Podcast Advertising: Costs and How To Buy (2026)

Podcast advertising is when a business pays to promote its product or service during a podcast, either through a produced commercial or a mention read out by the host. 

Fifty-eight percent of Americans age 12 and older listened to or watched a podcast in the past month. That’s a lot of potential listeners, so it’s no surprise podcasts are full of ads, whether it’s a traditional commercial similar to a radio spot, or a host-read mention baked into the episode itself.

This guide is for businesses looking to buy podcast ads, not for podcasters selling ad space. Learn about the types of podcast advertising, the benefits of buying ad space on podcasts, and how to run a successful podcast advertising campaign. 

What is podcast advertising?

Podcast advertising is promoting your products or services by placing audio ads within podcast episodes. Many podcasts now include video too: Spotify reports more than 390 million people have streamed a video podcast on its platform, opening the door to video ads as well as traditional audio spots.

There are three main ad formats in podcasting:

• Host-read ads. The podcast host delivers these live, either reading from a script or speaking from a set of talking points, drawing on their personal connection with listeners.
• Pre-recorded ads. These are separately recorded audio files dropped into the episode, so the same ad can run across multiple podcasts or episodes.
• Native ads. Also called branded content, these are woven into the episode itself, like a host working a product mention into a story or segment rather than a separate ad break.

Podcast ads can appear at different points in the episode:

• Pre-roll ads. These play at the very start of the episode, either before the show begins or right after the host’s opening.
• Mid-roll ads. These play partway through the episode. Listeners who reach this point have already chosen to stick around, so there’s a chance they’re more invested in the content andthe ads.
• Post-roll ads. These play after the show wraps up, so only the hardcore listeners who stay for the whole episode will hear them. 

Podcasters can insert ads into episodes in two ways: dynamically or directly into the audio file. 

Dynamically inserted ads are added to an episode when it’s downloaded or streamed using ad-insertion technology. The ad updates in real time, so advertisers can target listeners by location or demographic, swap in new creative mid-campaign, and run ads on back-catalog episodes alongside new ones. 

Baked-in ads (also called embedded ads) are recorded directly into the episode’s audio file and stay there once it’s published. That permanence is good for long-running campaigns, but it also means the creative, targeting, and timing are locked in from day one. 

Benefits of podcast advertising

• Increased credibility
• Connection to niche audiences
• High engagement
• Brand awareness

Podcast ads offer a range of benefits that set them apart from other types of advertising.

Increased credibility

Podcast listeners tend to trust what they hear: 58% of US adults surveyed called audio podcasts factual and accurate, the highest share of any format tested, and only 31% say they question the ad claims they hear there all or most of the time. That trust carries over to host-read ads, where the host’s own voice delivers the message directly to listeners who are already tuned in.

That trust shows up in behavior, too. Even among listeners who usually skip podcast ads, 55% have still taken action on one, including 14% who made a purchase, according to YouGov’s US Podcast Ads Report 2026.

Connection to niche audiences

With more than four million active podcasts, you can find a show for nearly any interest, including investigative journalism, true crime, pop culture, science, and niche hobbies. If you know your target audience, you can choose a show they already listen to.

Podcast ads can also reach people your other channels are missing. In one real-world media mix analysis, a $42 million advertising budget moved just 5% of its spend to podcasts, and reach among adults 18 to 54 jumped 41%, with no increase in total budget. This makes a really good case for incremental reach and getting yourself into the earbuds of audiences your existing TV or digital buys aren’t already reaching. 

Dynamic ad insertion adds a layer of targeting on top of that reach. These ads are inserted into the episode at the moment someone downloads or streams it, rather than being recorded permanently into the file. That means you can target listeners by location, demographic, or other data points—a bit like a paid social or display campaign, without needing a different show for every audience segment.

High engagement

We’ve all skipped a YouTube ad or tossed out junk mail. While you can skip past audio ads in podcast episodes, they’re often seamlessly integrated with the content. Host-read ads make it even more difficult to distinguish between the ad and the show.

Podcast listeners tune in everywhere, too, with 66% listening at home, 13% in a vehicle, and 7% each while walking or at work, so it can be inconvenient for them to skip ads. 

Brand awareness

Ads don’t always focus solely on direct sales; they’re often about shaping your company’s profile. Brands like Squarespace, Quince, and Casper focus on building brand awareness by leaning on the credibility of hosts who read the ads. Quince became podcast advertising’s single largest spender for much of 2026, investing more than $6.9 million in June alone.

How much does podcast advertising cost?

Podcast ads generally cost between $15 and $40 CPM (cost per thousand impressions). Pre-recorded ads cost $15 to $30 CPM, host-read sponsorships run $25 to $40 CPM, and niche shows with high-value audiences, like business or finance, can charge $40 or more.

CPM stands for cost per mille. It’s calculated as your total campaign cost divided by the number of downloads, multiplied by 1,000, so a $500 ad that reaches 20,000 downloads works out to a $25 CPM. 

You can flip the formula to estimate your budget: multiply your target CPM by a show’s expected downloads, then divide by 1,000.

A few things to consider:

• Ad format. Host-read ads can cost more than pre-produced spots, since you’re paying for the host’s trust with their audience and not just the airtime.
• Placement. Mid-roll ads command the highest rates because listeners are already invested in the episode by that point. 
• Audience size and niche. A bigger audience raises your total spend, though not necessarily your CPM. 
• Targeting. Dynamically inserted ads that target listeners by location or demographic typically cost more per thousand than an untargeted, broad buy.

Production costs are separate from your CPM. A host-read ad needs very little work beyond a briefing document, as the host writes or adapts it themselves. A pre-produced ad can cost more upfront, as it involves scriptwriting, voiceover talent, sound editing, and any music licensing. 

Podcast ads are just a small part of your broader ad budget, but they can be very effective if paid advertising works for your store. Case in point: In a 2025 Shopify survey, 31% of store owners doing more than $1 million in revenue named paid advertising as their most effective growth strategy.

Where to buy podcast ads

There are four common ways you can buy ad spots in a podcast:

• Directly from an individual podcast. Contact a show’s host or producer and negotiate an ad slot yourself. This works well when a specific show already talks to your exact audience and you want the host reading your ad rather than a network’s boilerplate. 
• Through a podcast network. Networks like Radiotopia or Earwolf bundle multiple shows under one sales team, so a single relationship gets you access to a roster of others. 
• Through a self-serve marketplace or platform. Platforms like Spotify Ad Studio let you set a budget, pick an audience, and launch a campaign without negotiating with anyone. This route suits smaller budgets and faster timelines, but there’s less room to negotiate price or hand-pick individual shows.
• Programmatically through an ad exchange or DSP. A demand-side platform buys inventory across many shows and networks at once, often using dynamic insertion to target listeners by location or demographic. This route scales easily and reaches a lot of people at once, but you give up some control over which show or host plays the ad.

You might want to work with an agency if you want to cover multiple shows, networks, and buying routes at once. An agency can vet podcasters, negotiate rates, and report across all platforms for you. 

Whichever route you choose, do a bit of vetting yourself too before you commit:

• Audience fit. Does the show’s content and listener base match your target customer?
• Download and impression data. Ask for verified, current numbers, and stay curious about subscriber counts or lifetime totals. 
• Ad format. Confirm whether the ad is host-read or pre-produced, and how long it runs.
• Insertion method. Check whether the ad is dynamically inserted or baked into the file,
• Reporting. Ask what data you’ll receive: downloads, promo code redemptions, or click-through?
• Brand safety. Review the show’s content and guest history for anything that conflicts with your brand.
• Cancellation and make-good terms. Confirm what happens if downloads fall short or you need to cancel a campaign.

How to run a successful podcast ad campaign

• Identify your goals
• Set a budget
• Develop your message
• Contact podcasts, networks, or platforms
• Measure and adjust

Keep these tips in mind as you get started:

1. Identify your goals

The metrics that make podcast advertising effective vary based on your company, and whether you want sales, clicks, or social media engagement. Identifying your desired outcomes helps you tell whether a campaign is working, and what to adjust if it isn’t.

Some goals, like brand awareness, are hard to measure directly, but others come with concrete key performance indicators (KPIs) you can track, like website traffic or sales. 

Without a concrete metric, it’s easy to assume a campaign is working when it isn’t. “I think you care about your brand a lot more than your customers do,” says Danny Buck, cofounder of CRAFTD. “Whenever we went on a particular podcast and we sponsored it for a year, people say, I’ve seen you on so and so’s podcast, and I’d go, ‘Great … like, did you buy anything? What was it?’ And they were like, ‘Oh, no.’ And that kept happening, so people would hear about us, but no one would buy anything. And I think that was a mistake in our growth that we went too heavy on brand.”

One way to track sales is through promo codes, which give each podcast a unique identifier so you can trace purchases back to a specific show or episode. On Shopify, set this up by creating a unique code for each podcast, share it with the host to mention on air, and check your Shopify admin to see how many orders came through it.

2. Set a budget

Decide on a budget before you start reaching out to shows, networks, or platforms. Podcast ads are typically priced on a CPM basis, and rates vary with ad format, placement, and audience niche. (See the section above on how much podcast advertising costs.)

Once you know your budget, work backward: divide it by your target CPM, multiply by 1,000, and you’ve got a rough download volume you can afford across one or more shows.

3. Develop your message

Like any marketing campaign, your message depends on your desired outcome. If you’re trying to sell a specific item, include a call to action (CTA) with a promo code. If you’re building your social following, a giveaway for new followers might work better.

Host-read ads work best when you give the host talking points rather than a word-for-word script. The host knows their audience, so let them put your key points, your offer, and your CTA in their own words. Pre-recorded ads trade that natural delivery for consistency, which is useful when you’re running the exact same ad across many shows and want the message to be identical every time.

Then, think about whether you want to run audio or video ads. 

According to eMarketer, video outperforms audio for making immediate purchases (15% versus 10%), taking a screenshot (19% versus 14%), and writing down promo codes (20% versus 18%). If a show offers both formats, a host-read audio spot with a clear, visual CTA on screen for video viewers will cover both bases.

4. Contact podcasts, networks, or platforms

Once you know your message and budget, it’s time to reach out to podcasts selling ad space. Where you go depends on the buying route that fits your campaign, whether that’s a direct pitch to a podcaster, a podcast network managing multiple shows, or a self-serve platform. See the above section on where to buy podcast ads for a full breakdown of each route. 

5. Measure and adjust

Before your ad airs, note your average weekly traffic, sales, and conversion rate in the weeks leading up to the campaign, so you have something to compare against.

Once the ad is live, your promo codes and trackable links (covered above) do the heavy lifting, showing you exactly which sales and visits came from the podcast ad. 

Layer that with a quick check on the wider picture:

• Traffic. The Sessions by referrer report in your Shopify admin shows whether visits spike on the days your ad aired.
• Sales. The Sales by discount code report, found under Analytics > Reports, breaks down revenue by the specific code you gave the podcast.
• Conversion rate. Compare the conversion rate for sessions using your podcast code against your store’s baseline conversion rate, so you can see if that traffic converts better or worse than your average visitor.

Shopify’s Analytics overview dashboard pulls these into one place, letting you set a date range and compare your campaign window directly against your baseline.

Once you’ve got the numbers, check them against your initial goal. A campaign built around sales should be judged on sales, not follower counts, and vice versa.

And you really do need to check: In a 2025 Shopify survey, only 30% of store owners doing more than $1 million in revenue tracked customer acquisition cost, compared with 5% of those under $100,000. Fewer than half of all store owners tracked profit margin, traffic, average order value, or conversion rate.

Try running a small test to start. Run one show or a short flight for two to four weeks, track the metrics against your baseline, and give the campaign enough time to reach a good amount of downloads. From there, adjust the message, the show, or the budget, and test again.