How to draft a podcast advertising disclosure policy for host-read ads

What to take away

A podcast advertising disclosure policy is the written rulebook that tells hosts, producers and sales teams how host-read paid slots are labelled, scripted, approved and logged.
In England, podcast ads sit under the CAP Code for non-broadcast ads, and the ASA handles complaints about ads that are unclear or misleading.
The ad label must arrive before the listener hears the brand name or the pitch.
Host endorsements count as testimonials, so every personal claim needs evidence filed with a date.
Write clauses a producer can paste into a brief, not principles they must interpret.

Scope: who the policy binds and what counts as sponsored

Name roles, not just the company. The policy binds in-house hosts, freelance producers, editors, sales staff and any agency selling on your behalf. A network selling the slot still follows your label rules. Keep the approval list to two or three named people, because a short list gets used and a long one gets ignored.

Sponsored means money, free products or services, affiliate commission or paid bonus content given for airtime. A gifted sample sent for review counts. An affiliate link read mid-episode counts. Write those examples into the policy, so nobody argues the point at the microphone.

What counts as sponsored

Money, free products or services for airtime?

Yes

Example labels, weak and strong

Two placements draw most complaints: the audio opening and the show notes.

Weak wording

Audio opening: "Thanks to our friends at [brand]"
Mid-roll host read: a music sting only
Show notes: "Partner: [brand]"

Strong wording

Audio opening: "This is an ad for [brand]. Here is what they offer."
Mid-roll host read: "Paid promotion: [brand]. I am paid to read this."
Show notes: "Advertisement. [brand] paid for this segment."

The test: a listener joining halfway through should know within seconds that a paid message is playing.

Clause wording you can paste into the policy

Keep each clause short enough to fit a one-page brief.

Identification. Every host-read segment opens with "This is an ad for [brand]" before any brand claim, and the show notes carry a matching line.
Evidence. The host confirms personal use in writing, and the evidence note carries a date and the host's name.
Approval. The producer approves one frozen script version and records the date; any later edit needs fresh approval.
Records. One campaign folder holds the brief, the approved script, the evidence notes and the advertiser's written assurances.
Escalation. If a claim cannot be verified before recording, cut the claim or pull the segment.

If a campaign mixes host-read slots with platform-inserted ads, host-read versus programmatic podcast ads sets out which labels the platform supplies and which you must add.

Evidence rules for host-read endorsements

A host saying "I use this every night" is making a testimonial.

The claim matches something the host has genuinely used or done.
The evidence note carries a date and the host's name.
Comparative claims rest on a documented test or a published source.
The advertiser's assurance is in writing when the host cannot test the product.
The script is re-checked after any late edit.

The ASA advice on testimonials and endorsements explains how personal claims are assessed and what proof the ASA expects.

Label and endorsement rules

Label at start of sponsored segment
Label in same audio, plain words
Label episode description and show notes
Keep label wording short
Host claim must be true for that host
Keep evidence note with approval file
Document comparative claim basis

Who enforces the CAP Code, and how complaints arrive

The CAP Code is written by the Committee of Advertising Practice and enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority. Its identification rule requires ads to be obviously identifiable, so a music sting on its own fails. The CAP Code for non-broadcast ads is the text to quote in your policy.

Anyone can complain to the ASA, and published rulings name the advertiser and the breach. The advertising codes hub lists the code editions in force today. Keep a recent ruling in the training folder, because a named case teaches a producer faster than a principle does.

Records, review cycle and advertiser checks

Every sponsored slot needs the final script version, the approval date and the approver's name. Store these with the campaign contract, which usually says who carries the risk if a claim is challenged. Read how podcast advertising commercial contracts allocate that risk before you sign the next insertion order.

Run a quarterly check with the sales, production and finance leads. Confirm the label in the audio and in the show notes, and confirm each evidence note exists. Check the advertiser's registered name and company number, because Companies Act 2006 filing duties make those register details reliable. Diary the next review date before the meeting ends.

Common questions

Does a written policy have to exist by law?

No, but you must be able to show how you decided a slot was compliant. A written policy is the quickest evidence, and agencies often ask for one during onboarding.

Can a host read the ad without saying it is an ad?

No. The label must be clear before the pitch begins, and a disclosure after the episode is not enough.

What if the advertiser supplies a claim we cannot verify?

Keep the brief and the advertiser's assurances in the campaign folder. If a claim is challenged, that file is the due diligence trail you show.

Does the CAP Code cover England only?

No. It applies to non-broadcast ads across the UK, including England. The ASA can act on complaints about ads that are misleading or not clearly identified.