Cost of podcast advertising drops to lowest point in four years (Libsyn Ads)

The average cost per thousand (CPM) for podcast advertising in September dropped three percent from August. According to Libsyn’s monthly reckoning, the average CPM rate for a 60-second ad spot was $21.37 on September 1, compared to $22.04 a month earlier. That per-thousand rate was the lowest in 52 months, and only one month in Libsyn’s 57-month tracking chart (below) shows a lower monthly CPM (September 2020; $21.06).

The trendline above is from the monthly reckoning by LibsynAds. The black trendline indicates the average of all campaign sizes — it sits at $21.37 CPM (cost per thousand impressions), the second lowest price in the chart’s history.

Note the red line above, which represents the smallest of three campaign scales (campaigns of 1,000 – 9,999 ads). In September that measurement reached a low point in the history of this chart — CPM = $20.67. At its high point (January 2022) the average cost was $28.43.

Libsyn informs us of the three highest CPM categories in September (based on delivered advertising):

  1. Government ($31)
  2. Technology ($29)
  3. Health & Fitness ($24)

Source data are HERE.


Brad Hill