Tulip Podcast Manager 🎙️ Bojana Lalic

As your podcast grows, you may find that your past episodes have untapped potential for monetization. Adding preroll and midroll ads to already published episodes is a great way to generate additional income from content you’ve already created. But how do you go about adding these ads without re-recording or re-uploading your entire podcast?

Luckily, it’s easier than you think. In this post, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to add preroll and midroll ads to your existing podcast episodes, how to keep everything smooth, and how you can optimize this process to make it as seamless as possible.

What Are Preroll and Midroll Ads?

Preroll Ads

These are short ads that play before the main content of your podcast episode begins. They’re usually 15-30 seconds long and help introduce your audience to the sponsor or the product you’re promoting.

Midroll Ads

These are ads placed in the middle of your podcast episodes, often during a natural break or transition in your content. Midroll ads tend to be longer than preroll ads, ranging from 30 seconds to a minute.
Adding these ads to your episodes can create a smooth and non-disruptive experience for your listeners while generating revenue for your podcast.

Why Add Preroll and Midroll Ads to Existing Episodes?

Monetization

As your podcast grows, it’s important to find new ways to monetize your content. Preroll and midroll ads allow you to capitalize on previous episodes and generate income.

Maximize Revenue

Adding ads to older episodes allows you to earn more from the content you’ve already invested time and effort in. It’s a smart way to create revenue streams from your back-catalog content.

Better Ad Targeting

If you’re working with advertisers, placing preroll and midroll ads can give you the flexibility to target specific listener segments based on the type of episode, the topic, or the audience.

How to Add Preroll and Midroll Ads to Your Existing Episodes

Download Your Audio Files

Why It Works

Before you can add ads, you need access to your original podcast episode audio files.

How to Do It

Go to your podcast hosting platform and download the audio file of the episode you want to edit. Most platforms will have a section where you can access your past episodes and download them as MP3 or WAV files.

Edit the Episode in Audio Editing Software

Why It Works

To insert the ads into the existing episode, you’ll need to use audio editing software. This software will allow you to insert the preroll and midroll ads smoothly into your podcast.

How to Do It

Use a tool like Audacity, Adobe Audition, or GarageBand to import your audio file.

To insert the preroll ad, drag the ad file into the audio editing timeline at the very beginning of the podcast episode.

To insert the midroll ad, find a natural break in the episode where you can seamlessly insert the ad. This could be between sections of the podcast or after a short discussion. Make sure the transition feels smooth and doesn’t interrupt the flow.

Adjust Audio Levels

Why It Works

It’s important that the volume levels of your ads are consistent with the rest of the episode. If your ads are too loud or too quiet, it will create a jarring experience for your listeners.

How to Do It

Adjust the volume of the ad so that it matches the audio levels of your podcast content. You can use the software’s normalize or compression features to ensure everything is balanced.
Listen to the ad and episode to make sure the transition is smooth and the volume levels are consistent throughout.

Add Metadata (Optional)

Why It Works

If you’re uploading your edited episode back to your hosting platform, you might want to add metadata, such as episode details or sponsor information, to ensure everything is properly tagged.

How to Do It

Use your audio editing software or podcast host to add ID3 tags (metadata like episode title, artist, album, etc.) to the file before re-uploading. Some platforms allow you to add these details during the upload process.

Re-upload the Edited Episode

Why It Works

After you’ve inserted the ads and made any necessary adjustments, you’ll want to upload the edited version of the episode so that it can be made available for your listeners.

How to Do It

Upload the newly edited file back to your podcast host. You can either replace the old file or upload the new version as a fresh episode. If you’re replacing the old episode, ensure that you keep the same episode number to avoid breaking existing listener tracking.

Promote Your Edited Episode

Why It Works

Once the updated episode is live, you can start promoting it. Whether it’s through social media, email newsletters, or your podcast’s website, let your audience know that new ads have been added and encourage them to revisit the episode.

How to Do It

Use the same promotional strategies you typically use to get the word out. You might even want to highlight the new sponsors in your marketing materials.

Best Practices for Adding Ads to Your Podcast

Be Transparent with Your Audience

It’s important to be upfront with your audience that the episode now includes ads. This transparency helps maintain trust with your listeners and ensures they’re not caught off guard by unexpected interruptions.

Keep It Relevant

When adding ads, ensure they are relevant to your audience. If the ad feels out of place or mismatched to your content, it could turn listeners off. Try to partner with sponsors whose products or services align with your podcast’s theme or message.

Don’t Overdo It

While ads are a great way to generate revenue, too many ads can detract from the content that your listeners come for. Be strategic and don’t overwhelm your audience with multiple ad placements.

Test and Listen

After adding the ads, take the time to listen to the full episode again. Make sure the ads blend in naturally, and check for any issues with audio levels, transitions, or clarity.

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Adding preroll and midroll ads to already published episodes is a smart way to monetize your podcast and boost revenue from past content. With the right tools and strategies, you can smoothly integrate these ads without disrupting the flow of your podcast. Just make sure to stay transparent with your audience, keep the ads relevant, and monitor how they’re received.

By following the steps outlined above, you’ll be able to turn your old episodes into valuable sources of income while continuing to provide high-quality content to your audience.