Promo codes have been a key part of podcasting’s successful appeal to advertisers. Now there is a new way that creators can directly profit from their use. The promo code marketplace CodeADX has debuted a new platform that connects podcasters with Shopify stores. It will allow podcasters to earn a commission whenever a listener makes a purchase using the show’s promo code.
The set up is fairly straightforward. CodeADX gives podcasters full control to choose the sponsors and products they want to promote and how they pitch them, without any restrictions on audience size, ad placement, or delivery style. While podcasters are encouraged to create host-read ads to better connect with listeners and motivate them to buy a product, they can instead rely on produced spots. At the same time, Shopify says stores pick what to promote, approve the copy, and accept or reject podcasters' requests to promote them. When a purchase is made with the podcast’s code, CodeADX charges the store the sales commission owed to the pod, and CodeADX pays the podcaster. As a bonus, CodeADX provides free mobile apps and websites that help podcasters add extra content to any episode and make it easy for listeners to find their discounts.
“It’s all seamless for both sides,” says CEO Jeffrey Specter. “That's the tech breakthrough – we figured out how to make promo codes work without an ad agency or effort for stores or Podcaster, which opens things up for both to jump in.”
About 50 Shopify stores are already onboard. How much commission podcasters will get paid will vary as each Shopify store sets their own rates. Specter says they recommend stores pay 15% and among the first 30 stores to work with podcasters a few pay as much as 20% while a couple pay less. But since a podcaster can work with as many Shopify stores as they choose, how much they earn will vary depending on their commitment and how many promotional messages they want to add to their episodes.
“The commission is on the entire shopping cart, not just a particular product. So the pod is really paid for bringing the customer,” Specter says. Adding to the appeal, he says CodeADX pre-screens the stores. “They all have a story about their products and brand – if they aren’t unique or highest quality, we don’t let them in,” he says. “And all must verify that the listener discount is unmatched and exclusive.”
Specter sees CodeADX’s work with podcasters as a way to help bring more revenue to producers and help to address an imbalance in the ad marketplace that see the top one percent of shows capture a large slice of the ad dollars coming in the medium. While CPM metrics favor those shows, he says their model recognizes that most podcasts have smaller but loyal audiences with a strong connection to their listeners—a connection that’s highly effective at driving sales.
“It doesn’t take a large audience for a commission model to work—just a few engaged listeners making purchases can generate meaningful revenue for a podcaster,” Specter says.
Workhouse Connect President Mike Agovino says CodeADX’s platform addresses a disconnect in how advertising has been bought.
”For years, media buyers prioritized large audiences over smaller shows, even though performance advertisers care more about sales than impressions. CodeADX changes that by making performance campaigns viable for any show,” Agovino says. “With seamless shopping cart integration, sales are tracked by promo codes, letting podcasters earn sales commissions. Now, everybody wins—especially shows that have struggled to monetize.”
Early reaction to CodeADX has been positive. Commission models have existed since the early days of podcasting, Sounds Profitable’s Tom Webster points out, but the logistics kept them from wider use. He thinks CodeADX will change that.
Steve Goldstein, CEO of Amplifi Media, agrees the combination of CodeADX's commission model, combined with its innovative partnerships with Shopify stores, is poised to be a game-changer. “It allows podcasters to generate revenue regardless of audience size—a strategy we've seen succeed in other industries and one we're excited to see applied to podcasting,” Goldstein says.
Specter is a sales and management veteran of radio, having worked in markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. Since 2002, he has been running TuneGenie, the developer of embedded media players for websites.
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