Home › Calculators › Podcast Sponsorship Rate Calculator
Podcast Sponsorship Rate Calculator
Work out what to charge sponsors. Enter downloads per episode and a CPM for each placement to get the price per pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll spot, revenue per episode, and monthly income after commission.
Last updated:
Audience
Average in the first 30 days after release
Ad slots & CPM rates
$
Price per 1,000 downloads
$
Usually the highest-priced slot
$
Selling
%
%
Enter your values to see the result.
Advertisement
Advertisement
How to use the Podcast Sponsorship Rate Calculator
- Enter average downloads per episode, ideally counted in the first 30 days.
- Set episodes per month and the number of ad spots in each position.
- Enter a CPM for each placement; mid-roll is usually priced highest.
- Add sell-through and commission if not every spot sells or a network takes a cut.
- Press Calculate ad rates and download the rate card as CSV.
Podcast sponsorship formula
- Price per spot = downloads per episode ÷ 1,000 × CPM
- Revenue per episode = sum of (price per spot × spots) for each placement
- Monthly revenue = revenue per episode × episodes per month × sell-through × (1 − commission)
Example: 5,000 downloads per episode with one pre-roll at an $18 CPM ($90), two mid-rolls at $25 ($125 each) and one post-roll at $10 ($50) earns $390 per episode. Four episodes a month bring $1,560, or $18,720 a year if every spot sells.
Price per spot at different download levels
| Downloads per episode | $10 CPM | $18 CPM | $25 CPM | $40 CPM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $10 | $18 | $25 | $40 |
| 5,000 | $50 | $90 | $125 | $200 |
| 10,000 | $100 | $180 | $250 | $400 |
| 25,000 | $250 | $450 | $625 | $1,000 |
| 100,000 | $1,000 | $1,800 | $2,500 | $4,000 |
Tips for pricing sponsorships
- Sell your audience, not just numbers. A clear niche and listener profile helps justify a higher CPM to the right sponsor.
- Offer packages. Discount multi-episode bundles slightly in exchange for a longer commitment; it smooths income.
- Don't overload episodes. Too many spots hurt the listening experience and can lower downloads over time.
- Small shows with few downloads often do better with flat fees, affiliate deals or listener support than with CPM ads.
Frequently asked questions
How are podcast ad rates calculated?
Most podcast ads are sold on a CPM (cost per mille) basis: price = downloads per episode ÷ 1,000 × CPM. An episode with 5,000 downloads and a $25 mid-roll CPM earns 5 × $25 = $125 per mid-roll spot.
What is the difference between pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll?
Pre-roll ads play at the start, mid-roll ads in the middle of the episode and post-roll ads at the end. Mid-roll spots usually cost the most because listeners are already engaged, while post-roll is cheapest because many people stop before the end.
Which downloads number should I use?
Sponsors usually want average downloads per episode within a fixed window after release, commonly 30 days, measured by a host that follows the IAB podcast measurement guidelines. Lifetime downloads of old episodes overstate the audience a new ad will reach.
What CPM should I charge?
There is no fixed rate. CPMs depend on niche, audience location and buying power, ad length, and whether the host reads the ad. Host-read ads in specialised niches usually command more than produced ads in broad entertainment. Ask your hosting platform or network what similar shows charge, then test.
Are there alternatives to CPM pricing?
Yes. Small shows often charge a flat fee per episode, and some sponsors pay per acquisition (CPA) using promo codes or affiliate links. Some deals combine a lower flat fee with a CPA bonus. CPM remains the most common model for established shows.
How much does a podcast network take?
Networks and ad agencies typically take a percentage of ad revenue in exchange for selling and managing sponsorships. The share varies by contract, so enter yours in the commission field to see your net income.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
Related tools
CPM CalculatorSolve CPM, cost, impressions, CTR and CPC for ad campaigns.Influencer Rate CalculatorEstimated price range per post, story or video from followers and engagement.YouTube Money CalculatorEstimate YouTube earnings per day, month and year from views and RPM by niche.Follower Growth Rate CalculatorFollower growth rate between two dates, average daily gain and your next milestone date.Profit Margin CalculatorGross margin, markup, cost or price: solve for any one, single or bulk.Receipt MakerFill in a receipt template with items and tax, then print or save PDF.Car Depreciation CalculatorEstimate your car's value over time and its projected resale price.CTR CalculatorCalculate click-through rate and compare it with industry benchmarks.Conversion Rate CalculatorCalculate e-commerce conversion rate, revenue per visitor and goals.Quote Estimate GeneratorCreate a quote or estimate with line items and tax, then save as PDF.ROAS Calculator (Return on Ad Spend)Calculate ROAS, break-even ROAS and profit for each ad channel.Customer Lifetime Value CalculatorCalculate customer lifetime value, LTV:CAC ratio and CAC payback from ARPU and churn.Churn Rate CalculatorCalculate customer churn and retention rates and convert monthly churn to annual.Instagram Engagement Rate CalculatorCalculate Instagram engagement rate by followers or reach and compare it to benchmarks.Ecommerce Profit CalculatorNet profit, margin, markup and break-even ROAS per order after fees, ads and returns.Amazon FBA CalculatorEstimate Amazon FBA fees, profit per unit, margin, ROI and break-even price.Etsy Fee CalculatorEtsy listing, transaction, processing and Offsite Ads fees, payout and net profit.eBay Fee CalculatoreBay final value fee, per-order fee, ad fees, payout and net profit on any sale.Stock Profit CalculatorStock trade profit and % return after commissions, plus the break-even sell price.Dollar Cost Averaging CalculatorSee units bought, average cost, value and profit for regular buys at your own price list.Startup Runway CalculatorProject cash, burn rate and runway month by month, with growth, break-even and zero-cash date.Break Even CalculatorFind break-even units and revenue, contribution margin, margin of safety and a cost-volume chart.SaaS Pricing CalculatorModel flat, per-seat, tiered and volume plans with annual discounts to get MRR, ARR and ARPU.Employee Cost CalculatorWork out the true cost of an employee: payroll taxes, benefits, overhead and real hourly cost.Inventory Turnover CalculatorInventory turnover ratio and days inventory outstanding from COGS or sales and average stock.Markup CalculatorFind the selling price from cost and markup, or the markup and margin from cost and price.Unit Price CalculatorCompare up to 4 products by price per ounce, pound, liter or item and find the best deal.Cap Rate CalculatorCalculate a rental property's NOI, cap rate and optional cash-on-cash return.Depreciation CalculatorStraight-line, declining balance, double declining and sum-of-years depreciation schedules.Crypto Profit CalculatorCalculate crypto trade profit, ROI and break-even price after buy and sell fees.PayPal Fee CalculatorWork out PayPal fees, what you receive, and how much to ask for to get an exact amount.Stripe Fee CalculatorCalculate Stripe fees and payouts, or how much to charge to receive an exact amount.Net Promoter Score CalculatorCalculate NPS from promoter, passive and detractor counts or pasted 0–10 survey scores.CPC CalculatorCalculate cost per click from ad spend and clicks, plus CPM, CTR, CPA and ROAS.P/E Ratio CalculatorPrice-to-earnings ratio, earnings yield and PEG ratio from share price, EPS and growth.WACC CalculatorWeighted average cost of capital from equity, debt, their costs and the tax rate.Payback Period CalculatorPayback and discounted payback period for an investment with even or uneven cash flows.Contribution Margin CalculatorContribution margin per unit, CM ratio, operating profit and break-even point.Tiered Pricing CalculatorPrice a quantity with tiers: total, per-tier breakdown and unit price, graduated or volume.Upwork Fee CalculatorUpwork service and withdrawal fees, net earnings, and what to bill for a target.Venmo Fee CalculatorVenmo fees for goods & services, instant transfers and card payments, plus reverse mode.Working Capital CalculatorNet working capital plus current, quick and cash ratios from your balance sheet.Ad Revenue CalculatorEstimate website ad earnings per day, month and year from pageviews and RPM, CPM or CPC.ACoS CalculatorCalculate ACoS, ROAS, break-even ACoS and target ACoS from ad spend, sales and margin.ARPU CalculatorCalculate average revenue per user or account, ARPPU and monthly vs. annual ARPU.Black-Scholes CalculatorPrice European call and put options with Black-Scholes, plus delta, gamma, theta, vega and rho.Cap Table CalculatorModel founders, option pool, SAFEs and priced rounds and see fully diluted ownership after each round.Cart Abandonment Rate CalculatorFind your cart abandonment rate, revenue lost in abandoned carts and what recovery wins back.Cash Flow Forecast CalculatorBuild a 13-week or 12-month cash flow forecast and spot your lowest cash balance before it hits.Crypto Price by Market Cap CalculatorPrice a coin would reach at a target market cap or at another coin's market cap.Current Ratio CalculatorCurrent assets ÷ current liabilities with interpretation, working capital and target solver.Day Rate CalculatorContractor or consultant day rate from income, benefits, expenses and billable days.ESPP CalculatorEmployee stock purchase plan gain: discount, lookback, shares, return and how a sale is taxed.Free Cash Flow CalculatorFree cash flow from operating cash flow and CapEx, plus FCFF, FCFE, FCF margin and per share.Gold Value CalculatorScrap gold melt value from weight, karat and spot price, plus a dealer payout estimate.Handmade Product Pricing CalculatorPrice handmade items from materials, time, overhead and profit, with wholesale and retail.1% Rule CalculatorScreen a rental: 1% and 2% rule pass/fail, 50% rule expenses, cash flow and max purchase price.Operating Margin CalculatorOperating margin from revenue, COGS and expenses, compared with gross, EBITDA and net margin.Cost Per Unit CalculatorUnit production cost from materials, labor, overhead, setup and waste, plus a price at your margin.Quick Ratio CalculatorAcid-test ratio from cash, securities and receivables vs current liabilities, explained.Resale Profit CalculatorGet flipping profit, margin and ROI after platform and payment fees, shipping and supplies.Sales Forecast CalculatorProject 12-36 months of revenue from baseline, growth rate, churn and seasonality.70% Rule CalculatorHouse flipping maximum allowable offer: ARV × 70% − repairs, with adjustable % and wholesale fee.Silver Melt Value CalculatorSilver melt value from weight, purity and spot price, with sterling and US coin presets.Startup Cost CalculatorTotal capital to start a business: one-time and monthly costs, runway buffer and contingency.Stop Loss CalculatorFind your stop-loss price from a % or dollar risk, the loss per share and trailing stop levels.TAM SAM SOM CalculatorSize a market top-down or bottom-up: TAM, SAM and SOM in revenue and customers, plus a chart.Tariff CalculatorImport tariff and duty owed, landed cost per unit and the price rise needed to absorb it.