A baked-in ad is a type of advertisement that’s permanently included in your episode’s audio file. These are also sometimes called embedded ads because they’re part of the original recording and cannot be dynamically replaced or updated.

💡 Just a note: Promos that mention your own show or another podcast (often called cross-promos) aren’t considered ads in this context.

Yes — you’re still welcome to join Acast Marketplace, even if your episodes contain baked-in ads. Learn how to apply here.

However, it’s important to understand how this impacts your eligibility for different types of monetization. If you continue to include your own commercial messaging (such as host-read or third-party ads), you’ll be eligible for Acast Ads, but Acast Sponsorships may not be available for your show.

To learn more about the difference between Ads and Sponsorships on Acast, read this guide.