Radio Ad Cost Calculator
Estimate what a local radio advertising campaign will cost — production plus airtime — and see how much AI production saves vs. a traditional studio.
What does a radio ad actually cost?
Radio advertising has two separate costs: production (making the ad) and airtime (running it). Most local businesses focus entirely on airtime and treat production as an afterthought — which is how they end up with a mediocre spot that wastes the airtime they're paying for.
Traditional production runs $500–$2,000 per spot through a studio or agency. AI production through Audair runs $29.99/month for a Starter plan covering 10 ads — or $9.99 for a single ad download.
Airtime cost reference by market
| Market Size | :15 spot | :30 spot | :60 spot | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<100k) | $15–60 | $25–120 | $40–200 | Local AM/FM, community stations |
| Medium (100k–500k) | $50–200 | $80–350 | $130–600 | Regional stations, morning drive premium |
| Large (500k–1M) | $100–400 | $150–700 | $250–1,200 | Mid-size metro, competitive dayparts |
| Major (1M+) | $300–1,000 | $500–2,000 | $800–4,000 | Top-50 markets, peak dayparts |
| Streaming (Pandora/iHeart) | $15–40 CPM | $15–40 CPM | $15–40 CPM | Cost per 1,000 impressions; geo-targeted |
Make your ad first — it's free
Generate a script, add AI voice and music, and get a broadcast-ready MP3. Then decide where to run it. First ad is free, no credit card required.
Build my ad →