-sale questions on its own.
What else can a podcast composer sell alongside branding audio?
Intro and outro music does not have to be a composer's only paid offer. A Brillay page can run Personalized Videos, Tips, Goals, Paid Questions, and Custom Work together, so a host who is not ready to commission a full branding package can still pay for something smaller.
- Personalized Videos: a custom congratulatory video for a host hitting an episode milestone or launching a new season.
- Tips: a way for a host who liked a free sample loop to contribute without commissioning a full package.
- Goals: funding toward a larger project, such as scoring an entire season, shown as cash raised toward a stated goal rather than a shipped reward.
- Paid Questions: one private scoping question from a follower and one written reply before they commit to the full service.
Composers building a wider catalog alongside show branding can also see selling custom jingles to small businesses and Twitch stream intro music — adjacent, separately scoped SKUs. A composer building looping instrumental tracks for games or apps instead of voice-led shows should see game and app background loops, a different buyer and deliverable shape.
How do you get a podcast branding offer live?
Publish one bounded package first — an intro-only sting is the fastest to scope, deliver, and price. Write the listing with inputs, format, delivery time, and license tier stated up front, then add it to a Brillay page. No download threshold, follower count, or chart ranking is required to start selling.
You can sell a custom request from day one, with no application to file or minimum to clear, and creators can receive payouts in 41 countries. After a follower pays, payouts are managed through Brillay, and Stripe processing fees are deducted separately from creator earnings.
Create your free Brillay page, put the fixed package in your bio link, and send prospects to checkout instead of awkwardly negotiating price and scope in DMs.
Frequently asked questions
Should podcast intro music be sold as a Paid Question or a custom request?
Always use Custom Work. Brillay's Paid Questions page states that "Replies are text, written privately," and the follower side is text-only, so no audio file, stem, or video moves in either direction. A finished intro or outro file is a custom request deliverable.
How much should a custom podcast intro and outro cost?
Treat any figure as illustrative math because the composer sets the rate. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median hourly wage of $47.80 for musicians and singers in May 2025 (Occupational Outlook Handbook); at that published median, a ~2-hour intro-only build supports roughly $95 and a ~3.5-hour intro-plus-outro bundle roughly $165.
How long should a podcast intro or outro be?
No platform publishes a required length. As Brillay field guidance from scoping these commissions, most requests land around 5–20 seconds for an intro and 10–30 seconds for an outro. State the exact length in the listing so the buyer knows what they are purchasing before paying.
Does an exclusive license or buyout need a written contract?
Yes, under U.S. law. Section 204(a) of the Copyright Act provides that "a transfer of copyright ownership, other than by operation of law, is not valid unless an instrument of conveyance, or a note or memorandum of the transfer, is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights conveyed" (17 U.S.C. § 204(a)), and § 101 counts an exclusive license as such a transfer. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are stems included in a podcast branding commission?
Only if the listing says so. Stems give the buyer more production flexibility, but delivering them does not by itself transfer copyright; price them separately and state exactly which edits and uses the license permits.
What loudness level should the delivered audio hit?
Apple recommends preconditioning podcast audio to around -16 dB LKFS with a true peak that doesn't exceed -1 dB FS. Mixing the intro and outro bed to that published target helps it sit correctly next to the host's voice without extra remixing.
Does a composer need a certain number of downloads or an Apple Podcasts ranking to sell this?
No. Custom Work is available with no follower count, download number, or chart ranking. The offer works for a brand-new show as well as an established one.
What does Brillay charge for a sold intro/outro package?
Two separate costs come out of a sold package. Brillay's platform fee is taken only when a host actually pays, at the paid-work rate given in the fee line at the top of this guide. Card processing through Stripe adds about 2.9% + $0.30 on top of Brillay's platform fee (pricing), so a $165 bundle nets roughly $147.
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