FAQ

Some frequently used terms

Ad copy/script/talking points - text provided by the advertiser as a guide for their ad. 

Aircheck - a clip of your ad read used to verify that the spot has been recorded and gone live in your episode as scheduled. Once uploaded, these clips are available for the advertiser to listen to and provide feedback on when necessary.

Call To Action (CTA) - the part of your ad read directing listeners to act on an offer.

Dynamic - refers to the way an ad appears in a podcast episode. Rather than being baked into content, dynamic ads, or dynamically inserted ads, are inserted into episodes by your hosting site, allowing them to run in specific episodes or throughout the catalog according to serving settings.

Embedded - a type of ad recorded separately but manually edited into your episode file using your editing software.

Live Read - a type of ad recorded live during the recording of your episode. 

Makegood - a free ad to compensate for a purchased spot that failed to meet contractual requirements.

Mid-roll - an ad that falls around the halfway point or between 40%-70% of your episode. 

Personal Experience - a first-person endorsement of a product or service.

Promo code/Vanity URL - the custom link or code in your CTA that givens your listeners a special offer and helps advertisers track how many listeners take advantage.

Pre-roll - an ad that falls within the first 5-10 minutes of your episode.

Post-roll - an ad that falls within the last minutes 5-10 minutes, or the very end of your episode.

 

Q: There's a "makegood" on my schedule. What does that mean?

A: A makegood ad is a free ad to compensate for a purchased spot that failed to meet contractual requirements. Frequent causes for a makegood include:

• Not meeting the minimum ad duration (most spots are 60 seconds minimum)
• Not placing the ad in the contracted spot (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll)
• Not reading a mandatory or highlighted line
• Not reading the minimum number of required talking points
• Mispronunciation of brand names or key words.
• Not including personal experience or a personal endorsement as specified in the copy
• Having an incorrect Call to Action--saying the incorrect offer or incorrect code/url.

When an advertiser requests a makegood, the Gumball staff reviews the ad to confirm the request is warranted. No payment is collected for these spots and they take up a space in your sellable inventory, so obviously we love to make sure we can avoid them whenever possible! We recommend checking out our How to Read Ad Copy guide for a better understanding of how to comply with all your ad copy's requirements.

 

Q: When do I get paid?

A: Payments to hosts are processed by the 15th of every month and based on what money was collected from advertisers in the previous month (i.e. by February 15 you'll receive payment for any ad money collected in January). Depending on the advertiser and their payment terms, the collections process can take anywhere from 1-3 months following the month the spot airs. 

Please contact us if you have any questions about an outstanding payment.

 

Q: My show has grown (or shrunk)! How do I edit my sellable downloads?

A: Please contact us with screenshot verification of the change and we're happy to edit them for you.

 

Q: Should I be running ads in the episode it's been booked for, or across the show's entire catalog? 

A: When the show was onboarded, we determined whether it would be listed as a Dynamic or Embedded show (refer to Glossary for definitions of each) - 

Dynamic - Dynamically Inserted Ad campaigns should be set up in your hosting platform for DAI, targeting X impressions (this number is displayed on your dashboard and was determined as your show’s average weekly listeners/downloads when you were onboarded) per spot and should run until they fulfill completely.

Embedded/Baked In - Embedded ads should be baked into your episode’s audio and should run indefinitely - evergreen.