Why Do I See $0 in My PAID Balance?

It’s normal to see little or no earnings in the early days of using PAID. Here’s why.

How PAID Works

PAID (Programmatic Ads Inserted Dynamically) lets you start monetizing your podcast with as few as 10 downloads per month . Ads can appear as pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll (depending on what you enable).

Earnings are based on CPM (Cost Per 1,000 impressions). For example:

• 100 downloads × 5 ad slots = 500 potential impressions
• With a $5 CPM, each impression is worth $0.005
• If every impression sold, that’s $2.50 potential earnings

But here’s the key: advertisers rarely buy 100% of your available inventory. Fill rates usually run 50–75%, so your actual earnings will be lower, sometimes much lower.

Why You Might See $0

• Few downloads = few impressions. With small numbers, it’s common that no ads are served or only a handful.
• Fill rate matters. Ads only appear when advertisers target your specific audience. If there’s no match, impressions go unfilled.
• Payout thresholds. Even if you earn cents, balances display as $0 until they accumulate past reporting and payout minimums.

Why PAID Is Still Valuable

Without PAID, you’d earn $0 from those impressions. With PAID:

• You can start generating revenue instantly, even if it’s small at first
• You don’t need to chase sponsors
• You build habits that grow your show toward bigger earnings

Think of PAID as your first step into monetization, not a quick payday. The more downloads you get, the more impressions you create, and the higher the chances advertisers will buy them.

The Takeaway

If your PAID balance shows $0, it doesn’t mean it’s broken, it means you’re still early in the journey. Focus on growing your audience. As downloads grow, so will impressions, fill rates, and your earnings.

Even if the first deposits are just cents, it’s proof your podcast can generate revenue.