Choosing The Right Intro and Outro Music

Using pre-recorded intro or outro tracks to set the vibe as you take the stage or exit.

Picture the lights dimming and a powerful pre-recorded track filling the venue before you play a single note. Many artists use intro music to create an electrifying atmosphere and build anticipation among the crowd. An intro track played over the PA can send goosebumps through the audience and whip fans into a frenzy before the band even appears. Likewise, ending your concert with a pre-recorded outro song can signal the show's end while leaving the audience with a lasting final impression. Intro and outro music bookend your performance, setting the tone for its opening moments and its closing scene.

Why Intro and Outro Music Matters

Instant Atmosphere and Energy

The right intro track immediately captures the crowd’s attention and sets an energetic tone for your entrance. Bands often carefully choose an intro piece (even a dramatic film score or spoken word sample) to elicit goosebumps and excitement before playing a single note. For instance, one concert review noted how "atmospheric intro music" made it clear a set was going to be special, creating drama before the first song even began. In those opening seconds, a well-chosen intro turns idle chatter into focused anticipation.

Building Anticipation and Hype

As soon as the intro music hits, the audience knows the show is about to begin. It’s a great way to get the crowd hyped for what’s to come. Rather than starting cold, you're priming the audience’s energy level so that when you do step on stage, they’re already cheering and energized. Many performers find that a pumped-up crowd from the outset leads to a higher energy show overall. The intro essentially acts as a hype-man, warming up the room and uniting everyone in excitement even before you play your first live note.

Professionalism and Branding

Using intro/outro tracks can make your show feel more professional and intentional. Big acts have signature intros – for example, Metallica famously uses Ennio Morricone’s "The Ecstasy of Gold" as their intro tape and have done so for decades. Frontman James Hetfield even called the first use of it in 1983 'magic', noting it became part of their pre-show ritual, pumping up band, crew, and fans alike. Having a consistent intro or outro can become a trademark of your performances. It reinforces your band’s identity (a thematic intro sets your vibe before you say a word) and signals to the audience that you’ve put thought into the entire experience, not just the songs.

Seamless Start and Finish

Intro and outro music help you start and end the show smoothly, without awkward silence. Without an intro, bands often wander on stage to either silence or random house music, which can feel anticlimactic. A planned intro track eliminates that by kicking off the show with purpose. Similarly, a post-show outro track clearly signals to the audience that the performance has concluded – typically the house lights will come up as the outro music plays, indicating it's time to leave on a high note. These bookends make your show feel cohesive and well-produced from beginning to end. The audience is welcomed into and escorted out of the concert’s atmosphere in a deliberate way, leaving no confusion about when the show is truly over.

Choosing the Right Intro/Outro Tracks

Match Your Musical Style and Mood

Pick intro and outro tracks that complement your genre and the vibe you want to convey. The track should feel like an extension of your act. Many rock and metal bands, for example, pick epic soundtrack pieces as intros – Metallica’s use of the dramatic western score "The Ecstasy of Gold" is a prime example. If you’re a funk band, you might choose a groove that gets people dancing in place; if you’re a theatrical or gothic act, maybe an eerie ambient piece or orchestral intro fits best. You can also intentionally contrast the mood for effect (a heavy band coming out to a gentle, innocent tune for irony), but make sure it’s a conscious artistic choice. The key is that the intro/outro music supports the atmosphere you want the audience to feel as you enter or exit.

Consider Length and Structure

Keep your intro track concise enough to hold the audience’s attention. Generally, 30 seconds to a minute or two is plenty. If it's too long or repetitive, the initial excitement could fade. An ideal intro builds anticipation and then leads naturally into your first song – for example, ending on a sustained chord or a drum roll that overlaps with your band kicking in. Similarly, plan the structure so your band knows what to do: perhaps you all walk out after 8 bars of the intro, or the guitarist joins in live over the tail end of the intro. For the outro, consider whether you want a hard stop (like the PA blasting a specific song as you exit) or a fade-out. A cleanly structured outro (one that ends definitively, or fades after you’ve left the stage) helps the audience understand that the show is over and leaves them with a sense of closure.

Audio Quality and Volume

Use high-quality audio files for your intro and outro music. A low-bitrate or distorted track blasted over a big sound system can sound poor and undermine the mood. Bring the best quality version (WAV or high-rate MP3) and ensure the engineer has it ready to play. Also discuss volume with your sound engineer: the intro should be loud enough to surge excitement, but not so loud that it hurts ears before you even come on. Often, intro music is set just below the volume of the live band. Have the engineer fade the intro music out at the right moment if needed – for instance, gradually lowering it as your drummer counts in the first song, or cutting it exactly when your band hits the first downbeat. Smooth volume handling prevents jarring transitions between recorded music and live sound.

Legal and Licensing Considerations

Be mindful of the music you choose if it’s not your own. If you use a famous recording as your intro or outro, technically the venue should have a performance license (and most do for background music). But if you’re concerned or plan to include the intro in recorded video of your show, consider using royalty-free tracks or composing something original. Some bands create their own short intro track specifically for this purpose – this has the advantage of being unique to you (and you won’t have to worry about rights). If using someone else’s music, try to pick something that’s not overused by other artists, so it feels special. In any case, always have the audio file ready in advance and not, say, streaming from the internet at showtime. By sorting out the track choice and rights ahead of time, you can avoid any last-minute hiccups or legal headaches and focus on the performance.

Integrating the Intro/Outro into Your Performance

Rehearse the Timing and Cues

For a flawless entry, practice along with your intro track during rehearsals. Know exactly at what point in the intro you and your bandmates will walk onstage or start playing. This prevents awkward gaps or missed cues – you don't want to be caught off-guard if the intro ends before you’re ready. Organize the playback so that it's easy to trigger on cue at the show. For example, have an assigned person (like your sound engineer or a band member offstage) ready to hit play, or use an automated sequence if available. Make sure the intro has enough lead-in time: if it starts immediately with vocals or something important, you might need to hit play and *then* quickly get into position. It can help to include a few seconds of ambient noise or a swell at the very top of the intro track, giving you a buffer to get ready. By planning and rehearsing these cues, the transition from intro to live playing will feel natural and tight.

Coordinate with Lights and Visuals

Intro music often works hand-in-hand with lighting and other effects to create a dramatic moment. Coordinate with the lighting technician (or whomever is controlling lights) so that the lighting cues match the intro. For instance, you might have the house lights go dark the moment the intro music begins, and then a cool spotlight or burst of lights when the band walks on. Some artists even time their intro music to synchronize with video content or special effects at the start of the show. If you’re using a projector or LED screen with an intro video, make sure the intro audio and visual start together and stay in sync. When these elements align – the music swelling, lights rising, maybe a fog machine pumping as you emerge – it amplifies the excitement. Essentially, treat the intro as part of the show’s production, not just background audio. The same goes for outros: coordinate lights to come up or flash in a certain way as the outro plays, so the audience is both hearing and seeing a clear finale.

Team Communication

Make sure everyone on your team knows the plan for the intro and outro. Discuss it with your band and crew beforehand: who starts the intro track (and how), what each band member will do during it, and how you transition into the first song. For example, you might decide, “Our intro track will play, we’ll all be offstage until the voiceover in the intro says our band name, then we run out and immediately start playing.” The sound engineer should know exactly when to start the intro (e.g., when you give a nod from side-stage) and how it transitions. Similarly, plan the outro: perhaps right after your last song ends, you shout "Thank you! Good night!", then signal the engineer to hit the outro music. Communicate those cues clearly so nobody is caught off guard. When everyone - from the lighting person to the stage tech - knows the script for the intro and outro, it will come off seamlessly. Good communication prevents the scenario of an intro track awkwardly looping or an outro not playing because someone missed a cue.

Maintaining Live Energy

Even though intro and outro tracks are pre-recorded, treat them as part of your live performance in terms of energy. When you walk on stage to an intro, come out with confidence and engage the crowd – don't just shuffle out waiting for the track to finish. Some bands clap along to their intro or whip up the crowd with hand waves as they take the stage. By doing this, you bridge the gap between the canned audio and your live presence. During the outro, if you’re still on stage, you can dance, headbang, or encourage one last round of applause. The idea is to not let the existence of a track make things feel less live. Also, consider whether any live playing can complement the intro/outro. For instance, maybe your drummer starts playing a live beat along with the last bars of the intro track to smoothly lead into the first song. Or the whole band hits a final accent in unison with the last note of the outro. Little touches like that keep the audience feeling like everything they experienced was a unified live show, tracks included.

Ending on a High Note with Outro Music

Signal the End of the Show

An outro track helps make it crystal clear to the audience that the performance has concluded. Often, fans aren’t sure if an encore is coming or if the band is truly done. But if the stage goes dark and a specific outro song comes over the PA while the house lights start coming up, the crowd understands the concert is over. This is a professional way to wrap up the show without leaving people guessing. It gently guides the audience towards exiting while they’re still basking in the afterglow of the last song. So when planning your outro, choose something that unequivocally says "the end" – it could be a famous closing theme, a recording of you saying thank you, or simply a song that you consistently use to close every show. Consistency in using the same outro (if you tour frequently) can even train fans to know, "Ah, when that song plays, the night is over."

Leave a Lasting Impression

Think about the emotional tone you want to leave the audience with. The outro music contributes to that final feeling as people depart. Do you want them amped up and excited, chattering about how great the show was? Then maybe choose an upbeat, celebratory outro tune. Do you want to bring them down gently from a high-energy set? A more chilled, reflective outro can help everyone decompress. For example, some metal bands might play a classic rock song or something fun and unexpected as outro, leaving fans with a smile. Pop artists might use a remixed version of one of their hits as exit music, reinforcing the hook in everyone's head one more time. Whatever you pick, aim for something memorable – this is the last thing your audience will hear from your event, so it can stick in their minds. A powerful outro can have people leaving the venue with that tune in their head and the feeling that they just experienced something special.

Consistency vs. Surprise

Using the same intro and outro at every show can become a recognizable signature for your band. There’s a comfort for returning fans in hearing a familiar theme each time – it’s like your personal theme music. However, some artists prefer to switch it up, choosing different outros for different tours or even different nights to keep things fresh. Both approaches have merit. If you find an intro/outro that really works, sticking with it can strengthen your branding (fans might come to associate that piece of music with your live show strongly). On the other hand, changing your outro depending on location (say, playing a song by a famous local artist as a nod to the city) can win over crowds and create unique moments. You could also do things like holiday-themed outros for shows on holidays, etc. Just ensure that whether it’s consistent or a surprise, the outro fits the tone of the end of your show. It should feel like a deliberate choice, not random. When in doubt, err on the side of an outro that has worked well – you can always experiment, but remember the goal is to end on the right note emotionally.

Logistics of Outro Playback

Decide ahead of time how the outro will be executed so it’s smooth in the moment. Usually, the outro track will be cued by the sound engineer. Coordinate with them: should they start the outro as soon as your final song ends, or wait a few seconds while you say goodnight? Often, bands will do their final hit or bow, then as they begin to walk off, the engineer starts the outro music. Agree on that timing. Make sure the track is cued up at the correct starting point (you don’t want any fumbling or silence). If your band plans to stay on stage for a moment after the last song (to wave or throw picks), perhaps have the outro start softly underneath that and then grow louder as you exit. Also plan lighting – usually, house lights coming on is the universal sign the show’s over, so coordinate lights to rise when the outro plays. As for volume, ensure the outro is loud enough to be heard over applause, but it doesn’t need to be concert-level loud. People will be filing out and talking. Essentially, cover the post-show silence with something pleasant. After the track ends, typically the venue will resume their normal background playlist. By carefully planning these logistics, your show will end gracefully. The audience will have a clear, enjoyable outro to accompany their exit, rather than an abrupt cutoff or awkward silence.