Best podcast sponsorship marketplaces for brands rated by podcast advertising marketplace fees and commission
Every podcast sponsorship platform makes the same promise, more deals, but they make money in very different ways. Some hand you campaigns and take a cut of each one. Others charge a flat fee and take nothing from the booking. The right choice comes down to one question: do you want demand brought to you, or do you want to keep the whole deal?
Platform
commission
You keep
$
On a 30% marketplace you'd keep $, that's $ less.
Matched opportunities
· ·
$
In short
The best podcast sponsorship marketplace depends on whether you want to keep the whole deal or trade a cut for demand. Sponsorships charges a flat membership and 0% commission, so a $500 host read pays you the full $500 and you keep the brand relationship. Audacy Creator Lab (the relaunched Podcorn) and Libsyn Ads (formerly AdvertiseCast) are managed marketplaces that route campaigns to shows in exchange for a share of each deal. Paved and Swapstack (folded into the beehiiv Ad Network) focus on newsletters with podcasts secondary and take an ad-network share. Passionfroot is a booking marketplace that charges creators a 15% fee on deals it sources and partners a 5% fee on deals the creator brings in. For an independent show that already has an audience and wants to set its own rates, direct booking on a flat-fee platform keeps the most money; for a show that wants inventory filled, a managed marketplace brings demand but takes a cut. All commission figures are the providers' stated or typical 2026 terms and should be verified with each platform.
0%
commission on a flat-membership platform
10% to 40%
typical managed-marketplace commission
6
platforms compared for 2026
Why direct
Best marketplaces, without the middleman
Commission versus flat fee
The biggest difference between platforms is how they make money. Managed networks take 10% to 40% of each deal; flat-membership platforms charge a fixed fee and take 0% of the booking. On a $6,000 year of sponsorships, a 30% cut is $1,800 you never see.
Who controls the relationship
On a managed marketplace the platform sits between you and the brand and routes the campaigns. On a direct-booking platform you approve every sponsor, set your own rate card, and keep the brand contact, so the next deal does not need a middleman.
Formats beyond podcasts
If you also run a newsletter, a YouTube channel or events, a podcast-only marketplace makes you juggle tools. A platform that covers every format sells all of them from one profile and one media kit.
Minimums and discovery
Most podcast ad networks want 5,000 or more downloads per episode. Smaller shows do better where there is no download minimum and a brand searching by niche can find a 1,500-download show that fits perfectly.
How it works
From listed to paid in four steps
Decide if you want demand or margin
A managed marketplace brings campaigns to you but takes a percentage. Direct booking keeps the full fee but you market your own listing. If you already have an audience brands want, direct booking almost always pays more.
Add up the real cost
Compare the fee on a year of expected deals, not the headline rate. A flat $19.50 per month billed yearly is $234 a year; a 30% commission on $8,000 of sponsorships is $2,400. Model your own numbers before you pick.
Check the formats and minimums
List every format you sell and every platform's download minimum. If you run a newsletter alongside the show, favor a platform that sells both from one profile.
List and publish your rate card
Whichever platform you choose, publish downloads, CPM and available slots so a sponsor can decide without a call. A complete listing books far more often than a bare profile.
The numbers
Podcast sponsorship platforms compared (2026 stated or typical terms, verify with each provider)
Swipe to see all columns
| Platform | Model | What it takes | Formats | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sponsorships | Flat membership, book direct | 0% commission on the deal | Podcasts, newsletters, YouTube, events | Shows that want to keep the full fee and control the brand relationship |
| Audacy Creator Lab (formerly Podcorn) | Managed marketplace inside Audacy | Historically about 10% from the creator side; current share not published | Podcasts, video | Shows that want campaigns routed to them and will trade a cut for demand |
| Libsyn Ads (formerly AdvertiseCast) | Managed marketplace and network | Revenue share not published; buy side card $24 to $26 CPM for a 60 second host read | Podcasts | Brands placing one campaign across many shows; larger podcasts |
| Paved | Marketplace and ad network | 30% marketplace, up to 40% ad network | Newsletters, podcasts | Newsletter creators who want fill and accept a network share |
| Swapstack (beehiiv Ad Network) | Ad network inside beehiiv | Share of each deal | Newsletters | beehiiv newsletters wanting in-network sponsor demand |
| Passionfroot | Booking marketplace | 15% creator fee on deals it sources (payment processing included), 5% partner fee on deals you source | Newsletters, podcasts, YouTube | Creators who want a booking page and pipeline tooling |
Commission figures are the platforms' publicly stated 2026 terms where available and typical models otherwise; verify current terms with each provider. Sponsorships charges flat membership and takes 0% of the booking.
Who it is for
Who books best marketplaces here
Independent shows with an audience
If you have 1,000 or more engaged downloads and can describe your listeners, a flat-fee direct-booking platform keeps the most money. You set the rate, approve the sponsor, and the brand pays you.
Shows that want inventory filled
If you would rather have campaigns handed to you than pitch, a managed marketplace like Podcorn or Libsyn Ads trades a percentage for demand and traffics the deal for you.
Multi-format creators
If your podcast is one of several channels alongside a newsletter or YouTube, pick a platform that sells every format from one media kit so you are not paying for and updating three separate tools.
Questions
Best podcast sponsorship marketplaces questions people ask
What is the best podcast sponsorship marketplace?
The best podcast sponsorship marketplace depends on your goal. If you want to keep the full fee and control your rates, a flat-membership platform with 0% commission like Sponsorships pays the most. If you want campaigns brought to you and will trade a cut for demand, managed marketplaces like Libsyn Ads (formerly AdvertiseCast) or Audacy Creator Lab (formerly Podcorn) fill inventory in exchange for a percentage of each deal.
How do podcast sponsorship marketplaces make money?
Most podcast sponsorship marketplaces take a commission, a percentage of each deal booked through them, typically 10% to 40%. Managed networks like Libsyn Ads and Audacy Creator Lab take a share of ad spend, and newsletter-first networks like Paved and the beehiiv Ad Network take a cut too. Flat-membership platforms are the exception: they charge a fixed subscription and take 0% of the booking.
Is Podcorn free for podcasters?
Podcorn no longer runs under that name. Audacy acquired it in 2021 and relaunched it as Audacy Creator Lab in April 2025. It charged podcasters no upfront fee and historically took roughly 10% from the creator side of each deal, so you paid only when you earned. Audacy does not publish the current share, so ask before you sign.
What happened to AdvertiseCast?
AdvertiseCast was acquired by Libsyn, and the AdvertiseCast brand now redirects to Libsyn Ads. The rebrand happened in March 2024, and it still runs as a managed podcast advertising marketplace where brands place campaigns across many shows. Its published buy side card is $24 to $26 CPM for a 60 second host read, $18 to $22 for 30 seconds and $12 to $15 for programmatic. It does not publish the podcaster revenue share.
Do I need 5,000 downloads to get sponsors?
No. Ad networks commonly set a 5,000-download minimum, but you can sell a sponsorship directly at around 1,000 downloads per episode, and niche B2B shows sell below that. A 1,200-download show reaching software buyers is worth more to the right sponsor than a 20,000-download show with no clear audience. Direct-booking platforms usually have no download minimum.
Do sponsorship marketplaces take a cut?
Most do. Managed marketplaces and ad networks take a commission on each deal, commonly 10% to 40% depending on the platform and format. A minority charge a flat membership and take 0% of the booking, so the rate card price is what you keep. Always check whether a platform charges commission, a subscription, or both before you list.
Which major podcast networks sell sponsorships?
The major US podcast networks that sell sponsorships are iHeartMedia, SiriusXM Media (which includes Stitcher and the SiriusXM Podcast Network), Audacy, Wondery (sold through Amazon), Acast, Libsyn Ads and National Public Media for NPR shows. Each sells through its own sales team on a custom quote, usually with a campaign minimum, while independent shows sell reads direct.
Which platforms offer dedicated ad formats for podcast sponsorships?
Podcast sponsorship platforms offer three dedicated formats: host-read ads recorded by the host, producer-read or pre-recorded spots, and dynamically inserted ads placed into episodes at a CPM. Networks such as iHeartMedia and Acast sell all three; a marketplace like Sponsorships lets each podcaster list host reads with a published price per read.
What are the best rated podcast sponsorship marketplaces?
The best rated podcast sponsorship marketplaces are the ones that show the fee before you book. Sponsorships charges a flat membership with 0% commission and listed prices per host read. Libsyn Ads (formerly AdvertiseCast) and Audacy Creator Lab bring brand demand but keep a share of each deal, and Paved and Passionfroot cover newsletters as well. Compare the cut, the minimum and who owns the brand relationship.
Related reading
Book it directly, keep the whole deal
List your audience or find the one you want to reach. Flat membership, 0% commission, payment straight between you and the other side.