What is a Feed Drop and how it works?
Caterina De Paolis avatar
Written by Caterina De Paolis
Updated over a week ago

In this article we aim to provide you some information about one kind of cross-promotion advertising used by podcast publishers to promote their new podcasts called Feed Drops.

Feed Drops are advertisements for another podcast. A Feed Drop is recorded as a stand-alone MP3 file with a live read stitched at the beginning of the audio and is published as an episode in the podcasters feed.


Feed Drops are booked based on downloads per episode. Since it goes to the entire subscriber base the total number of downloads in 30 days per episode is used. The podcast must have 5,000 or more downloads per episode within 30 days to qualify for Feed Drops. Shows must reach the download goal within 30 days of posting the Feed Drop.


Our team will review Feed Drop numbers on a bi-monthly basis. Adjustments
are made to ensure we are booking the most accurate download numbers. Download numbers will be adjusted for future bookings, if the episodes are:

  • Higher than booked for more than 2 months

  • Lower than booked for more than 2 months

After reaching the download goal, the episode can be made “private” so it no longer appears in the feed. However, the episode should not be deleted as we need it in order to report downloads to podcast publishers.

  • If a podcast publisher wishes to clean up their rss feed, it is important to keep in mind that a feed drop can only be made “private” once it has reached the download goal. The episode cannot be deleted as it is needed to report correct download numbers to the podcast publisher.

Feed Drops cannot include advertising. All Feed Drops must be free of any
programmatic advertising, this includes pre, mid and post-rolls
. All ads need to be
removed before the episode launches.


In order to track the Feed Drops, the podcast publisher creates a unique vanity URL to include in the episode notes of the feed drop.


Feed Drops are sold at a flat/CPM rate. Podcasts are paid for Feed Drops via their PayPal account connected to Spreaker, 60 days after drop (i.e. Jan paid in Mar).

Podcasts earn 70% of the revenue booked per Feed Drop.

Please note that if the podcast goes on hiatus, this could have an impact on Feed Drop eligibility. All podcasts should be actively podcasting in order to secure advertising. Please reach out if the podcast is going on hiatus, it is seasonal or taking a break.



Do you have any questions? Please contact livehostreads@spreaker.com for more information.

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