Guide
Podcast host-read rates for creators
Figures and workflows here are illustrations, not financial, tax, or accounting advice. Talk to a tax or finance specialist in your jurisdiction before you invoice, set payment terms, or treat a number as a rate you should charge.
What a host-read is (for rate cards)
A host-read is you delivering the brand message in your own words inside the episode — usually 30–90 seconds — with a clear CTA. It is not a dynamically inserted network ad you never hear, and it is not a YouTube mid-roll filmed on camera. Brands buy trust density in audio. You sell position (pre/mid/post), length, download guarantee, and extras (code, URL in notes, exclusivity category).
Publish a 30-day download median (or first-30-day average) with a pull date. Pricing off “subscribers” alone underprices shows with strong listen-through and overprices dead feeds.
Host-reads also carry category risk. If you already read for a competitor last month, either refuse or charge exclusivity on the new brand. Audio audiences notice back-to-back rival CTAs more than brands admit. A clean card lists mid-roll as the default, pre and post as discounts, and exclusivity as an explicit uplift — not a handshake “we will be careful.”
Spine: pre / mid / post host-read table
Defaults relative to mid-roll at $25 CPM on an 8,000-download guarantee ($200 mid). Adjust CPM for niche and exclusivity; keep the relative ladder so post never costs mid money.
| Position | Vs mid-roll | CPM band (niche) | Fee @ 8k DL | Typical length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-roll host-read | 0.70–0.85× | $15–$28 | $140–$170 | 20–45s |
| Mid-roll host-read | 1.0× | $18–$35 | $200 (at $25) | 45–90s |
| Post-roll host-read | 0.50–0.70× | $12–$22 | $100–$140 | 20–40s |
| Mid + show-note URL 30d | 1.0 + add-on | — | $200 + $40–$80 | As mid |
| Category exclusivity (ep) | +25–50% mid | — | $250–$300 | Same ep |
| Two-episode flight | ~1.8× one mid | — | $360 | Same script |
If you cannot guarantee downloads, sell a flat episode fee and cap makegoods — do not invent CPM without a baseline.
Worked quote: mid-roll + code + 30-day notes
Brand wants one 60-second mid-roll host-read, custom discount code, URL in show notes for thirty days, one round on talking points, no category exclusivity.
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Mid-roll host-read — 8,000 DL @ $25 CPM | $200 |
| Custom code mention (tracking) | $35 |
| Show-note / description URL — 30 days | $60 |
| Category exclusivity | Not included |
| Scripted word-for-word premium | Not included |
| Total | $295 |
| Refuse | No forever URL; no unlimited script rewrites |
Makegood only if you miss the stated download floor by a written % (e.g. under 70%) — not because CPA was soft.
Cash or a platform payment hold before you record. Host-reads that go out unpaid are expensive to claw back. If the brand wants the same read on YouTube as a mid-roll cut, that is a second SKU from the YouTube mid-roll guide — do not gift cross-platform audio.
Delivery rules that protect the fee
- One revision on talking points; host voice stays yours.
- State position and approximate timestamp in the SOW.
- Cap competing ads in the same episode if they paid exclusivity.
- Remove or expiry-date the show-note URL when the window ends.
- Pull-date your download stats on the rate card monthly.
Creators who also post social clips of the host-read should price those as separate Reel/TikTok lines. Audio endorsement does not automatically include vertical video cutdowns.
What podcast host-read pricing is not
Not YouTube mid-roll
Different metric (downloads vs views) and delivery. Cross-link the mid-roll hub when brands conflate them.
Not a newsletter sponsorship
Inbox inventory is a different product. If you sell both, list both on the rate card template.
Not a network DAI spot
Host-read is your voice and endorsement. Programmatic inserts are cheaper and less trusted — price the trust.
Put three rows on your card — pre, mid, post — with dollar examples at your real download floor. Brands negotiate from the ladder you publish, not from a podcast network mediakit aimed at million-download shows.
Refuse pure “gifted product for a mid-roll” unless the retail value clearly exceeds your fee and you still want the episode content. Refuse forever show-note URLs. Refuse makegoods tied to brand CPA — you control delivery and downloads, not their landing page. When they also want a YouTube cut of the same pitch, open the mid-roll guide and quote video separately.
Related guides
Rate cards & media kits
Podcast host-read rate questions
+How much should a podcast host-read cost for creators?
Price off downloads (or unique listeners) for the episode flight, not follower vanity. A working floor is $18–$35 CPM for a 60s mid-roll host-read on niche shows; pre-roll often 0.7–0.85× mid-roll; post-roll 0.5–0.7×. Flat episode fees beat vague “exposure.”
+Is a host-read the same as a YouTube mid-roll integration?
Same idea (in-content endorsement), different inventory. YouTube mid-rolls price off video views and on-camera segments; podcast host-reads price off downloads/listens and audio-only delivery. Do not copy your YouTube number onto the feed without a download baseline.
+Should I charge a percentage of a “content fee” or a flat host-read?
Flat (or CPM × guaranteed downloads) is clearer for audio. Percent-of-episode only helps if you already sell a show fee. Example: 8,000 download guarantee × $25 CPM mid-roll = $200 before extras.
+Do host-reads include forever show-note links?
Default: link for the flight window (e.g. 30 days in notes/description). Forever placement is a bio-style add-on — price days separately or refuse open-ended URLs.
+How many script revisions on a host-read?
One round on talking points. Host-reads should sound like you — brands that demand word-for-word teleprompter copy either pay a scripted premium (+20–30%) or buy a produced spot elsewhere.
+Pre-roll vs mid-roll vs post-roll — which should be my default SKU?
Mid-roll is usually the rate-card default (best attention). List pre and post as discounts off mid so brands cannot demand mid attention at post prices.
Add host-read slots to your live rate card
BlueRateCard packages can list audio SKUs next to social posts so brands stop guessing. Free for creators; brands pay 5% capped at $100.