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- CPM is the price an advertiser pays for every 1,000 downloads of an ad.
- Revenue per episode = downloads ÷ 1,000 × CPM × ad slots × share of slots sold.
- A second mode turns a flat sponsorship fee into an effective CPM so you can compare offers.
- Add a network or agency cut to see what you actually keep.
How to use the podcast CPM calculator
Choose a mode
Pick Estimate ad revenue to forecast income, or Find the CPM of a deal to price a flat fee.
Enter your audience
Add downloads per episode, ideally the 30-day total from your hosting dashboard, and episodes per month.
Set your ad slots
Enter the slots per episode, the CPM you charge and the share of slots you usually sell.
Read the revenue
See revenue per episode, per month and per year, and the total if every slot sold.
How podcast ad revenue is calculated
Podcast ads are sold per thousand downloads. The calculator multiplies your downloads by the CPM and the number of ad slots, then adjusts for the slots you actually sell and any cut taken by a network or agency.
Podcast ad revenue formula
Per episode = downloads ÷ 1,000 × CPM × ad slots × share of slots sold × (1 − network cut)
Per month = revenue per episode × episodes per month
Effective CPM = flat fee ÷ ad spots ÷ downloads × 1,000
CPM is paid per download, not per unique listener. Check how each sponsor counts valid downloads.
Podcast CPM examples
Example 1: a small show
5,000 downloads per episode, 4 episodes a month, 2 ad slots, an $18 CPM and 70% of slots sold.
- Revenue per episode $126
- Monthly revenue $504
- Yearly revenue $6,048
- If every slot sold $720 a month
Selling the last 30% of slots would add $216 a month.
Example 2: a mid-size show
20,000 downloads, 4 episodes a month, 3 slots, a $25 CPM and 80% sold.
- Revenue per episode $1,200
- Monthly revenue $4,800
- Yearly revenue $57,600
- If every slot sold $6,000 a month
Audience size and price per slot both move the total, so small gains in each add up.
Example 3: after an agency cut
The small show from Example 1, with a 20% network cut.
- Revenue per episode $100.80
- Monthly revenue $403.20
- Yearly revenue $4,838
The cut takes $100.80 a month off the $504 estimate.
Example 4: the CPM of a flat fee
Comparing two sponsorship offers.
- $600 for 2 spots at 12,000 downloads $25 CPM
- $250 for 1 spot at 5,000 downloads $50 CPM
The smaller show gets the higher CPM, so the lower total fee is the better rate.
Where a podcast CPM calculator helps
Pricing your show
Turn your download numbers into a rate card you can quote to sponsors.
Judging sponsor offers
Convert any flat fee into a CPM and compare it with your target.
Planning growth
See how much extra revenue a few thousand more downloads would bring.
Choosing ad slots
Compare income from one, two or three slots per episode.
Published CPM averages change with the month, the ad length and the topic. A Libsyn study of more than 2,900 shows found an average of about $23.77 for 60-second ads in May 2022 (Tubefilter). Treat any average as a starting point. Related tools: YouTube Revenue Calculator, Newsletter Revenue Calculator and Freelancer Hourly Rate Calculator.
Podcast CPM calculator FAQ
What does CPM mean in podcasting?
CPM means cost per mille, the price for 1,000 downloads of an ad. An $18 CPM means the advertiser pays $18 for every 1,000 downloads of that ad slot.
How much do podcasters make per 1,000 downloads?
It depends on the CPM and the number of ad slots. With two slots at an $18 CPM and 70% sold, 1,000 downloads earn about $25 per episode.
How many downloads do I need to earn $1,000 a month?
Using the same assumptions and four episodes a month, you need about 9,900 downloads per episode.
Is CPM based on downloads or listeners?
On downloads. Sponsors usually count valid downloads in a set window, often the first 30 days after release.
Why enter the share of slots sold?
Most shows do not sell every slot. Using 50 to 80 percent gives a more realistic forecast than assuming a sellout.
Do pre-roll and mid-roll ads pay the same?
Not always. Slots and ad lengths are often priced differently, so enter an average CPM, or run the calculator once per slot type.