Checking what a podcast advertising quote includes

A podcast quote is ready to compare once it identifies the inventory, the amount payable, the pricing and reporting unit, and who supplies the creative. Ask the seller to put unclear terms in the proposal or order before you approve it. Two matching headline totals may cover different placements and services.

Confirm the media line

For each line item, record the named show or episode, or the rules for eligible inventory. Note the Australian market, any narrower geographic controls, flight or release dates, ad position, duration and number of placements. Ask whether the placement is committed or forecast, and whether older episodes are eligible.

Identify the quantity being priced: a fixed episode placement, weeks of sponsorship, estimated downloads or a target number of delivered ads? For a CPM, ask what each thousand units represents, how they are counted and whether the amount is estimated, capped or fixed. Have the seller define “impression” in the quote; do not assume it means a confirmed listen.

Key metrics in a podcast ad quote

Find the costs outside media

Check whether the amount covers scripting, host recording, a produced audio spot, mixing, revisions and permission to reuse the recording. Ask who supplies the final file and what a new version after an offer change would cost. Approval steps and revision limits can affect the schedule as well as the price.

Request the full amount payable in Australian dollars, with GST treatment and any platform, agency, production or talent charges stated. Record any deposit, payment dates and cancellation terms. The media amount alone may not be the total payable.

Check what happens when the plan changes

Ask who may replace a show or episode, whether you must approve the substitute, and what happens if committed delivery falls short. Define any make-good against the original purpose: eligible Australian inventory, suitable timing, format and reporting unit. An extra placement elsewhere may not meet the brief.

For a limited-time offer, ask how the audio can be corrected or withdrawn. The answer depends on whether the message is embedded in an episode or inserted during a flight. Confirm the final creative approval date and the last date for changes.

Keep a quote-check record

Use the same fields for each proposal:

Ask the seller to resolve material blanks in writing. After launch, compare the invoice and report with the order. A delivery report shows what the seller counted under its method; it does not alone show that every recipient listened.