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Creative Production for Podcasts on Ad Studio

Podcasts offer a uniquely engaged audience creating an ideal environment for advertising—one where listeners are regularly tuned in and eager to learn. Getting your creative right and tailoring it to the podcast environment is critical to resonating with listeners. When you run a podcast ad on Spotify Ad Studio, Spotify will coordinate the creative production, with your approval, on your behalf.<sup>*</sup> <Footnote>*Please be aware that you are solely responsible for the content of your podcast ad, including that the content meets applicable legal requirements.</Footnote>

Creative process

1. Begin by creating your podcast ad campaign

Choose your target audience, budget, and schedule for each ad set. Then, hit Next to start creating your ad.

2. Select Create something new

Unless you’re uploading creative from a previous Spotify Ad Studio podcast campaign, you’ll need to select Create something new at the ad level.

3. Fill in the creative brief

This is the fun part! Tell us all about your campaign so we can write your script. Let us know what you’re promoting, who your target audience is, how you want listeners to feel, and what you want listeners to do after hearing your ad. You’ll also be able to share any talking points or sample scripts with us in this section. The more information you can give us, the better!

4. Submit your campaign

Review the campaign details, input your payment details, and submit the campaign.

5. Spotify will draft a script for your review

Based on your creative brief, we’ll aim to optimize your campaign goals alongside the podcast listener experience. You’ll receive an email when your script is ready for review, typically within 24-48 hours after submitting your campaign.

6. Review and approve the script

You’ll get one chance to review the script and check that it meets your campaign needs. You must approve the script before it’s finalized.

7. Audio asset recorded and mixed

Within 2 business days, a voice actor will read the script, and you’ll be delivered the fully mixed and produced audio file. You will receive an email when it’s ready to listen.

8. Approve and set live

Once you approve the ad, your campaign will be ready to go live at the scheduled time.

*IMPORTANT: Podcast advertising on Ad Studio is not available for the promotion of the following products or services: alcohol, cannabis/CBD/hemp, gambling and games of skill, lotteries run by government entities, contraceptives, abortion, pregnancy-related services, health/medical, pharmacies, doctors and other medical providers, pharma (prescription drugs, OTC, medical devices, cures/treatments), weight loss, dietary and herbal supplements, financial services providing loans or credit (loans of any variety, mortgages, credit cards, debt relief, other extensions of credit), insurance, contests, sweepstakes, elder care, for-profit higher education institutions, homes or apartments to rent or buy, podcast promotion.

How to write a creative brief for your podcast ad

Not sure where to start with your creative brief? Keep these best practices in mind:

Know your tone.

Audio ads are about more than just sharing information—they’re great at conveying different tones and feelings. Be ready to share how you want your audience to feel when hearing your ad. Do you want them to feel inspired? Intrigued? Excited?

Keep it casual.

Ads fit best in the podcast context when they’re conversational. Listeners should feel like they’re hearing about your product or service from a trusted friend. So while we’ll make sure to hit your talking points, be prepared for the script to feel more relaxed than you’d typically expect with audio ads. And remember: nothing kills a conversational vibe faster than marketing jargon!

Be specific about pronunciation.

Make sure our voice actors understand how to pronounce any names, products, or locations we need to mention in your ad.

Beware of claims and superlatives.

Be careful about any claims or statistics that can’t be backed up within the ad creative time limit. Many podcast shows are journalistic in nature, so listeners and hosts might be sensitive to anything that can’t be clearly verified.

Brand your call-to-action.

Make sure to mention branded discount codes or vanity URLs. This will help you track the impact of the ad on website actions and purchases.

Get your message heard.

Still have questions? Check out our help center.

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