Buzzsprout Ads Overview

Buzzsprout is excited to share a new monetization opportunity for our podcasters - Buzzsprout Ads!

Buzzsprout Ads allows you to run advertisements for other podcasts within your episodes! You can check your eligibility for Buzzsprout Ads by logging into your account and clicking on the Monetization page.

Ads are automatically placed as mid-rolls
Buzzsprout Ads uses multiple techniques to automatically find the correct number and best location for ad breaks in your episodes. This is something we're really excited about! Marking your own ad breaks is time-intensive, especially if you have a large back catalog. In most cases, the ad breaks chosen are really great, but not all of them are perfect (yet). This is one area where you can help us. If the system selects a really bad breakpoint for you, please email our support team so we can look into the cause.

You will get paid for the monetized downloads you serve
Buzzsprout Ads pay differently depending on the ad you accept. Ads pay between 0.7 cents and  1.4 cents USD per download. You can apply your earnings to future Buzzsprout invoices or send the full balance in your Buzzsprout Wallet to your PayPal account. 

You have full control of the ads that play in your episodes
Enabling Buzzsprout Ads does not automatically insert ads into your episodes. As new ads enter the system, you will be given an opportunity to listen and review the ad before deciding to approve or decline. Ads will be offered to podcasters with matching languages and podcast categories.

If you approve the ad, the system will begin inserting the ad into your episodes. You can change your mind at any point and the system will begin removing the ad(s). This process usually happens within a few minutes but can take multiple hours depending on the overall system load and the number of episodes in your account.

Transitioning in and out of ad breaks
When an ad is about to begin, Buzzsprout will insert a musical audio cue for your listeners. This will start very softly and increase in volume until the ad is about to begin. This lets your audience know that an ad will be starting soon and serves as a nice transition between various audio styles. Think of this as the "ad starting in 5, 4, 3..." that we see in online videos.

When the ad concludes, a similar audio cue will be used to transition back to your episode content. You can also elect to use an announcer voice-over to introduce the advertisement. Buzzsprout provides 8 different stock options, or you can upload your own. All announcer voice-overs (including custom) will play in conjunction with the musical audio cue.

Chapter markers and transcripts
Buzzsprout Ads has been designed to work with chapter markers and transcripts. Chapters will automatically be inserted around the ads placed within your episodes. Transcripts with timestamps (SRT), will automatically be time-shifted to account for the inserted ad(s). The ads themselves will not be transcribed.

How do you buy an ad for your podcast?
To buy an ad, head to https://www.buzzsprout.com/ads and create a Buzzsprout Ads account. This is separate from your Buzzsprout podcast hosting account. 

We're really excited about the opportunities ahead with Buzzsprout Ads! If you have any questions at all, email us at support@buzzsprout.com.