How do you run podcast advertising competitor research that buyers trust?

What to take away

Start with public rate cards

Most networks publish a headline CPM or a sponsorship package on a media kit page. Pull those numbers into a spreadsheet and note the date you saw each one. Rates move with inventory, so a figure from 2024 tells you little about current negotiations.

For named seller comparisons, request a current media kit or quote from Acast and Spotify Audience Network. Log the exact show and placement; seller materials are not independent audience verification.

Public rate cards are a starting position, not a settlement. They rarely show the discount a returning sponsor gets, or the share the host keeps. Use them to rank shows by cost, then test that ranking in a real conversation.

Check what the package includes before comparing headline rates. A host-read slot, a produced segment and a newsletter mention carry different production costs, so a low CPM can hide extra fees.

For example, a show quoting £25 per thousand downloads might settle nearer £18 for a six-episode run. Label a figure like that as illustrative unless the network confirms it in writing.

Screenshot each kit and store it with the URL, so a later change cannot rewrite your evidence.

Compare claimed and verified numbers

Hosts quote download figures, platforms report them differently, and neither number is audited by default. Ask which metric sits behind the figure and who measured it.

Use the IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines as a reference for download definitions, and ask each seller which measurement method it follows. For additional audience-data checks, review the methodology and UK coverage available from Edison Research, Triton Digital, Podtrac and Nielsen.

Ask for the metric definition in writing: downloads per episode, unique listeners, or completed listens. Those three give three different reach numbers from the same show.

For UK podcast ads, check the CAP Code, especially Section 3, “Misleading advertising”; the ASA administers the Code. The ASA's Copy Advice service lets advertisers pre-clear scripts and claims, which helps when your comparison language touches a rival's reach.

Where a show also sells into the United States, the FTC's advertising and marketing guidance covers truth-in-advertising and disclosure expectations that travel with the audience.

Two shows with the same download total can reach very different buyers. Match the audience definition before you match the price.

Log competitor claims with dates

Build a simple log: show, claim, source, date seen, verification method. Screenshot the page, because media kits get edited quietly. Note the date the kit was last updated, so a later comparison shows what changed.

Use this sequence for each claim:

For UK context, consult RAJAR's MIDAS research and Ofcom's Online Nation reports. Treat them as market-level listening evidence rather than independent verification of a named show's downloads, and record the territory and publication date.

Record the territory in the same row. A US download figure is not a UK one, and a global total hides how many listeners sit in England, Scotland or Wales.

Pick the method by situation

Match the method to the decision in front of you. The table pairs common buying situations with the fastest approach you can defend.

Use surveys for blind spots

Media kits go quiet on what buyers care about, such as how listeners feel about host-read ads and which categories they tolerate.

A short survey of your own customers fills that gap faster than another desk review. Keep it to five questions and ask about behaviour, not intentions. Ask listeners which other shows they hear, then weight answers by how often they listen.

Avoid questions that name a rival, because naming pushes answers toward agreement.

For a self-run survey, Google Forms, SurveyMonkey and Typeform are options. The tool does not supply a representative sample on its own, so record your recruitment method, respondent count and survey dates; compare tool features and current pricing before choosing.

Ask the same questions each quarter so the answers stay comparable.

Common questions

How many competitors should I track?

Six to ten shows that share your listener profile is usually enough to spot pricing patterns. Beyond that you are collecting noise, unless you buy across a whole category.

Can I rely on a competitor's media kit?

No. A media kit is a marketing document. Use it for names and headline rates, then verify reach and completion data somewhere else.

How often should competitor research be refreshed?

Quarterly suits most buyers. Refresh sooner if a network reissues its rate card or new advertising rules are announced.