How to monetize a podcast with sponsorships
Podcast advertising from the host's side: pre-roll, mid-roll and host-read spots, what each is worth per thousand downloads, and what sponsors ask for.
Podcast sponsorship is bought on attention, not reach, and the rates hold up against every other audio and video format because of it. A listener who has a host's voice in their ears for forty minutes is in a fundamentally different state from someone scrolling past a banner, and advertisers price that difference deliberately.
The economics run on downloads per episode, not total audience, and mid-roll placements are worth substantially more than pre-roll because they reach people who stayed. Host-read spots - where you say it in your own words rather than playing a produced clip - are the premium tier, and the gap between them and a dropped-in ad is large.
How it works for a podcast
- Rates are quoted per thousand downloads
- The industry convention is a CPM on downloads per episode, with mid-roll priced above pre-roll and post-roll worth the least. Quote a per-episode number and let the sponsor multiply.
- Host-read beats produced spots
- A sponsor pays a premium for you to say it yourself, because that is what the audience responds to. Ask for talking points rather than a script, and record it in the same voice as the rest of the episode.
- Back catalogue keeps earning
- Episodes keep getting downloaded for months. Dynamically inserted ads let you sell that ongoing listenership rather than only the first two weeks - worth setting up before you start selling.
What you can actually sell
- Mid-roll host-read spots, the highest-value inventory in podcasting
- Pre-roll placements at the top of the episode
- Post-roll, usually bundled into a package instead of sold alone
- Full episode sponsorships, including interview or series sponsorship
What to charge
Podcast pricing runs on downloads per episode, not monthly traffic, so treat the calculator's output as a monthly total across your usual publishing schedule and divide by episodes. Mid-roll typically prices above the benchmark and post-roll below it.
| If your subject is | Benchmark CPM | Flat rate at 10K | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media, Newsletters & Blogs | $5.00 | $110 / spot / month | Full rates |
| Finance & Investing | $12.00 | $270 / spot / month | Full rates |
| Tech & SaaS | $8.00 | $180 / spot / month | Full rates |
| Health & Fitness | $5.00 | $110 / spot / month | Full rates |
Benchmarks for a site at 10,000 monthly visitors with 2 ad spots. Run your own numbers to adjust for your traffic.
What these placements sell for on Adsly
Live prices from listings currently offering the formats above.
| Format | Listed spots | From | Median | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsored Content | 9 | $10 | $80 | $2,000 |
| Podcast | 6 | $20 | $100 | $250 |
What to have ready before you pitch
Nearly every sponsor asks for the same handful of things. Having them written down turns a two-week email thread into one message.
- 1 Average downloads per episode over the last thirty days, not your best episode
- 2 Listener demographics if you have them, and the audience description if you do not
- 3 Whether you can insert ads dynamically into old episodes
- 4 A discount code or tracked link setup, because most podcast sponsors will ask for one
Platforms like yours on Adsly
Worth a look for how other owners describe their audience and structure their offer.
Ankwar zegeba
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Web-Review
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Questions about monetizing a podcast
How many downloads do I need to sell podcast ads?
A thousand downloads an episode in a defined niche is enough to start selling directly, which is far below what an ad network will take you at. Niche shows with small but specific audiences often price better per listener than large general ones.
Should I use a podcast ad network instead?
Networks handle sales for you and take a cut, and they generally want scale first. Direct deals pay more and let you choose your sponsors, which matters more in podcasting than most formats because your voice is attached to the endorsement.
What do podcast sponsors measure?
Promo codes and vanity URLs, mostly. Set both up before your first deal - a sponsor who cannot attribute anything will not renew, no matter how good the placement sounded.
Does Adsly take a commission on sponsorship deals?
No. Adsly charges nothing on the deals you close - you agree terms directly with the sponsor and keep 100% of what they pay. The business model is listing fees, and publishing is free if you run the Adsly badge on your site.
Do I need to set prices before listing?
No. Plenty of listings go live with no priced opportunities at all - the listing itself is a profile brands can find. You can add opportunities with your own prices later, whenever you have decided what to charge.
Run something else too?
Let sponsors come to you
List a podcast on Adsly and brands browsing for your kind of audience can find and message you directly. Free to publish with the Adsly badge, 0% commission on every deal, and you add priced opportunities whenever you are ready.
List a podcast