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Pre-Roll & Sponsor Tags

Attach intro audio to your shows — station idents, sponsor messages, or podcast intros. AutoPod automatically prepends the audio to every new episode, so your branding is consistent across all your content.

What is pre-roll?​

Pre-roll is an audio clip that plays at the very beginning of an episode, before the main content starts. Common uses:

  • Station ident — "You're listening to Drystone Radio..."
  • Sponsor message — "This show is brought to you by..."
  • Podcast intro — Theme music, host introduction
  • Legal disclaimer — Content warnings or licensing notices

AutoPod calls this feature episode intros. When enabled, the intro audio is automatically stitched onto the beginning of every new episode for that show.

Setting up pre-roll​

Step 1: Prepare your audio file​

  • Format: MP3
  • Maximum size: 10 MB (roughly 10 minutes at 128 kbps)
  • Content: Keep it short — 10-30 seconds is ideal for most intros

The audio is automatically converted to match the episode format (128 kbps, 44100 Hz, stereo), so don't worry about exact encoding settings.

Step 2: Upload the intro​

  1. Go to Shows → click the show → Settings tab
  2. Find the Custom Intro section
  3. Upload your MP3 file
  4. Enable the Intro enabled toggle
  5. Click Save

Step 3: Processing​

After upload, the intro goes through a short processing step:

Processing usually takes under a minute. Once the status shows Ready, the intro will be prepended to all future episodes for this show.

How it works​

When AutoPod generates a new episode:

  1. The episode audio is stitched from the broadcast recording (as normal)
  2. If the show has an enabled intro with Ready status, the intro audio is prepended
  3. The final episode is: [Intro] + [Episode content]
  4. The episode duration includes the intro length

This happens automatically — you don't need to do anything per-episode.

Changing or removing an intro​

Replacing the intro​

  1. Go to the show's Settings tab
  2. Upload a new MP3 file — it replaces the existing intro
  3. The new intro goes through processing
  4. Once ready, all future episodes use the new intro

Removing the intro​

  1. Go to the show's Settings tab
  2. Disable the Intro enabled toggle (or check the option to remove the intro file)
  3. Save

Future episodes will be generated without an intro.

info

Changing or removing an intro only affects future episodes. Episodes that have already been generated keep their existing audio (with or without the old intro).

Per-show intros​

Each show can have its own intro. This means:

  • "The Breakfast Show" can have a breakfast show jingle
  • "The Sports Hour" can have a sports-themed intro
  • "The Evening Show" can have no intro at all

Configure intros independently on each show's Settings tab.

Tips​

Keep it short

Listeners want to get to the content. A 10-15 second intro is usually plenty — enough for a station ident or sponsor mention without testing patience.

Include your show name

Mention the show name in the intro. When listeners find your episode through a podcast app, they may not see the show context — the intro audio establishes what they're listening to.

Update sponsor messages regularly

If your intro includes a sponsor message, remember to replace the file when the sponsorship changes. The old intro stays on existing episodes, and the new one takes over for future episodes.

Music licensing

If your intro includes copyrighted music, be aware that it will be included in podcast RSS feeds. Use royalty-free music or station-owned jingles to avoid licensing issues in podcast directories.