Podcast Ad Read Scripts: 15, 30, and 60 Second Examples

Sponsors buy podcast ads in three standard lengths: 15, 30, and 60 seconds. Each slot has a hard word budget, and blowing past it is the fastest way to get a spot rejected by a sponsor or awkwardly sped up in post. Below you will find the exact word counts at a conversational pace, a five-part script structure, and three complete example scripts you can adapt for any sponsor.

Word budgets at a conversational 150 words per minute

Most hosts read ad copy at roughly 150 words per minute. Push much faster and you sound like the disclaimer at the end of a car commercial. Go slower and you waste billable seconds. At 150 wpm, the budgets work out like this:

Write to the low end of each range on the first draft. Almost everyone adds words when reading aloud, and a single pause for emphasis eats a second on its own. Before you set up the mic, paste your draft into the free ad read timer to check it against these budgets at different reading speeds.

Host-read vs produced ads

A host-read ad is delivered by you, in your normal speaking voice, usually recorded in the same session as the episode. It works because your audience already trusts you, and that trust is exactly what sponsors pay a premium for. Host reads are the default for most independent shows.

A produced ad is a standalone, polished recording, often voiced by someone other than the host and sometimes backed by music. It sounds closer to a radio spot. Produced ads are consistent across every insertion, easy to swap in and out with dynamic ad insertion, and reusable across an entire back catalog.

The practical split: use host reads for direct-response sponsors who want a personal endorsement and a promo code, and use produced spots for evergreen campaigns, cross-promos, and ads for your own products that need to run across dozens of episodes.

Pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll placement

• Pre-roll runs before or just after your intro. Listeners have not committed to the episode yet, so keep it short: 15 or 30 seconds. It earns strong reach because nearly everyone who presses play hears it.
• Mid-roll sits inside the episode, typically near the one-third mark between segments. It is the most valuable slot because listeners are engaged and rarely skip with precision. This is where 60 second host reads belong.
• Post-roll runs after the outro. Completion rates are lower, so it is the cheapest slot, but the listeners still around are your most loyal. Good for a 15 second code reminder.

Anatomy of an ad read

Every effective read, at any length, is built from five parts:

1. Hook. One line that names the sponsor and earns the next ten seconds. "This episode is sponsored by" is fine; a specific detail is better.
2. Problem. The annoyance the product solves, stated the way a listener would say it out loud.
3. Product. What it is, plus the one or two features that actually matter. Resist the urge to list five.
4. Offer code. The promo code and the discount, stated clearly. The code is also how the sponsor attributes sales to your show, so never bury it.
5. CTA. The exact action you want: the URL and the code, repeated once.

In a 60 second read, each part gets room to breathe. In a 30 second read, the problem and product merge into two sentences. In a 15 second read, you cut the problem entirely: hook, product, code, done.

Three complete example scripts

All three scripts use an obviously generic placeholder sponsor, Acme Coffee, with placeholder promo codes. Swap in your sponsor's approved copy points and keep the structure.

15 second script (38 words)

"Quick break to thank Acme Coffee for supporting the show. Their medium roast is honestly the only reason this episode got edited on time. Try it at AcmeCoffee.com with code POD15 for fifteen percent off your first bag."

30 second script (76 words)

"This episode is sponsored by Acme Coffee. If your mornings start with a coffee that tastes like it was brewed last Tuesday, listen up. Acme roasts to order and ships within 48 hours, so every bag lands fresh. I have been drinking their dark roast all month, and my editing sessions are noticeably less painful. Head to AcmeCoffee.com and use code POD30 at checkout for twenty percent off your first order. That is AcmeCoffee.com, code POD30."

60 second script (150 words)

"Support for this show comes from Acme Coffee. Here is my honest problem with most coffee subscriptions: the first shipment is great, the third one tastes like cardboard, and by month two you are back at the grocery store. Acme fixed the part that actually matters. They roast every bag after you order it, ship within 48 hours, and print the roast date right on the label so you can check it yourself. I have been on the two-bag plan for three months now, and the difference in a morning cup is real, especially if you brew with a pour-over like I do. They also let you pause or swap roasts anytime, no support ticket required. If you want to try it, go to AcmeCoffee.com and enter code POD60 at checkout. That gets you twenty-five percent off your first month. Once more: AcmeCoffee.com, code POD60. Now back to the show."

How to make a read sound natural

• Read it aloud three times before recording. The first pass finds the awkward phrases, the second finds the rhythm, the third is close to what you will actually say.
• Record in the same session as the episode. Matching energy, mic position, and room tone makes the ad feel like part of the conversation instead of an insert.
• Rewrite the copy in your own phrasing where the contract allows. Many sponsors send talking points rather than mandatory scripts. Use their claims, but say them the way you actually talk.
• Say the URL and code twice. Most listeners are driving or doing dishes. The second mention is the one they act on.
• Keep one specific detail. "Ships within 48 hours" is more persuasive than "really fast shipping" and takes the same amount of time to say.
• Smile on the CTA. It sounds like a cliche, but it audibly lifts the final sentence, which is the one you need people to remember.

FTC disclosure basics

Sponsored reads come with disclosure obligations in the United States, and the basics are simple to follow:

• Say the placement is sponsored. Open with clear language like "This episode is sponsored by" or "Support for the show comes from." Do not rely on listeners inferring it.
• Disclose in the audio itself. A note in the show description does not cover listeners who never open it, which is most of them.
• Keep it honest. If you say you have used the product for three months, that needs to be true. Stick to claims the sponsor can back up, and skip personal endorsements of products you have not actually tried.

This is general information, not legal advice. If a sponsor contract asks for claims you are unsure about, have a lawyer who handles advertising law review it.

Where AI voices fit into ad production

AI text to speech will not replace your host read, and it should not: your personal voice is what the sponsor is buying. It earns its place in three supporting jobs:

1. Timing checks before you record. Generate your draft script with an AI voice and time the playback. If the read lands at 38 seconds against a 30 second budget, you cut copy at your desk instead of discovering the overrun in the edit.
2. Evergreen produced spots. For announcer-style ads, cross-promos, and house ads for your own products, an AI voice gives you a clean, consistent read that sounds identical in episode 12 and episode 120.
3. Updating an offer without a session. When the sponsor swaps POD30 for a new code mid-campaign, you regenerate one sentence and splice it in. No studio time, and no trying to match the energy of a recording you made two months ago.

TextSpeakPro is built for exactly this kind of work: 135+ AI voices with emotion controls, so a produced spot can sound upbeat for a coffee sponsor and steady for a finance one. The free plan gives you a one-time 2,000 characters across 10 voices, enough to test a 60 second script several times. The Starter plan is $4 per month for 150,000 characters per month, and paid plans include MP3 and WAV downloads plus commercial use, which is what a sponsored spot requires. See the full workflow on the TextSpeakPro for podcasters page, and run every draft through the ad read timer before you commit it to tape.