specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Spreaker
providerId: spreaker
created: '2026-07-05'
modified: '2026-07-05'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Podcasting
- Podcast Hosting
- Monetization
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Spreaker spend. Spreaker (owned by iHeartMedia) bills podcast
  hosting on flat monthly subscription tiers - Free Speech (0 USD), Broadcaster
  (20 USD), Anchorman (50 USD), and Publisher (250 USD) - rather than on API
  call volume or metered usage. The API itself is included with the account, so
  the primary cost driver is the subscription tier and the features it unlocks
  (statistics retention, private podcasts, collaborators, and the direct ad
  campaign manager). Spreaker is also a revenue source, not only a cost: creators
  earn from programmatic ads, listener subscriptions, and the Supporters Club,
  where the Supporters Club fee drops from 20 percent on the free tier to 0
  percent on paid tiers.
notes: >-
  Because billing is flat-rate per tier, cost is predictable and does not scale
  with API traffic. Optimize by matching the tier to the features actually used
  and by factoring in monetization revenue that offsets the subscription. Verify
  current tier prices on https://www.spreaker.com/plans.
sources:
- https://www.spreaker.com/plans
- https://developers.spreaker.com/guides/
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Spreaker
serviceCategory: Media and Podcasting
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Subscription
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
  - Credit
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Spreaker Podcast Hosting
  ServiceCategory: Media and Podcasting
  ProviderName: Spreaker
  PublisherName: Spreaker
  InvoiceIssuerName: Spreaker
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
  PricingCategory: Subscription
meters:
- name: subscription_tier
  description: Flat monthly subscription fee for the account's plan (Free Speech, Broadcaster, Anchorman, or Publisher).
  unit: months
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - plan
- name: ad_revenue
  description: Revenue earned by the creator from programmatic ad monetization (a credit against cost, not a charge).
  unit: currency
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - show
- name: subscription_revenue
  description: Revenue from listener subscriptions and the Supporters Club, net of the tier's Supporters Club fee.
  unit: currency
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - account
  - show
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track the flat monthly subscription cost per account and attribute it to the podcasts and teams using the account.
- name: Allocation
  description: Map each show and its collaborators to a cost center so the single account fee is allocated across workloads.
- name: Optimization
  description: Right-size the tier to the features actually used (stats retention, private podcasts, collaborators, ad campaign manager) and weigh subscription cost against ad and subscription revenue earned on the platform.
- name: Accountability
  description: Review the tier monthly against feature usage and monetization; downgrade or upgrade as podcast volume and ad-sales needs change.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com