Sell audio and podcast ad inventory across direct and programmatic channels. Direct: host-read endorsements, baked-in sponsorships, and sales-led campaigns sold by your team or a podcast network. Programmatic: dynamically inserted audio ads sold through ad servers and DSPs via PG (programmatic guaranteed) and PMP deals. Common programmatic platforms include Spotify (preferred deals only, open auction through their pipes), Triton (PG+PMP), Adswizz (PG+PMP), and Acast (host, distribute, and monetize, good for lean ops teams). Tradeoffs: direct sales command higher CPMs but require sales effort and host coordination; programmatic scales efficiently but typically delivers lower CPMs on audio than display or video, and platform choice constrains flexibility (Spotify is less flexible for saleshouses than Triton or Adswizz).
What named sources recommend, and how they say to do it or measure it, newest first.
Podscribe's Matt Drengler recommends frequency caps for impression-based podcast campaigns, where a listener can hear more than 15 ads.
From Matt Drengler, head of partnerships, Podscribe, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Drengler said it as a quip on stage. The 15-ad figure comes from his colleague Cam Weber in the same session.
Acast CEO Greg Glenday recommends that audio sellers not answer skippable ads with more intrusive, unskippable formats.
From Greg Glenday, CEO, Acast, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Said at the Sounds Profitable Business Summit in September 2026, after Spotify tested an ad-skip button. Glenday cited an unskippable unit he launched in 2013.
OMD's Naomi Smolevitz recommends that audio sellers move their audio data further up the planning cycle, into agency planning tools.
From Naomi Smolevitz, head of streaming audio, OMD, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Said at a The Trade Desk OpenForum event in June 2026. SiriusXM Media's Jeremy Randol made the same case on that stage. The Trade Desk is an In View client.
Observations and reported facts, newest first.
Publishers on beehiiv keep 50% to 60% of programmatic podcast ad revenue, AdExchanger reported on 2026-10-27.
From beehiiv, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Per the same report, beehiiv keeps about 20% to 25% of programmatic display revenue and takes no cut of direct-sold ads. beehiiv's own pages do not state the split.
Oxford Road's James Vakula said in September 2026 that advertisers increasingly run a 70/30 mix of host-read and programmatic podcast ads.
From James Vakula, director of programmatic, Oxford Road, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Agency view from an IAB Podcast Upfront session. Vakula said which format gets the larger share depends on the brand's goals.
Acast reports that programmatic and dynamically inserted podcast ads often price at $8 to $25 CPM, against $18 to $45 for host-read sponsorships.
From Simon Franklin, Acast, acast.com
Keep in mind: Vendor ranges with no method stated. Acast sells both formats. Written for buyers. Dropped the page's pitch for Acast Talent-Voiced Ads under Rule 13.
The Trade Desk's Catie Birmingham said in June 2026 that no digital media earns fewer ad dollars per hour spent than digital audio.
From Catie Birmingham, senior manager of research and insights, The Trade Desk, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: Said at a The Trade Desk OpenForum event on audio. It rests on GWI time-spent data (about 30%) and eMarketer spend data (3%). The Trade Desk is an In View client.
The IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report found that U.S. podcast ad revenue grew 17.6% to $2.862 billion in 2025.
From IAB and PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2025, Radio Ink
Keep in mind: U.S. only. The IAB report page requires a free account, so the figure comes from Radio Ink's coverage. Barrett Media rounds it to $2.9 billion.
The IAB/PwC report found that U.S. digital audio drew $8.4 billion in 2025, which was 2.8% of internet ad revenue.
From IAB and PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2025, Radio Ink
Keep in mind: Digital audio here includes podcasts, streaming music and streaming radio. Radio Ink reports the 2.8% share is unchanged from 2022. Speaks to the limited-scale gotcha.
NP Digital's Dana Heins told Digiday in April 2026 that Spotify programmatic guaranteed deals performed best but carried higher CPMs than PMP deals.
From Dana Heins, director of programmatic, NP Digital (Spotify), Digiday
Keep in mind: Buyer view on Spotify only, with no figures shared. Heins also said Spotify PMP inventory was not always enough to meet demand, which fits the limited-scale gotcha.
Acast reported that its average revenue per listen rose 21% to SEK 0.66 in Q4 2025, from SEK 0.54 in Q4 2024.
From Acast, year-end release January to December 2025, mfn.se
Keep in mind: Average revenue per listen is Acast's own metric per podcast listen, not RPM per page view. It is the closest public proxy found for audio RPM. Listens grew 5% in the same quarter.
Acast CEO Greg Glenday told AdExchanger in October 2025 that programmatic guaranteed deals make up about half of Acast's business.
From Greg Glenday, CEO, Acast, AdExchanger
Keep in mind: In the same interview Glenday said Acast still sells most inventory direct sold, so Acast appears to count programmatic guaranteed inside that. Acast is a podcast platform, not a web publisher.
Add https://mcp.beeler.tech/mcp to Claude or ChatGPT as a custom connector, once. Then ask: “What do publishers report about sell audio / podcast ads?” It answers from these statements, with every source named and linked.
Every statement links to its source and says when Beeler.Tech has a tie to it, such as an In View client. Vendors are named as vendors. Community observations are anonymous; here is how we use them. Corrections are made in public.
