Work out what to charge sponsors from your episode downloads. Set your CPM for pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll ads, and see your price per ad, per episode and per month — plus a minimum price for smaller shows, a sponsor-offer checker and a copy-ready rate card.
CPM is your price per 1,000 downloads. There’s no official rate — set your own, or work back from offers you’ve had using the sponsor-offer checker below.
Example helper: tap an example, then replace it with your own numbers. Example CPMs are placeholders, not industry rates.
| Rate card | CPM | Price per ad | Ads per episode | Per month (all sold) |
|---|
Planning estimate only, not a guaranteed rate. What sponsors pay depends on your niche, audience, location, ad format and how you sell. Use downloads counted to IAB guidelines where your host offers them.
Quick answer: Podcast ads are usually priced by CPM — a price per 1,000 downloads. Divide your average downloads per episode by 1,000 and multiply by your CPM. For example, 10,000 downloads at a $30 CPM is $300 per ad; one mid-roll in each of 4 weekly episodes is $1,200 a month.
Most podcast sponsorships are priced per ad, based on how many people download an episode. The calculator uses only your numbers — there are no built-in “industry CPMs”.
Price per ad = downloads ÷ 1,000 × CPM (or your minimum, if higher)
Per episode = Σ (ads × price per ad) for pre, mid and post-roll
Monthly income = per episode × episodes × share of slots sold × (1 − network cut)
Offer CPM = sponsor's offer ÷ downloads × 1,000
Downloads for goal = goal ÷ (episodes × sold × (1 − cut) × Σ ads × CPM ÷ 1,000)
Downloads are usually counted over the first 30 days after an episode comes out. Check how your sponsor wants them counted.
A pre-roll plays before the episode starts, a mid-roll during it, and a post-roll at the end. Many shows charge most for mid-rolls, because listeners are already engaged, and less for pre- and post-rolls. There’s no fixed ratio — set a CPM for each that fits your show and what sponsors have paid you.
| Input | Where to find it | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Downloads per episode | Your podcast host’s analytics (Buzzsprout, Spotify for Creators, Libsyn, Transistor and others) | Average several recent episodes at their 30-day mark. |
| CPM | Past sponsor deals and offers | Use the offer checker to turn a flat offer into a CPM. |
| Slots sold | Your sponsorship records | Be honest — unsold episodes earn nothing. |
| Network cut | Your network or agency contract | Leave at 0 if you sell ads yourself. |
10,000 downloads at a $30 CPM is $300 per ad. One mid-roll in each of 4 episodes: $1,200 a month, or $14,400 a year.
2,500 downloads at a $55 CPM is $137.50 per ad. Two mid-rolls per episode is $275, and 4 episodes a month make $1,100.
500 downloads at a $30 CPM is only $15 per ad. With a $100 minimum per ad — perhaps bundled with newsletter or social mentions — 4 episodes bring $400 a month.
25,000 downloads at a $22 CPM is $550 per ad. Two mid-rolls in 4 episodes would be $4,400 a month, but with 75% of slots sold it’s $3,300 — and if a network keeps 30%, you receive $2,310.
It varies a lot by niche, audience, country, ad format and how the ad is sold, so there’s no single figure that fits every show. Start from offers you’ve received and what similar shows charge, and use the offer checker to compare deals.
Downloads per episode. Followers and subscribers don’t show how many people actually got each episode, which is what sponsors pay for.
Baked-in ads are recorded into the episode audio and stay there forever. Dynamic ad insertion places ads into episodes when they’re downloaded, so older episodes can carry new ads.
CPM pricing can come out very low for small shows, so many use a minimum price per ad or a flat monthly package that bundles the podcast with other channels. Affiliate links are another way to earn from day one.
Often, yes — networks and agencies keep a share for selling your ads. The amount depends on your contract; enter it in the network cut field to see what you receive.
No. It only changes the symbol shown. Enter your CPMs and prices in the currency you use.
Disclaimer: This calculator is a planning tool, not a guarantee of what sponsors will pay. It uses only the numbers you enter and standard arithmetic.
Last updated: 14 October 2026 · By Udaychandra, IncomeJets