How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Self-serve dashboards changed podcast buying. Spotify Ad Studio, AudioGo and Podbean let small teams launch with campaign minimums of $200 to $250, which was unheard of five years ago.
- Host-read ads still carry the highest trust, but they are manual and usually run $25 to $40 CPM. Programmatic platforms trade some of that trust for scale and faster testing.
- Big network buys through Acast, Libsyn Ads or Triton Digital make sense once you can commit real spend and want premium show placements. They are custom-priced and sales-led.
- Audio is broader than podcasts. Some platforms in this list sell streaming music and radio inventory too, which helps if you want one buy across everything people listen to.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Acast | Scale across a global podcast marketplace | See website | No |
 Spotify Ad Studio | Self-serve ads on Spotify podcasts and music | $250 per campaign minimum | No |
 AdsWizz | Programmatic audio buying through the AudioMatic DSP | See website | No |
 Triton Digital | Enterprise audio campaigns with measurement | See website | No |
 Libsyn Ads | Buying host-read spots on a curated show list | See website | No |
 Podbean | Low-minimum self-serve podcast campaigns | $200 minimum campaign budget | No |
 AudioGo | Simple self-serve audio ads for small businesses | $250 minimum campaign budget | No |
 Targetspot | Targeted digital audio campaigns across publishers | See website | No |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
#1
Acast
Best for: Scale across a global podcast marketplace
Visit acast.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Acast is the closest thing podcast advertising has to a one-stop global shop. It runs a marketplace of more than 140,000 shows, sells both host-read sponsorships and dynamically inserted pre-produced ads, and lets advertisers either work with its sales team or launch campaigns themselves. If you want a campaign that reaches listeners in many countries at once, Acast is usually the first name on the shortlist.
The self-serve ad platform is the most interesting part for smaller teams. You can set up targeted campaigns, upload pre-produced audio and buy across hundreds of shows without negotiating each placement. Acast also offers AI-generated audio ads and an in-house studio if you do not have creative ready. Reporting is show-level, which means you can see exactly where your money went.
The honest catch is that pricing is never published. Host-read sponsorships on Acast run roughly $25 to $40 CPM according to its own advertiser guide, and targeted programmatic-style ads cost less, but every campaign is quoted individually. Advertisers spending a few hundred dollars a month may find the platform works fine but the attention from a human account team goes to bigger buyers.
What we like- Huge global show network
- Self-serve ad platform plus managed service
- Detailed targeting by demographics, location and interests
Watch out for- Pricing is custom and not published
- Small budgets get less hand-holding
Starting price$250 per campaign minimum
Free planNo
Spotify Ad Studio is the easiest way for a small or mid-size business to start running podcast ads. It is fully self-serve: pick your audience, set a budget starting at $250, and Spotify will draft your script, record a voiceover and produce the ad at no extra charge. Your audio or video ad can then run across both music and podcast inventory with automatic placement.
That production offer matters more than it sounds. Most local businesses never advertise on podcasts because hiring a voice actor and a studio feels like a project. Ad Studio removes that barrier entirely. The platform also added interactive podcast ads with clickable CTA cards, which give listeners a way to tap through to your site while the ad plays.
The limitation is obvious: you are buying Spotify inventory only. If your ideal customers listen mostly on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or independent apps, this platform cannot reach them. Podcast ads in Ad Studio are also limited to the US, Canada and the UK. Within Spotify, though, the reach is enormous, and for many direct-response advertisers that is plenty.
What we like- $250 minimum per campaign with free voiceover and ad production
- One buy covers both podcasts and music
- Interactive CTA cards for engagement
Watch out for- Ads only run on Spotify, nowhere else
- Podcast ads currently serve US, Canada and UK advertisers
#3
AdsWizz
Best for: Programmatic audio buying through the AudioMatic DSP
Visit adswizz.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
AdsWizz is the technology engine behind a large share of the audio ads you hear. A SiriusXM company, it provides the DSP (AudioMatic), the SSP (AudioMax), dynamic ad insertion and measurement tools that publishers and advertisers use across radio, streaming and podcasting. If you are an agency planning audio at scale, AdsWizz is infrastructure you will likely end up touching.
For podcast advertisers specifically, the appeal is targeting depth. The platform offers mood-based targeting, predictive podcast audiences, contextual segments and brand-suitability controls, plus attribution tools like Second Screen retargeting. Its global marketplace connects buyers to premium publishers in more than 40 countries.
This is not a platform you log into with a credit card and a $500 budget. AdsWizz works through sales teams, managed deals and programmatic pipes, and it does not publish pricing. Small advertisers should look at AudioGo (which runs on the SiriusXM and AdsWizz audio network) for a self-serve way in. Agencies and brands with serious audio budgets get one of the most capable systems in the market.
What we like- Full-stack audio ad tech for podcasts, radio and streaming
- Sophisticated targeting including predictive and contextual audiences
- Owned by SiriusXM with broad reach
Watch out for- Built for agencies and enterprises, not small advertisers
- No public pricing or self-serve entry point
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Triton Digital is the measurement and infrastructure company that powers a huge portion of the podcast and digital audio industry. Its Webcast Metrics and Podcast Metrics products are the audience-measurement standards many publishers and agencies rely on, and its Triton Ad Platform (TAP) handles dynamic ad insertion, inventory forecasting and programmatic guaranteed deals for broadcasters and podcasters.
As an advertising platform for brands, Triton shows up differently than the others on this list. You are not buying a friendly campaign dashboard; you are buying into the tech stack that major audio publishers run on, which gives you access to premium inventory with forecasting and reporting built in. Its acquisition of Sounder added AI-driven contextual targeting and brand suitability, now live inside buying platforms like The Trade Desk.
The catch is the learning curve and the sales-led model. Triton is enterprise software for publishers and serious media buyers. If you are a brand that just wants to run a podcast campaign, you will usually work with Triton indirectly through a network or agency. If you are buying audio at scale and care about verified measurement, it is one of the most credible names you can buy through.
What we like- Deep measurement pedigree (IAB-certified Podcast Metrics)
- The Triton Ad Platform supports dynamic insertion and programmatic guaranteed deals
- Operates in 80+ countries
Watch out for- Enterprise-focused with no self-serve tier
- More infrastructure than creative, you still need your own agency or team
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Libsyn Ads runs the advertising marketplace for Libsyn, one of the oldest and largest podcast hosting companies. Advertisers get an online portal where they can research shows, see host information, CPM rates, audience reach and demographics, and order ad spots. Both host-read sponsorships and dynamic ads are available, with geo targeting down to city, state and DMA.
The marketplace model is what sets it apart from pure programmatic plays. You browse actual shows, listen to recent episodes, message the host directly and build a campaign around specific programs. Libsyn reports marketplace CPMs historically around $22 to $26, and its most popular units are host-read ads baked into episodes, which remain the most requested format from advertisers.
The trade-off is that you are limited to Libsyn's network, and working with individual shows takes more effort than a run-of-network programmatic buy. Each show is effectively its own negotiation, even inside the portal. For advertisers who believe in the host-read format and want to pick shows deliberately, that hands-on control is the point. For advertisers who want everything automated, it will feel slow.
What we like- Self-serve marketplace with per-show CPMs and demographics
- Strong host-read inventory, the most trusted ad format
- AI-transcribed air checks for verification
Watch out for- Inventory is tied to the Libsyn network only
- Pricing varies by show and is not visible until you research listings
Starting price$200 minimum campaign budget
Free planNo
Podbean pairs podcast hosting with an advertiser-facing marketplace, and the combination keeps minimums unusually low. Campaigns start at $200, and advertisers can select specific podcasts, set CPM pricing, target by location, device and genre, then track impressions and spend in a dashboard. You can upload your own audio or have Podbean generate an ad with AI.
For small businesses and first-time podcast advertisers, the $200 floor is the headline feature. It turns podcast advertising from a five-figure commitment into something you can test the way you would test a social ad set. The marketplace includes more than 12,000 podcasts across hundreds of genres, which is enough breadth to find shows in most niches.
The limits follow from the model. You are buying shows hosted on Podbean, not the entire podcast universe, so some categories have thin inventory. Support is scaled for self-serve volumes, so expect email and docs rather than a dedicated rep. And dynamic insertion on Podbean currently supports audio episodes only. For a low-cost entry point with real targeting, it is hard to beat at this price.
What we like- Campaigns from just $200
- Access to 12,000+ hosted podcasts across genres
- AI-generated ads and programmatic options
Watch out for- Inventory is limited to Podbean-hosted shows
- Smaller minimums mean less dedicated support
#7
AudioGo
Best for: Simple self-serve audio ads for small businesses
Visit audiogo.com
Starting price$250 minimum campaign budget
Free planNo
AudioGo is the self-serve front door to the SiriusXM and AdsWizz audio network. For a $250 minimum budget, any business can build an audio campaign in minutes: set your budget and schedule, upload an ad or pay $10 for a professionally recorded one, choose your audience from more than 1,000 targeting options, and track performance in a personal dashboard. Ads run on streaming apps like Pandora, Spotify, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud and TuneIn, including podcast inventory.
It fills a gap the big players leave open. Spotify Ad Studio only reaches Spotify listeners, and AdsWizz proper does not talk to small advertisers. AudioGo sits in between: real premium network inventory with a credit-card buy and no media buyer required. The $10 ad production service is genuinely useful for local businesses that have never made an audio ad.
The compromise is focus. AudioGo is an audio advertising platform, not a podcast specialist, so you are buying across streaming, radio and podcasts together rather than picking individual shows. It also leans on your own targeting skill; a lazy setup will spend money on loosely matched listeners. Used carefully, it is one of the cheapest ways to buy real audio reach.
What we like- Campaigns from $250 with 1,000+ targeting options
- Professional ad creation for $10 if you have no creative
- Runs on SiriusXM and AdsWizz network inventory
Watch out for- Broader audio (streaming, radio) rather than podcast-specific
- Campaign quality depends on how carefully you target
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Targetspot, now part of Azerion, is one of the oldest digital audio advertising platforms, founded in 2007. It connects advertisers to more than 150 publishers and over 15,000 audio channels spanning podcasts, online radio and streaming, with targeting by demographics, listening preferences, psychographic segments and geography down to the postcode level.
For podcast advertisers, Targetspot makes most sense as part of a broader audio strategy. Its strength is digital audio as a category rather than podcast inventory specifically: podcast spots, online radio and streaming audio bought together with real-time reporting and dynamic creative options like weather-based targeting. Brands that already run display or video with Azerion can fold audio into the same media mix.
The honest catch is the model. Targetspot works through sales teams and custom quotes, so there is no self-serve tier and no published minimums. Podcast-specific buyers may also find the inventory skewed toward radio and streaming rather than the host-read podcast spots that drive the highest trust. As an enterprise-grade audio buy with strong data partnerships, it earns its place.
What we like- Long-running digital audio platform with 150+ publisher relationships
- Granular targeting down to postcode level
- Real-time reporting and analytics
Watch out for- Sales-led with no self-serve option or published pricing
- Podcast coverage is part of a wider audio buy, not the whole story
How we chose
We built this list from the vendor's own pages, pricing disclosures and platform documentation, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra and Reddit and industry reporting on podcast ad spend. A platform had to sell actual podcast or digital audio inventory to advertisers, be live and reachable today, and fit buyers from small businesses to enterprise media teams. We checked minimum budgets on vendor FAQ and advertising pages rather than trusting third-party summaries, and where a vendor does not publish pricing we say so instead of guessing. We did not do hands-on campaign testing; this guide reflects documented features, published minimums and the real buying process as each vendor describes it.
What to compare before you sign up
Podcast ad platforms fall into three buying styles, and picking the wrong style is the most common mistake. Self-serve dashboards (Spotify Ad Studio, AudioGo, Podbean) are for testing with small budgets and iterating fast. Marketplaces (Acast's self-serve, Libsyn Ads) give you show-level control at the cost of more hands-on work. Enterprise programmatic (AdsWizz, Triton Digital, Targetspot) is for agencies and brands spending serious money across audio at scale.
Check the minimums before you fall in love with a feature set. Spotify Ad Studio and AudioGo start at $250, Podbean at $200. Everything else is custom-quoted, which usually means a four-figure floor in practice. If you cannot fund at least a few weeks of frequency, you will not learn anything from a test, so match your budget to the platform's entry point.
Host-read vs programmatic
Host-read sponsorships cost more ($25 to $40 CPM is typical) because the host vouches for your product in their own words. Programmatic and dynamically inserted ads cost less and scale faster but carry none of that personal trust. Many advertisers start with host-reads to prove the message works, then add programmatic for reach once the creative is validated.
Measurement and brand safety
Ask how each platform proves your ad ran and what happened next. Look for impression-level reporting, pixel tracking, promo-code support and third-party verification. Several platforms now offer transcript-level or contextual brand-suitability controls, which keep your ads out of episodes that do not fit your brand. If measurement matters to your CFO, prioritize platforms with real dashboards over networks that report by spreadsheet.
How podcast pricing actually works
Most podcast advertising is sold on CPM, the cost per thousand impressions, and most platforms do not publish fixed rates. Host-read spots typically run $25 to $40 CPM, marketplace and pre-recorded spots land around $15 to $30, and programmatic buys are set by auction or quoted per campaign. The platforms with published numbers here are the self-serve ones with budget minimums ($200 to $250), not fixed CPMs.
Treat any CPM quote as a starting point. Actual cost depends on the show's audience size, the ad position (mid-roll costs more than post-roll), targeting depth and seasonality. Always ask whether the quote includes creative production, and confirm whether pricing is locked or subject to auction. For a first test, pick the platform whose minimum you can afford to spend twice, because the first campaign is tuition.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start podcast advertising?
With self-serve platforms you can start for $200 to $250 in total campaign budget. Host-read sponsorships on individual shows typically cost $25 to $40 CPM, and most networks have effective minimums in the low thousands once you work through a sales team. Start with a platform whose minimum fits your test budget.
What is the difference between host-read and programmatic podcast ads?
Host-read ads are delivered by the show's host in their own voice, usually baked into the episode, and carry the host's trust with their audience. Programmatic ads are pre-recorded spots dynamically inserted across many shows based on targeting. Host-reads convert better per impression but cost more and take longer to set up.
Can small businesses advertise on podcasts?
Yes. Spotify Ad Studio, AudioGo and Podbean all accept budgets of $200 to $250, produce the audio ad for you (Spotify free, AudioGo for $10) and handle targeting in a self-serve dashboard. You no longer need an agency or a five-figure budget to test podcast ads.
How do I measure podcast ad performance?
Modern platforms offer pixel tracking, promo-code analytics, custom landing pages and impression-level reporting. Spotify's CTA cards add clickable links inside the app. For direct response, pair every campaign with a unique promo code or landing page so you can attribute sales cleanly.
What is a good CPM for podcast ads?
Typical ranges are $25 to $40 CPM for host-read sponsorships, $15 to $30 for pre-recorded network spots, and lower for programmatic or run-of-network buys. Your actual CPM depends on audience quality, ad position and targeting. Mid-roll placements cost more than post-rolls because listener attention is higher.
Should I pick individual shows or buy across a network?
Picking individual shows through a marketplace gives you control over host trust and audience fit, but takes more work per placement. Network and programmatic buys scale faster and suit performance testing. A common approach is to test with a few hand-picked shows, then scale the winners programmatically.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.acast.com/en/advertise/home
- https://www.acast.com/en/news-and-insights/how-much-does-podcast-advertising-cost
- https://ads.spotify.com/en-US/self-serve-podcast-ads/
- https://www.adswizz.com/
- https://www.tritondigital.com/
- https://advertising.libsyn.com/
- https://www.podbean.com/guide-to-podcast-advertising
- https://www.audiogo.com/
- https://www.targetspot.com/
- https://subscribepr.com/blog/is-podcast-advertising-worth-it/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.