Podcast Revenue Calculator

Podcast advertising revenue is calculated using the CPM (Cost Per Mille) model — advertisers pay a fixed rate per 1,000 downloads. The core formula is:

Ad Revenue = (Downloads / 1,000) × CPM Rate

Most podcasts run multiple ad slots per episode (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll), so the full formula is:

Episode Revenue = Σ [(Downloads / 1,000) × CPM_i × Slot_i]

Standard CPM Rates (2024):

• Pre-roll (15–30 sec): $15–$25 CPM
• Mid-roll (60 sec): $25–$45 CPM (highest value)
• Post-roll (15–30 sec): $10–$20 CPM
• Host-read ads command a 20–40% premium over dynamically inserted ads

Monthly Revenue Formula:

Monthly Revenue = Episode Revenue × Episodes Per Month

Worked Example — Weekly podcast with 8,000 downloads/episode:

• Downloads: 8,000
• Pre-roll at $20 CPM: (8,000/1,000) × $20 = $160
• Mid-roll at $35 CPM: (8,000/1,000) × $35 = $280
• Post-roll at $15 CPM: (8,000/1,000) × $15 = $120
• Episode revenue = $560
• Monthly (4 episodes): $560 × 4 = $2,240/month

Industry Benchmarks:

• Under 1,000 downloads/episode: difficult to monetize via CPM
• 3,000–5,000: emerging — some direct sponsor deals
• 10,000+: mainstream ad networks accept you
• 50,000+: premium CPM rates and multiple sponsorship tiers

Listener Support (Patreon) adds $3–$15/listener/month on top — diversification is key for sustainable podcast income.