Castos Ads FAQ

Castos Ads helps you monetize your podcast with dynamic ad insertion. We'll automatically stitch an ad to the beginning (pre-roll) and end (post-roll) of your podcast episodes.

How do I get access to Castos Ads?

You can request access to Castos Ads from your Castos dashboard. You'll receive an email from us once your account has Ads enabled.

I use Seriously Simple Podcasting to manage my podcast at Castos, can I use Castos Ads?

Yes, you can use Castos Ads with SSP. You need to be on version 2.24 or later. To enable Ads, follow these instructions.

How do I get paid with Castos Ads?

Castos currently does ad payouts via PayPal. You must have an active PayPal account to receive funds.

What is the minimum amount I need before I can receive a payout?

The current minimum payout amount is $10.00, meaning you cannot request a payout until your earnings have hit or exceeded $10.00

How often do you do payouts?

Payouts to you occur 45 days after the end of each month. This delay is needed for Castos to accurately track the attribution of impressions on ads served to your podcasts.

After this time, Castos will pay out any payouts due that are above the $10 minimum payout amount.

If the $10 minimum is not reached, the pending balance will roll over to the subsequent month, and that will continue until $10 is reached.

Can I have ads on multiple podcasts?

Yes, Castos Ads work on a per-podcast basis so you can enable ads on as many of your podcasts as you would like.

I have an existing podcast with episodes already published. Will ads be inserted into my existing catalog of episodes?

Yes, once you've enabled ads for the podcast, ads will automatically be inserted into episodes you've previously published, as well as in any new episodes, you publish.

Can I choose the ad categories to better fit my podcast?

At this time, you cannot choose the ad categories that are served.

Can I choose where the ad is inserted in my podcast?

Ads are inserted at the beginning (pre-roll) and end (post-roll) of each episode. This cannot be customized at this time.

How are ads inserted? Is my episode file modified?

If an ad can be placed, it will be inserted dynamically when the listener starts downloading/streaming the episode file. Your original episode file will not be changed.

Will ads affect my regular analytics?

No, impressions from Castos Ads are automatically included in your regular analytics dashboard. You won’t notice any difference in the charts or graphs that you normally see if you have Castos Ads enabled or disabled for particular podcasts.

Can I replace an audio file for an existing episode that previously served ads?

Yes, you can replace an audio file.

Will the ads be republished with my episode it's republished to YouTube?

No, dynamic ads will not be republished to YouTube.

What audio formats are eligible for Castos Ads?

MP3 audio formats are the only formats eligible for dynamic ad insertion with Castos Ads at this time.

Can I enable ads for my video podcast?

No, ads are only available to MP3 audio episodes at this time.

How long does it take for ads to start serving once I've enabled it?

Ads will typically start serving within 24 hours of enabling the service.

What are pre-roll or post-roll ads?

Pre-roll means before the episode begins, and post-roll means after the episode ends.

Will Castos Ads work with Spotify?

No, at this time, because of the way Spotify ingests your episodes from our platform, Spotify will not be able to serve the dynamic ads to your listeners.

Can I enable Castos Ads on Private Podcasts?

Yes.

I live outside of the United States, can I use Castos Ads?

Yes, you can still monetize your podcast with Castos Ads and receive payments; however, you will be responsible for any taxes or legal filings that are required for your region.

My podcast is not in English, will I only get ads in English?

The language of the ad largely depends on the buyer, the language they're targeting, and where the listener is located. If the listener is based in an English-speaking country, the ad will likely be in English if one is available. Likewise, if the listener is based in France, the ad will likely be in French.

I enabled Castos Ads but have not yet heard an Ad, is something wrong?

If you've enabled Castos Ads on the podcast level, your episodes will be served an Ad if one is available. This essentially means that Ads will not be served on every listen/download you have, so your listening analytics cannot directly correlate with how many potential ad impressions you'll have.

Is there a minimum episode length in order for an Ad to be served?

No, we do not have a minimum episode length requirement for Ads.

Are ad impressions on the Castos Analytics dashboard reflecting real-time data?

No, your Castos Ads analytics dashboard is not real-time data. Because of processing, it can take up to 2 months after an ad-served month has ended to see your analytics for that specific month. For example, for ads served in January, your Ads Analytics dashboard may not reflect the ad impression data until mid-March or early April.