Podcast monetization is commonly framed as a zero-sum recreation that pits the intimacy of host-read adverts towards the size of programmatic.

Gumball, a startup centered on streamlining the method for purchasing host-read adverts in podcasts, is aiming to mix the 2.

On Tuesday, Gumball introduced a $10 million Collection A spherical, bringing its whole funding since 2019 to $12 million. Buyers within the present spherical embody Union Sq. Ventures, Good Mates, Craft Ventures, Vertical Enterprise Companions, Animal Capital, Calm Ventures, Gaingels and Riverside Ventures.

Gumball plans to make use of the funding to lift its profile as {the marketplace} for host-read adverts, mentioned Gumball COO Amir Cohen.

The corporate was launched as an offshoot of Headgum, a comedy podcast community based in 2015. The Gumball community has since grown its roster of podcasts to greater than 150 reveals, together with Headgum Originals, podcasts within the Headgum Community and impartial podcasters.

Gumball has expertise that helps scale the shopping for course of for host-read adverts, together with shopping for stock, planning and measurement campaigns – a course of “which traditionally has been tremendous clunky and takes a very long time,” Cohen mentioned.

The present mannequin for purchasing host-read adverts additionally hasn’t modified a lot in about 20 years.

“The entire expertise takes a number of weeks, from doing an RFP to discovering out the accessible stock to reserving, then pushing by way of copy factors for the advert inventive, gathering airchecks and really managing the marketing campaign,” Cohen mentioned.

The thought with Gumball is to standardize the host-read advert unit so entrepreneurs should buy the identical means throughout all reveals with clear pricing and scheduling availability data.

As soon as potential patrons are accepted by the Gumball community, they will log right into a dashboard to see accessible advert stock, seek for placements that match their standards and immediately e-book open spots. Gumball mass distributes the customer’s advert copy to podcast hosts who report the phase in a means that fits their present.

Advert spots are normally 60 seconds in size and seem as pre-roll or mid-roll, with most reveals promoting 4 to 6 spots per episode. These advert spots are aligned to episodic impressions, with most of Gumball’s podcasts publishing weekly.

Gumball prices by weekly impressions slightly than month-to-month flights throughout catalog impressions or different show-specific flighting home windows. Prior to now, there hasn’t been a standardized means to do that. By standardizing the shopping for course of throughout all reveals within the market, patrons can extra simply and shortly scale their campaigns, Cohen mentioned.

However Gumball doesn’t facilitate the supply of open market programmatic adverts.

“That’s an apparent easier-to-scale resolution for advertisers in the event that they need to run low cost remnant adverts throughout a ton of ears,” Cohen mentioned, “however these adverts don’t are likely to carry out as effectively.”

Gumball will use its new funding to construct out its engineering and advertising and marketing features, increase its present workplaces in Los Angeles and New York Metropolis and construct state-of-the-art podcast studios for content material creators, Cohen mentioned.

The corporate plans to develop its headcount to 30 this yr from 20 in the present day, which is up from 15 individuals on the crew as of final yr.