How Much to Charge for a Sponsorship at Your Audience Size
June 2026 · Sponsorships
How much to charge for a sponsorship depends on your format and audience size: most creators price with a CPM (cost per thousand downloads, opens, or views) or a flat fee, then adjust up for a niche, engaged audience. As typical, illustrative starting points, podcasts run $18 to $50 CPM on downloads, newsletters $25 to $50 CPM on opens, and YouTube $10 to $30 CPM on views. Your real number is set by demand, niche value, and engagement, not by any fixed rule. These figures are illustrative, not guaranteed.
Start with the right base unit
Each format has a natural pricing unit. Price against it, not against total followers.
| Format | Price against | Typical CPM |
|---|---|---|
| Podcast | Downloads per episode (30-day) | $18 to $50 |
| Newsletter | Opens per send | $25 to $50 |
| YouTube | Average views per video | $10 to $30 |
| Event | Attendees (flat package) | Package-based |
The CPM formula is simple: reach divided by 1,000, times your CPM. A newsletter with 8,000 opens at a $35 CPM prices a placement at about $280.
Typical rates by audience size
If you want a quick gut check, here are typical flat-fee ranges for a single primary placement by audience size. Use them as a floor to sanity-check your CPM math, not as a hard rule.
| Reach per issue / episode / video | Typical flat fee |
|---|---|
| Under 1,000 | $50 to $200 |
| 1,000 to 5,000 | $150 to $600 |
| 5,000 to 20,000 | $500 to $2,000 |
| 20,000 to 100,000 | $2,000 to $8,000 |
| 100,000+ | $8,000 and up |
The factors that move your number
- Niche value. An audience of buyers in a high-value category (finance, B2B software, healthcare) can justify a rate several times the general range.
- Engagement. High retention, open rates, or watch time means your reach converts, which supports a premium.
- Ad load. Fewer sponsors per issue makes each placement more valuable.
- Format intensity. A dedicated episode, send, or video is worth far more than a passing mention.
- Rights and exclusivity. Usage rights and category exclusivity are separate line items, charge for them.
- Commitment. Multi-placement packages trade a small discount for guaranteed revenue.
Don't undercharge a small, valuable audience
A common mistake is pricing a niche audience with a pure CPM and ending up too cheap. If you have 600 listeners who are all your sponsor's exact customer, a $30 CPM undersells you. Set a flat minimum instead, for example $150 to $300 per placement, because the audience quality justifies it. Brands pay for fit, not just volume.
Format-specific pricing guides
The base logic is universal, but each format has details worth reading:
- Podcast advertising rates for CPM by placement and flat-fee math.
- How to price a newsletter sponsorship for open-based CPM and placement tiers.
- How to find sponsors for YouTube for integration rates.
How to publish your rate
Once you land on a number, put it where sponsors can see it. A published rate qualifies buyers before they email you and speeds up the yes. Use a rate card to list your placements and prices, and pair it with your media kit so a brand sees your audience and your price together. If you are still building the kit, start with how to make a media kit.
Set your rate and keep all of it
You can list your audience on Sponsorships, publish your rate and media kit, and let brands book you directly at the price you set, across every format. It is a flat membership with 0 percent commission, so you keep 100 percent of every deal. Sponsorships is a marketplace, not an agency, and never touches the money. See how creators use it or start on the pricing page.
Get sponsored on your terms
List your audience and rates, get discovered by brands, and keep 100% of every deal. Flat membership, 0% commission, every format in one place.