What is the best way to find podcast sponsors without an agency?

Match the route to your show's size. At 20,000 downloads an episode, a marketplace such as Libsyn Ads brings brands to you. Smaller shows can use their host's ad program, a sponsor list such as Sponsorable (free, then $39 a month), or Book a Sponsor, which emails brands for you on a plan from $19 a month.

By Ryan Doyle, founder of Book a Sponsor · Published 6 November 2026 · vendor pages read 6 November 2026

Book a Sponsor (bookasponsor.com) pitches brands to sponsor newsletters and podcasts. We make it, so read its rows with that in mind.

Four ways to find podcast sponsors without an agency

An agency sells your ad spots for a cut. These four routes do part of that job for less, and they differ in who does the work and how big a show they take.

Kind	Who does the work	Example and what it costs you	Who it takes
Marketplace	Brands book host-read spots; you approve each one	Libsyn Ads: keep 70%, no other fee; paid once the advertiser pays, typically in 30-60 days	Libsyn Ads: 20,000+ downloads per episode and an IAB Certified host
Host ad program	Your host places ads; Buzzsprout lets you choose which	Buzzsprout Ads: share not stated; Podbean Ads Marketplace: you get 70%; Spotify Partner Program: you earn 50%	Buzzsprout: 1,000 downloads in 30 days on its paid plan. Podbean: US, Unlimited Audio plan, 1,000 monthly downloads. Spotify: hosted on Spotify for Creators, 2,000 hours and 1,000 audience in 30 days
Sponsor list	You write and send every pitch	Sponsorable: Free with 10 credits; Starter $39 a month; Pro $99 a month (Podcasts access is listed on Pro)	Any show; its Podcasts access is listed on Pro
Pitching service	It finds the buyer and emails the brand for you; you close	Book a Sponsor: $1 card check gets 200 emails, then a plan from $19/mo	Any show with an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS link

each program's own pages, read 6 November 2026 · Book a Sponsor: pricing

See which brands sponsor shows like yours, free

free run · about a minute

What Book a Sponsor does for a podcast

You paste an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or RSS link on the podcasts page. Book a Sponsor reads the sponsor reads on shows like yours from the last 90 days, lists the brands behind them, finds the person at each brand who buys the ads, and emails them every day from its own mailboxes. Each pitch names a show that brand sponsored. You get the replies and close the deal. Book a Sponsor's price: $1 card check gets 200 emails, then a plan from $19/mo (Starter $19 a month for up to 600 emails a month, Kit $49 a month for up to 1,500 emails a month, Growth $99 a month for up to 3,000 emails a month).

We have not published a reply rate for podcast pitches. The pitch counts in our pitch guide are for newsletter pitches, so they are not quoted here.

Which one to pick

You have 20,000 or more downloads an episode and want brands to come to you: a marketplace. Libsyn Ads reviews applications in 3-5 business days, helps build your listing and lets you approve each advertiser.
You want no selling at all and are on the right host: the host's program. Buzzsprout Ads, Podbean Ads Marketplace and Spotify Partner Program each need their own hosting, so they fit only if your show already lives there.
You will write and send the emails: a sponsor list. Sponsorable has a free plan with 10 credits, then $39 a month.
You want replies and no sending: a pitching service. Book a Sponsor works from your show link and hands you the replies.

Where an agency or marketplace still beats Book a Sponsor

They close. An agency negotiates the price and signs the brand. A marketplace runs the order in a portal. Book a Sponsor stops at the yes, and you do the rest.
They handle the money. Libsyn Ads collects from the advertiser and pays you. Book a Sponsor collects no payments, so you send the bill yourself.
Brands come to you. A marketplace brings brands that are already shopping. Book a Sponsor's pitches are cold email, and most brands won't answer.
A host program needs no work. If you are on Buzzsprout, Podbean or Spotify for Creators and clear the minimum, ads can run with little effort from you.

What this page doesn't show

We read each program's own pages on 6 November 2026 and applied to none of them. Terms change; the dates are under Sources. Libsyn's automatic ads page states two different revenue shares, so none is quoted. Buzzsprout's pages we read don't state your share.
Gumball's site refused our read, so it is not here. Podcorn's address now forwards to a notice we could not open, so it is left out too.
Book a Sponsor's own podcast results are not published yet. We say what it does and make no claim about results.

Questions

What is the best way to find podcast sponsors without an agency?

It depends on your size and on who will send the emails. A marketplace (Libsyn Ads) works at 20,000 downloads an episode; a host's ad program (Buzzsprout Ads, Podbean Ads Marketplace, Spotify Partner Program) works from about 1,000; a sponsor list means you pitch; and a service such as Book a Sponsor emails brands for you. The table above sets them side by side.

How many downloads do I need to get podcast sponsors?

It depends on the route. Libsyn Ads's host-read marketplace asks for 20,000 downloads per episode, Buzzsprout Ads and Podbean Ads Marketplace for 1,000 in a month, and Spotify Partner Program for 1,000 audience and 2,000 hours on Spotify in 30 days. Sponsor lists such as Sponsorable state no minimum.

What does a podcast sponsor pay?

Libsyn Ads's FAQ says most podcasts see $18-20 CPM for 30-second spots and $25 CPM for 60-second spots (read 6 November 2026). A CPM is the price per 1,000 downloads, so 5,000 downloads at $25 CPM is $125 for one 60-second spot. That is an example, not a quote; your rate is whatever the brand agrees to.

Can I find podcast sponsors for free?

Partly. Sponsorable has a free plan with 10 credits, Libsyn Ads and Spotify Partner Program are free to join, and Book a Sponsor takes a $1 card check for the first 200 emails, then a plan from $19 a month. The free routes either cap what you can see or take a share of the ad revenue.

Does Book a Sponsor close the deal for a podcast?

No. It finds the person who buys the ads, emails the brand from its own mailboxes and hands you the reply. You agree the price and the dates, record the spot and send the invoice. It collects no payments and takes no commission.

Sources

Libsyn Ads: Libsyn Ads host-read marketplace page, Libsyn Ads automatic ads page (read 6 November 2026).
Buzzsprout Ads: Buzzsprout Ads eligibility, Buzzsprout Ads page (read 6 November 2026). Podbean Ads Marketplace: Podbean Ads Marketplace help article (read 6 November 2026).
Spotify Partner Program: Spotify Partner Program program rules (read 6 November 2026). Sponsorable: Sponsorable pricing, Sponsorable homepage (read 6 November 2026).
What Book a Sponsor does for a podcast: the podcasts page.
Cite this page: "What is the best way to find podcast sponsors without an agency?", Book a Sponsor, 6 November 2026, https://bookasponsor.com/how-to-find-podcast-sponsors-without-an-agency.

Have brands that already sponsor shows like yours pitched for you

Paste your podcast. Book a Sponsor reads the sponsor reads on shows like yours from the last 90 days, finds the person who buys the ads, and emails them every day from its own mailboxes. You get the replies and close the deal.

$1 card check gets 200 emails, then a plan from $19/mo · first sponsor reply inside 30 days or your money back