[FAQ]

Hey,

My podcast’s audience has grown to a point where I’m ready to seriously consider advertising. I’m trying to decide on the best strategy for a show on Spotify, and it seems to come down to two main options: host-read ads versus programmatic ads.

I’m trying to weigh the pros and cons. I assume the CPMs are higher for host-read ads that I bake into the audio, but that also seems like a lot more work finding sponsors and managing campaigns. On the other hand, programmatic ads are easy to turn on, but I’m worried about the revenue being lower and the ads feeling less authentic to my listeners.

For those of you who have monetized your shows, could you share your experience? I’m trying to figure out which path makes the most sense for a creator who wants to maximize revenue without sacrificing the quality of the show.

[Jeff Bullas]

Understanding this distinction is key to building a sustainable monetization strategy.

Short Answer: Host-read ads are audio segments you record yourself in a direct deal with a sponsor, offering higher revenue and authenticity. Programmatic ads are audio segments automatically inserted by a network, offering an easier, more passive way to monetize with lower revenue.

Let’s break down the trade-offs between creating the ad audio yourself versus letting a network provide it.

The two approaches offer a classic trade-off between control and convenience. First, with host-read ads, you are creating the ad’s audio content yourself. This allows you to integrate it seamlessly into your show’s native audio, which advertisers pay a premium for, but it requires you to manually manage the entire text-based sales and relationship process with sponsors. Second, with programmatic ads, you are simply creating an empty slot in your audio file that an ad network fills automatically with pre-produced audio. This is a low-effort way to monetize from day one, but the financial return is lower and you cede control over the specific audio content your listeners hear. A common strategy is to start with programmatic ads and then pursue direct, host-read deals for your primary ad slots once your audience is large enough to attract premium sponsors.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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