Podcast Host-Read Ads and How To Replace Them

Advertising and listener sponsorship are the two main ways podcasts earn revenue. As your show grows in recognition, advertisers may invite you to include ads within episodes—often as “host‑read ads,” where you read or discuss content provided by the advertiser during recording. Because podcasts feel like someone speaking right in your ear, these ads often leave a stronger impression and have become a popular option for digital advertising in recent years.

Imagine this: the ad campaign ends—how do you take the ad down?

If the host‑read ad mentions a promo code that expires at the end of the month, how do you prevent listeners next month from hearing outdated information?

You might spend hours re‑recording the entire episode, or go back into your editor to remove the ad segment, re‑export, and re‑upload. This tedious process limits ad flexibility.

From another perspective, given podcasting’s long‑tail effect, listens after the ad period can no longer convert into ad value, which is wasteful for both creators and advertisers.

If this sounds familiar, we got you covered! Let's talk about Firstory's multi‑segment audio upload.

In Firstory’s upload console, besides uploading your main episode audio and embedding KKBOX music, you can mark reusable clips (such as host‑read ads) as “Audio Assets.”

On the upload screen, choose “Insert Audio Asset,” then freely move its position—beginning, mid‑roll, or end. Learn more about multi‑segment audio upload.

When the ad period ends, removal is easy: click the X at the top‑right of the asset and save. All listening platforms will automatically sync and take down the ad segment—no more re‑editing. Similarly, you can swap in a new asset to start the next ad period.

With multi‑segment audio upload, you can quickly replace ad audio and keep your ad strategy flexible.

Podcast ads have traditionally been sold as “per‑episode buyouts,” where brands pay a flat amount to own the ad slot in a specific episode, and creators keep the ad forever. Beyond the scheduling issues above, perpetual buyouts aren’t always cost‑effective for brands or creators.

Using the multi‑segment approach allows creators to adopt another pricing model: Cost Per Mille (CPM, cost per 1,000 impressions).

For example, a CPM of 25 USD means that for every 1,000 listens of an episode, the advertiser pays 25 USD. If an episode reaches 5,000 downloads, that yields 125 USD in revenue for the creator.

Q: How should I set my CPM rate?

A: Rates vary by ad length, show category, placement, and audience stickiness. In global markets, a 60‑second host‑read ad typically commands around 25 USD CPM, and pre‑roll placements are more valuable than mid‑roll or post‑roll.

You can propose download‑based pricing rather than per‑episode pricing—for example, selling the advertiser 10,000 downloads worth of impressions. Once the downloads target is reached, remove the ad segment.

You can also bundle ad inventory across multiple episodes, meaning listeners of different episodes hear the same ad. This benefits small to mid‑sized shows whose downloads accumulate less quickly.

Selling a full month‑long ad period is also viable. Compared to per‑episode buyouts, pricing by downloads or time windows is often cheaper and more flexible. Some brands, however, prefer longer‑term exposure—the choice depends on both parties’ needs.

We don’t cap how many ads creators can insert per episode. That said, too many ads can hurt the listener experience, so please aim for a good balance. We suggest 2-3 ads maximum per episodes.

If you happen to enable Firstory Dynamic Ads feature in your episodes, please kindly consider the possibility of having more than the ideal amount of Ads in your episodes so it won't hurt your podcast's performance.