There are many vital considerations to consider when you're planning a podcast advertising campaign strategy, one of which is cost. Your budget only goes so far, so you need to investigate podcast advertising rates before running ads.
Unfortunately, there aren't any hard and fast rules about standard podcast advertising rates. You may have heard about CPM, but when you're doing direct buys, this doesn't help you as much as you might think.
Podcasts set their prices depending on several factors, which we'll cover in this article. But that means there's no easy answer when someone asks, "how much does it cost to sponsor a podcast?"
Table of Contents
What is the average podcast CPM?
Podcast CPM stands for Cost per Mille or cost for every 1,000 listeners and it's how many publishers calculate podcast ad rates.
The average CPM for podcast advertising is between $18 and $25 depending on the ad length and placement in the podcast. Or, to put it another way, you'll pay between $18 and $25 for every 1,000 listens of the podcast for the duration of your ad.
Estimated podcast advertising costs
So, you have a list of podcasts to contact, but how will you know how much their ads are likely to cost?
You can't know for sure until you speak to the podcast hosts or ad spots team but you can use Rephonic to work out whether it's worth approaching a podcast, or whether the cost simply won't fit your budget.
Libsyn estimates a $25 CPM for host read podcast ads and around $15 for Pre-Produced Programmatic ads so we'll use those figures in our calculations.
First, check Rephonic for the podcast's estimated listener numbers. These are our best-guess download numbers (we base them on hundreds of publicly available datapoints) but don't include YouTube numbers .
So, if a podcast with those CPMs has 1000 listeners, baked in ads should cost $25 and dynamic ads $15.
Libsyn offers a podcast CPM calculator to help with the math. So, in theory, here's how the pricing might look in 2026.
| Listeners per episode | Baked-in host read | Pre-produced programmatic |
| 10,000 | $250 | $150 |
| 100,000 | $2,500 | $1,500 |
| 1 million | $25,000 | $15,000 |
These give you a rough idea of what you can expect to pay if you know how big the show's audience is. BUT actual costs can vary wildly. Most podcast websites don't directly state their ad rates and instead, invite prospective sponsors to contact them.
Here's how Rephonic estimated listener numbers can help
Suppose you're a founder keen to test podcast advertising but can't afford to spend more than $500. You can rule out podcasts if you see on Rephonic that they've got 20,000+ estimated listeners because they're likely too expensive. If you plan to run multiple ads, you might prefer shows with smaller audiences.
To summarize, you'll have to reach out to the publisher to get accurate numbers and costs. But when you're first scoping out potential opportunities for podcast sponsorship, our listener number estimates will help you see which podcasts will likely suit your budget.
Estimated listeners per episode is one of the many vital data points Rephonic supplies for almost every podcast on the planet. Don't just take our word for it, though. You can try Rephonic out for free right now.
While listener numbers significantly affect podcast advertising rates, they're just one factor that affects how much it costs to sponsor a podcast, whether you want an entire season or just one podcast ad.
Here's the full list of considerations that can influence podcast hosts when setting the rates for podcast ads.
Fixed rate - the most common pricing model for direct buys
Flat fee/Fixed rate ― A podcast may have fixed ad rates or packages. They may also be open to negotiating a deal.
But while listener numbers significantly affect podcast advertising rates, they're just one factor that affects how much it costs to sponsor a podcast, whether you want an entire season or just one podcast ad.
Here's the full list of considerations that can influence podcast hosts when setting the rates for podcast ads.
What factors affect podcast advertising costs?
Listener numbers
We've just explained this. 🙂 (You might also like to read our advertising on podcasts beginners' guide.)
Ad placement
Podcast ads have different names depending on where they're placed in an episode.
Pre-roll ads run for 15-30 seconds at the start of a podcast episode. Sometimes they're placed before the intro; sometimes, they come just after. Either way, pre-roll ads come before the host introduces the guest and gets on with the show.
Post-roll ads run last and are the cheapest because they only catch those audience members who listen to the very end. (Many people tune out before then, but marketers sometimes argue that your ideal customer is the one who listens right till the end and is more likely to pay attention to your ad.)
Mid-roll ads are typically longer and run during an episode. Many advertisers prefer to pay more to secure a mid-roll ad because fewer listeners bother to skip ads once they're into the meat of the content. In contrast, listeners often miss pre- and post-roll ads, hence the lower price.
Don't be fooled into going for the cheapest ad placements, though. You should also consider your podcast ad campaign goals to see which placement fits them best.
Ad length
Ad length is closely tied to ad placement. You can buy podcast ads that last anything from 15 seconds (typically a post-roll) to a 60-second ad (usually mid-roll ads) or an even longer branded segment in a podcast episode.
It makes sense that longer ads will cost more than shorter ones. Longer podcast ads include more talking points and can address the listeners' problems and benefits. Faster ads only have time for a brief statement and a call to action, so think carefully about your copywriting when planning your podcast advertising campaign.
Niche
Not all podcast categories or niches are created equal. Some are more popular (and therefore more crowded) than others. And we've conducted plenty of research about the podcasting industry through our database to find fascinating facts about niches.
You need podcast listeners who will identify with your brand or message, so you'll want to choose podcasts in the right niche.
For example, the Get Sleepy Podcast operates in the Health & Fitness niche and targets people who have difficulty sleeping, so this podcast is a perfect partner for brands like BetterHelp and Helix Sleep. You can see how these two businesses fit perfectly with a meditation podcast aimed at helping listeners get restful sleep.
Number of episodes sponsored
It helps to know whether the show you're interested in is new to podcast advertising or if they often work with advertisers. And seeing who is advertising is just as interesting.
For example, if your competitors advertise on a podcast it may indicate that audience is a good fit for your product or service, too. Conversely, if you can't relate to the current advertisers at all, that may indicate an audience that may not be receptive to your products.
You can easily see recent podcast advertisers by checking their podcast page on Rephonic.
Each page includes a Sponsors tab. There you'll find a list of recent sponsors, a link to the ad, the episode and its transcript. A long list of sponsors may indicate that this podcast has been accepting sponsors over many episodes. A short list may mean they're new to podcast advertising, or have stuck to just a handful of trusted advertisers.
Other things to think about
There's a lot to think about when devising a podcast advertising strategy. As well as the ad costs, types of advertisement and niche podcast audiences, you should be very clear about the podcast campaign you're running and what kind of ads will work best.
Delivery mechanism
There are two ways of delivering podcast ads: dynamic ads and baked-in ads. Naturally, there are pros and cons no matter which you choose.
Baked-in ads
These are pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll ads recorded or edited into the podcast file as part of the episode content. They stay with that episode forever and are difficult (but not impossible) to change.
Benefits: With a baked-in ad, your content will probably be there for the life of the episode unless the podcaster manually edits it out. It works well if your ad placements contain evergreen information or content.
Cons: Don't use time-sensitive or short-term promotions for baked-in podcast advertising. For example, I recently heard a podcast episode advertising tickets for a live show that had run months earlier. That would have been much better as a dynamic ad placement and removed once the show had taken place.
Dynamic ad insertion
These podcast ads are inserted when podcast listeners either download or stream an episode. In other words, they are separate from the podcast episode and can be changed anytime. The podcast producer marks where a podcast ad should appear, and DAI tools insert the current sponsor's material.
Benefits:
- Your podcast ad can be put into all episodes at once. So when new listeners discover the show, they will hear your ads from that sponsor no matter which episode they click on. You buy X ad impressions, and when that number is reached, you can either pay for more or the podcast can insert a new sponsor's ads in their place.
- Time-sensitive offers are great for dynamic ads. You know the sort: "Today's episode is brought to you by... for a limited time, my listeners can get $100 off their first month with this promo code.
Cons: Your ad spots are not permanent. Once your time is up, they'll disappear. (They may even be taken by competing brands who've heard your podcast ads and decide that's the right podcast for them, too.)
Host-read ads vs. pre-recorded advertiser-supplied ads
Many podcast hosts read ads in their own styles. That's effective when listeners feel that the voices of their favorite hosts make the ads seem more genuine, especially if they include a personal story about using the product or brand. Brands usually give the podcast host a list of points to cover and leave them to choose the actual words. (Check out this episode of the Bigger Pockets Real Estate Podcast for an example of a host-read, story podcast ad.)
Some brands and businesses prefer to supply the ad ready-made. That can sound more professional than some host-read ads, but it loses that close association with the hosts. Listeners often tune into popular podcasts because they like and trust the host, so supplying ready-made ads (or supplying too many points to cover and leaving no room for personal stories) could defeat the purpose.
These audio samples from The Podcast Exchange include examples from different podcasts with both host-read ads and pre-recorded ads, while Spotify gives a supplied-ad instance in this case study. Finally, here's an interesting article that reveals the thought process of a new podcaster who aimed to gather podcast ad revenue before his first episode even aired.
Final thoughts
Rephonic can't tell you the exact ad rates for each podcast, but you can use our extensive database to find your business's best podcast matches.
We help you search for podcasts using filters like categories, listener numbers, audience demographics and many more. Then we allow you to dive in deep with all the relevant stats, social media numbers, reviews, email addresses, and links to podcast episodes and websites.
When you want to reach out to a podcast, you can send pitches from your own email address directly within Rephonic.
What have you got to lose? Take your podcast knowledge to the next level with a free trial on Rephonic today.
Article credits
Written by Lyn McNamee, podcast-PR writer with years of experience transforming podcast insights into practical, results-focused playbooks.
Edited by Becca Butcher, marketing specialist who frequently analyzes Rephonic’s data across 3 million podcasts.
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