The simple answers:
- Podcast hosting on the world’s top hosting platform (free for advertising opt-in members; Low cost for advertising opt-out members.)
- Passive income with immediate advertising revenue share
- Equal advertising revenue share per show across network
- Automatic network cross-promotions
- Fully transparent network financials
- Community of like-minded podcasters to collaborate with
- A coach/consultant (our executive producer) to help you not have to navigate managing a podcast alone
We have three types of memberships. Learn more about our podcast membership plans on Our Plans page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MPN?
The Marketing Podcast Network was established in 2021 to provide niche marketing podcasts access to a collective revenue share from network advertising. Its members also benefit from being in an informal network of like-minded podcasters to collaborate with for learning, cross-promotion, guest and content ideas, and beyond.
Who can be a member?
MPN eligibility is open to any podcast in the marketing or business category, so long as there is some tie to marketing in your content. The reason for the topical tie is creating a hyper-targeted network will produce higher CPM rates for us to profit from as it evolves. To be invited, the podcast must be reviewed and approved by MPN’s executive producer.
Once approved, your podcast must be hosted on the Megaphone.fm platform, which is provided by MPN to all members. You will be required to migrate your show to Megaphone and be assigned to the MPN network there. If you are already on Megaphone, you must agree to move to the MPN network there.
There are three membership/plan types. The Profit Plan is for those podcasts that wish to participate in advertising and revenue share. This plan is offered at no cost since the podcast will be leveraged for ad revenue.
The Independent Plan is more suitable for those that wish to not include advertising in their shows. This plan requires a membership fee.
Finally, our Vendor Plan is for marketing industry service providers and vendors who wish to affiliate with MPN and have their podcast promoted as part of the Network. This plan requires a corporate membership fee.
How much does it cost to be a member?
Members have three options:
- Agree to insert network advertising avails in your podcasts
- Defer inserting network advertising avails in your podcasts
- Join as a Vendor member.
The first option means you pay NOTHING. Podcast hosting is provided to you for FREE by the network. The monies needed for your costs are covered by the advertising revenue.
The second option means you agree to pay a $25 monthly (or $250 annual) membership fee to be afforded all other MPN member benefits except participating in revenue sharing.
The third option requires a corporate membership fee of $99 per month ($1,188 per year). The vendor podcast is treated as a full member but does not qualify for revenue share.
Megaphone.fm hosting is included in all three plans.
NOTE: Podcasts with over 150,000 downloads per month are required to opt in to the advertising revenue share plan. (Hosting costs are tied to downloads. Beyond 150,000 we can only offset that cost with advertising revenue.)
What do I do to participate in the revenue share?
To participate in the advertising revenue share, you must insert some combination of two (2) network ad avails in each episode of your podcast. This can be 2 pre-roll and no mid-rolls, one of each, or no pre-rolls and two mid-rolls. (Network ad avails have no affect on your ability to sell and air other “local” sponsorships on your show.)
Up to four individual ad insertions are preferred, but only two are required.
To remain in good standing to receive revenue share, you must meet two of the following criteria:
- You maintain your regular publishing schedule
- You publish at least two (2) episodes in the given month
- Your episodes produce at least 300 downloads in the given month
In the event your podcast does not meet one of the three criteria, you will forfeit your monthly revenue share. If your podcast does not meet one of the three criteria for three (3) consecutive months, you will be asked to move to the paid membership plan of $25 per month, but may still maintain good standing as an MPN member.
MPN does offer advertisers premium opportunities to have host-read sponsorships, or host pre-recorded sponsorships. No MPN creator is required to participate in these, but the more that participate, the more attractive they are to our sponsors.
Note that for SPAN (Spotify Audience Network) payouts, which MPN documents by insertion and by show, if your podcast does not include a SPAN insertion in a given month, you will not receive a share of SPAN revenue for that month. However, all shows will receive equal shares of direct sales revenue on the network.
How does MPN earn advertising revenue?
Megaphone.fm is owned by Spotify and sells network advertising on podcasts on its platform through the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN). Media buyers for brands and agencies purchase podcast advertising on a global or national scale. Based on the targeting and tagging of the ads compared to the available podcasts, those network ads are inserted into available ad placements in our podcasts. (The two insertions you’re required to place.)
Based on the cost-per-thousand download rates SPAN pays, we earn a monthly payout of commission for airing the advertisements.
MPN has the option to use any or all of our network avails to sell direct to companies wishing to reach our network’s niche audience as well. In this approach, we control the CPM charged and can thus make more money per insertion than the SPAN commission. In an ideal scenario, we are selling direct ads at higher CPM rates for all of the insertions in each show.
The beauty of this system is that even if we don’t sell anything ourselves, SPAN fills as much of our available inventory as it can. It is passive income for MPN and thus for you.
Regardless of approach, all advertising revenues generated by MPN or paid to us from SPAN commissions are shared equally among members, minus hosting and administrative costs, regardless of individual episode or show download counts.
How does this affect sponsorships I sell on my show myself?
It doesn’t affect your direct sales at all! If you sell a direct sponsorship on your podcast, that does not affect MPN, so long as you keep your network advertising avails. Your network advertising is simply passive income on top of anything you sell yourself.
Why are all revenues shared equally?
MPN is intentionally created as a communal effort. Since most marketing podcasts have smaller, niche audiences, few qualify for larger revenue payouts from traditional podcast ad networks. Collectively, however, we can offer larger numbers of downloads and modest to impressive CPM-based revenue. Smaller shows (in terms of number of downloads) see ad revenue from the first month their downloads are counted in the network commission. Larger shows (in terms of number of downloads) see passive income ad revenue and support the larger marketing podcast community’s growth and health.
It is our perspective that the lack of benefit to the little guy is the downfall of most podcasts and podcast networks. We aim to correct that precedent by making sure the small shows reap rewards, too.
How do we know the money is being accounted for fairly?
MPN’s monthly commission from Megaphone.fm will be shared transparently with all members. An accounting of each show’s equal share will also be shared transparently. Because this is a communal effort, individual episode or show download numbers will not be disclosed. We are all equal beneficiaries and do not wish to spur internal conflict based on principles of competition.
What are the benefits to being on the network?
Provided you insert the network advertising avails in your podcast, your hosting is not only provided for free, but is done through the Megaphone.fm platform, the most trusted podcast hosting software. Those who do not wish to participate in advertising revenue share receive the benefit of Megaphone.fm hosting and analytics for just the low price of a membership fee. This membership fee is waived for anyone participating in the advertising revenue share program.
Advertising revenue share opt-in members members earn advertising revenue from the first month they contribute to the revenue-deciding download count. This provides reward and motivation for newer shows to continue creating.
The network advertising also presents a halo effect on all shows as even smaller programs can have sponsors like Chevrolet, Headspace, Oracle, Wells Fargo and other national advertisers not available to small or niche shows. Plus, all MPN members are connected via private Slack community for mindshare, collaboration, cross-promotion and more.
All shows on MPN are cross-promoted automatically on each other show. This is done through a 30-second show promo each show provides that is put in play rotation as part of each other show. Plus, each creator is invited into our private collaborative community to build relationships where organic show promotions and cross-guesting opportunities naturally occur.
Vendor Plan members benefit from having their podcasts included in a trusted network along side our other creators. The perception of trust and community affiliation and contribution is critical to the success of most marketing service and software providers. MPN offers that to our Vendor Plan members.
What do I need to do to be successful as an MPN member?
Primarily, just grow your own audience and downloads as you normally would. The more you grow, the more the network grows in download totals and network ad frequency. Thus, the more revenue we have to share. This is built to be a passive income source. Doing your best on your own show is all you need to do.