StretchLearn Course

Buy Podcast Ads That Convert and Can Actually Be Measured

Master host-read vs. programmatic spots, show selection, CPM benchmarks, promo-code tracking, and audio attribution.

Beginner9 hr 40 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

Podcasts are one of the highest-trust, hardest-to-measure advertising channels, which is exactly why so many beginners waste their first budget. This course teaches the modern audio buying playbook end to end: how host-read endorsements differ from dynamically inserted programmatic spots, how to vet a show beyond its download number, how CPM is calculated and what the going rates are, and how to track a channel that has no click using promo codes, vanity URLs, and survey-based attribution. Every lesson uses named platforms, real CPM ranges, and worked numbers so you can place a buy and prove whether it worked.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Distinguish host-read, announcer-read, and programmatic podcast ad formats and choose the right one

Vet a podcast using downloads, audience fit, and IAB-certified measurement before buying

Calculate spend, CPM, and cost per acquisition for a podcast media plan

Negotiate ad placement, read rate, and flight terms directly with shows or networks

Build promo-code, vanity-URL, and survey attribution to measure an audio channel with no click

Read a post-campaign report and decide whether to renew, scale, or cut a show

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: Foundations: Why Podcasts Convert and How the Ads Work

Understand what makes audio different, the three ad formats and where they sit in the episode, and the ad-insertion technology you are actually buying.

3 lessons

The Trust Channel: Why Podcast Ads Punch Above Their ReachContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Host-Read, Announcer-Read, and Programmatic SpotsContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Baked-In vs. Dynamically Inserted Ads and Why It MattersContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Show Selection: Finding Audiences That Convert

Vet shows beyond the download number, judge audience fit and engagement, and decide between buying direct, through a network, or programmatically.

3 lessons

Reading Download Numbers Without Being FooledContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Judging Audience Fit and Host SuitabilityContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Buying Direct, Through a Network, or ProgrammaticallyContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Pricing, Negotiation, and the Media Plan

Master the CPM model and benchmarks, negotiate the terms that matter, and build a media plan you can defend against a cost-per-acquisition target.

3 lessons

CPM, Spend, and the Numbers That Set the PriceContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Negotiating Placement, Read, and Flight TermsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Building a Media Plan Against a CPA TargetContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Attribution: Measuring a Channel With No Click

Build promo-code, vanity-URL, pixel, and survey attribution, then read a post-campaign report and decide what to renew, scale, or cut.

3 lessons

Promo Codes and Vanity URLs: The Direct-Response ToolkitContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Pixels, Surveys, and Lift: Catching the Listeners Codes MissContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Reading the Report: Renew, Scale, or CutContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

Podcast AdvertisingHost-Read AdsProgrammatic AudioCPMMedia BuyingPromo Code AttributionAudio MarketingDynamic Ad Insertion