How to Advertise on SiriusXM: 2026 Guide, Rates & Tips

TL;DR

SiriusXM advertising puts your message in front of nearly 33 million listeners, mostly high-income adults listening in their cars. The satellite side requires a minimum weekly spend of $10,000 with a $20,000 minimum order, but CPMs run just $1 to $2, making it one of the cheapest national media buys available. You can buy direct through SiriusXM Media, through an independent agency that negotiates on your behalf, or test the waters with AudioGO’s self-serve streaming platform starting at $250. The 2025 launch of SiriusXM Play, an ad-supported music tier, has dramatically expanded available inventory.

SiriusXM advertising has its own vocabulary. If you’ve been pitched by a rep or agency and felt lost somewhere between “value-add,” “affidavit,” and “remnant inventory,” you’re not alone. This guide defines every term you’ll encounter when figuring out how to advertise on SiriusXM, explains what things actually cost, and walks through the three distinct paths to getting your ads on air.

Whether you’re a business owner exploring national audio for the first time or a media buyer comparing SiriusXM to terrestrial radio and podcasts, the goal here is clarity before commitment.

Explore SiriusXM advertising options if you’re already past the research stage and ready to build a campaign.

Quick Answer

If you’re wondering how to advertise on SiriusXM, there are three primary options:

Satellite advertising on SiriusXM typically requires a minimum weekly spend of $10,000, while AudioGO allows businesses to advertise on SiriusXM’s streaming inventory starting around $250. Satellite offers national reach with very low CPMs, whereas AudioGO provides digital targeting and lower entry costs.

Bottom line: Businesses with large national budgets should consider SiriusXM satellite, while smaller advertisers should usually begin with AudioGO or work through an independent media buying agency.

Platform and Audience Terms

Before spending a dollar, you need to understand what SiriusXM actually is from an advertiser’s perspective. It’s not one product. It’s an ecosystem.

SiriusXM (Satellite Radio)

A subscription-based audio platform delivering content via satellite and streaming. SiriusXM reaches nearly 33 million listeners across 72 ad-supported talk channels, various music channels, and partnerships with six major sports leagues. Approximately 90% of subscribers listen in their cars, which means your audience is captive. They can’t scroll past your ad or click away.

SiriusXM Media

The unified advertising sales organization that covers not just SiriusXM satellite but also Pandora, SoundCloud, and the SiriusXM Podcast Network. When you hear that SiriusXM Media reaches more than 170 million listeners and 55% of Americans aged 13 and up, that number includes the entire portfolio, not just satellite radio. This distinction matters because ad inventory, pricing, and targeting differ significantly between satellite and streaming.

SiriusXM Play

Launched in July 2025, SiriusXM Play is the platform’s first low-cost, ad-supported subscription tier, priced at less than $7 per month. This is a big deal for advertisers. Previously, SiriusXM music channels were commercial-free. SiriusXM Play opens over 130 channels to advertising, with roughly half the ad load of traditional AM/FM radio. The company expects to make this tier available to nearly 100 million vehicles by the end of 2025, along with advanced targeting capabilities like dynamic ad insertion and creative channel takeover packages.

Ad-Supported Channel

Any SiriusXM channel that carries advertiser messages. Historically, this meant talk, news, sports, and comedy channels. With SiriusXM Play, music channels now carry ads too, though at a much lighter load than terrestrial radio.

Subscriber Audience

The people hearing your ads. SiriusXM’s audience skews toward the 25-to-54 age bracket, which is the prime demographic for most advertisers. The audience is college-educated, higher-income, and includes a meaningful share of C-suite executives and business owners. Gender splits roughly even across the platform, though individual channels vary. Sports talk channels, for instance, skew heavily male, which is useful if you’re targeting older male audiences.

AudioGO

SiriusXM’s self-serve advertising platform. It lets any business create, schedule, and run audio ads on streaming apps including Pandora, SiriusXM streaming, SoundCloud, and others. Minimums start at $250, making it accessible to small businesses that can’t meet the $10,000 weekly minimum for satellite. Important caveat: AudioGO covers streaming and podcast inventory only. It does not buy satellite broadcast spots.

Ad Format Terms

The format you pick on SiriusXM often matters more than the budget behind it. A mediocre pre-produced spot on the right channel will underperform a strong host read on that same channel every time. Here’s the full menu.

Traditional Radio Spot (Brand Spot)

A pre-produced 30- or 60-second audio advertisement. You (or your agency) write the script, record it with professional voice talent, and deliver the finished file. SiriusXM airs it during commercial breaks on your selected channels. This is the most common format and the baseline for how to advertise on SiriusXM.

One important pricing note: a 60-second spot does not cost twice as much as a 30-second spot. Depending on the buy level, station, seasonality, and demand, you can get up to a 30% discount on the longer format relative to what you’d expect. For more on choosing the right length, see our guide on radio ad length best practices.

Live Read

A show host reads a script promoting your product or service live during the broadcast. Standard length is 60 seconds, though 30-second versions exist. Live reads carry added credibility because listeners have a relationship with the host. When that trusted voice discusses your product, it feels like a recommendation rather than an interruption. On talk and personality-driven programs, live reads and host endorsements represent the most powerful format available.

For a deeper look at making these work, read about using host reads and live endorsements.

Pre-Recorded Host Read

The host records your ad in advance rather than reading it live on air. It still carries the host’s voice and implied endorsement but airs during a standard commercial break. This gives you more control over messaging consistency while retaining the authenticity of a host-voiced spot.

Host Endorsement / Live Endorsement

A subset of the live read where the host weaves your ad into the show’s content more organically. Rather than reading a script verbatim, the host might share a personal experience with the product or naturally transition from a topic into the ad message. These are premium placements and typically require a strong relationship between the advertiser (or agency) and the show.

Billboard

A short advertiser tag, usually about 10 seconds, placed within, before, or after sponsored content. Think of it as a quick brand mention: “This segment brought to you by [Your Company].” Billboards build frequency and brand recognition without requiring a full commercial slot.

Tune-In Promo

A SiriusXM-produced spot that drives listeners to specific sponsored programming, paired with your brand spots. These promos extend your reach by associating your brand with popular shows or events.

Custom Integration / Sponsorship Vignette

Branded segments or custom content created in collaboration with SiriusXM’s in-house creative team (Studio Resonate). These go beyond standard ads into content marketing territory, where your brand is woven into programming.

Presenting Sponsorship

A higher-tier alignment where your brand is the named sponsor of a specific show or segment. “The [Your Brand] Hour” or similar. This carries significant weight on personality-driven talk and sports channels.

Channel Sponsorship / Takeover

Brand integration across an entire channel or genre. SiriusXM has noted that creative channel takeover packages are part of the advanced capabilities rolling out alongside SiriusXM Play in 2025. For advertisers exploring creative formats on talk radio, these represent the most immersive option available.

Buying and Pricing Terms

This is where most business owners get tripped up. SiriusXM advertising pricing isn’t published on a simple rate card you can pull up and compare. Understanding these terms will keep you from overpaying or misunderstanding what you’re buying.

Minimum Spend

SiriusXM satellite advertising requires a minimum weekly spend of $10,000 with a minimum order of $20,000, which typically covers a two-week flight. That minimum may or may not get you the number of spots you want or the channels you want, since some channels cost more than others. For context on how this compares to other audio advertising, check the radio ads pricing and rates guide.

CPM (Cost Per Thousand)

The cost to reach 1,000 listeners. SiriusXM satellite CPMs average $1 to $2, which is remarkably low. That’s roughly a quarter of what you’d pay for Google search ads, 10 to 50 times cheaper than Pandora or Spotify streaming ads, and 10 to 30 times less expensive than traditional AM/FM radio. The trade-off is that you’re buying national reach without local geo-targeting on the satellite side.

Flight

A defined campaign run period. A “two-week flight” means your ads run for two weeks. Flights can be structured weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Regular advertisers often run recurring flights to maintain frequency and listener familiarity, and SiriusXM typically rewards that consistency.

Rate Card

The published pricing for ad placements. In practice, experienced buyers rarely pay rate card prices. Negotiation is expected, and the actual price you pay depends on your total spend, campaign length, channel selection, and whether you’re buying through an agency with existing relationships.

Remnant Advertising on SiriusXM

This is a genuine point of confusion. In terrestrial radio, “remnant” means unsold inventory available at steep discounts, sometimes 40% to 70% off rate card. On SiriusXM, the picture is murkier. One competitor agency (RaptorUSA) explicitly warns that “SiriusXM does not have remnant advertising” and cautions buyers to be wary of anyone claiming otherwise. Other agencies negotiate discounted or “test” rates that function similarly to remnant pricing without being labeled as such.

The honest answer: SiriusXM’s satellite inventory is more tightly controlled than terrestrial radio, so true last-minute remnant deals are less common. But negotiated rates below rate card are absolutely possible, especially through independent agencies with buying power. Learn more about how remnant radio advertising works across platforms.

Value-Add

Bonus inventory or extras that SiriusXM provides to regular advertisers at no additional cost. Practitioners on forums and agency sites report that even advertisers running modest recurring campaigns (monthly or quarterly, with flights as short as two weeks) are typically offered “a lot of free stuff.” This can include extra spots, billboards, or tune-in promos that amplify your campaign without increasing spend.

Affidavit

Post-run documentation proving your spots aired as scheduled. Like traditional broadcast media, SiriusXM provides affidavits for reconciliation. You use these to verify that what you paid for actually ran, and they’re essential if your agency is tracking cost-per-response or cost-per-lead.

Make-Good

A replacement spot offered when an ad doesn’t run as scheduled, or when a spot airs incorrectly. Make-goods are standard practice across broadcast media. If SiriusXM misses a scheduled placement, they owe you a comparable replacement.

Daypart

Time-of-day targeting. On terrestrial radio, you might buy “morning drive” (6am to 10am) or “afternoon drive” (3pm to 7pm) at premium rates. On SiriusXM satellite, daypart control is more limited. Ads generally run between 6am and midnight EST, and precise daypart selection isn’t always available at standard pricing tiers. This is one of the trade-offs of SiriusXM’s lower CPMs.

Preemptible Inventory

Spots that can be bumped by a higher-paying advertiser. This concept is more common in terrestrial radio, where a last-minute national buy might displace a local advertiser’s spots. On SiriusXM, preemptible inventory is less of an issue given the national-only structure, but it’s worth understanding when comparing media buys across platforms.

Is SiriusXM Advertising Worth the Cost?

Whether SiriusXM advertising delivers a positive return depends on three factors:

Advertisers with nationwide products generally see stronger returns than businesses serving only one local market.

Targeting and Measurement Terms

One of the most common questions about how to advertise on SiriusXM is “can I target specific audiences?” The answer depends on whether you’re buying satellite or streaming inventory.

Channel Selection / Channel Targeting

Your primary targeting lever on satellite. SiriusXM organizes channels by genre: news, politics, sports (with six major league partnerships), comedy, business, entertainment, and now music via SiriusXM Play. Choosing the right channels is how you reach the right audience. A financial services company advertising on business and news channels will reach a very different listener than one buying spots on comedy channels.

National-Only Distribution

SiriusXM satellite ads reach all U.S. subscribers simultaneously. There is no zip-code or DMA-level geo-targeting on the satellite side. If you need local reach, terrestrial AM/FM radio is the better fit. SiriusXM has noted they can help target for or against certain variables on the streaming side, where some demographic and geographic targeting is possible. But the core satellite product is national only.

For advertisers who need local presence, consider pairing SiriusXM with market-specific buys in cities like New York or Los Angeles.

Share of Voice (SOV)

Your ad’s percentage of total ad time on a given channel. This is where SiriusXM’s lighter ad load becomes a real advantage. SiriusXM runs roughly 50% fewer ads than terrestrial radio, meaning each advertiser gets a higher share of voice. Fewer competing messages means your ad gets more attention per airing.

Brand Lift Study

SiriusXM partners with Veritonic to measure the creative impact of your campaign, including awareness, recall, and favorability metrics. Brand lift studies are typically available for larger campaigns and provide evidence of whether your ads are actually moving the needle on brand perception.

Attribution

Connecting ad exposure to a downstream action like a website visit, app download, or purchase. SiriusXM works with ArtsAI and LeadsRX for mid-funnel attribution tracking. These tools help bridge the gap between hearing an ad in the car and taking action on a phone or computer later. For a deeper look at making this work, see our guide on attributing radio leads to sales.

Call Tracking

Using unique phone numbers for each campaign, channel, or flight to attribute inbound calls directly to SiriusXM. This is the bread and butter of direct-response advertisers on the platform. Forum users on RadioDiscussions.com note they hear many recurring direct-response ads on SiriusXM (think “Big Lou” life insurance, Optima Tax Relief), which signals that DR advertisers dominate because they can measure results precisely through call tracking.

If you’re running a direct-response campaign, adding call tracking is non-negotiable.

Response Tracking

Broader than call tracking, response tracking encompasses web visits, promo code usage, and call volume spikes tied to specific spot times. By correlating when your ads air with spikes in website traffic or phone calls, you can build a clear picture of what’s working. One financial services company reportedly advertised on SiriusXM for just one year and grew their business 77%, attributing 65% of that growth to SiriusXM specifically.

Step-by-Step: How to Advertise on SiriusXM

1. Define your campaign objective.

2. Determine your available budget.

3. Choose satellite, streaming, or agency buying.

4. Select channels that match your audience.

5. Produce a 30- or 60-second commercial.

6. Review targeting and schedule.

7. Launch your campaign.

8. Monitor calls, web traffic, and conversions.

9. Optimize future flights using campaign data.

How to Buy: The Three Paths

There are three distinct ways to advertise on SiriusXM, and choosing the right one depends on your budget, goals, and how much control you want over the process.

Path 1: Buying Direct Through SiriusXM Media

Contact SiriusXM’s ad sales team directly. This works best for large brands, national advertisers with significant budgets, or agencies with established relationships. You’ll work with SiriusXM reps who can offer the full range of formats, from standard spots to custom sponsorships and channel takeovers. The downside is that you’re negotiating with the seller directly, which means there’s no independent advocate pushing for lower rates on your behalf.

Path 2: Buying Through an Independent Agency

Independent media buying agencies negotiate across SiriusXM, AM/FM, podcasts, and sometimes TV on behalf of advertisers. The advantage is that an agency isn’t tied to any one platform’s sales quota. They can compare rates, push for better pricing, and package SiriusXM with other media to build a more complete campaign. Some agencies, including Berk Marketing, also include ad scriptwriting, voiceover, and production at no extra charge with the media buy, which removes a significant cost barrier for first-time advertisers.

Get a free SiriusXM media plan from an independent agency that represents advertisers, not broadcasters.

Path 3: Self-Serve via AudioGO

AudioGO is SiriusXM’s self-serve platform with minimums as low as $250. It’s ideal for small businesses testing digital audio or for advertisers who want streaming and podcast inventory without committing to a five-figure satellite buy. You can target across Pandora, SiriusXM streaming, SoundCloud, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and more. The critical distinction: AudioGO does not cover satellite broadcast inventory. A $250 AudioGO streaming campaign is a completely different product from a $20,000 satellite flight.

Why the Path Matters

Understanding these three options prevents the most common mistake new SiriusXM advertisers make: confusing streaming audio ads with satellite broadcast ads. The audiences, pricing, ad loads, and measurement capabilities are different. A satellite buy at $10,000 per week reaches 33 million subscribers through their car speakers during lean commercial breaks. A $250 AudioGO buy reaches streaming listeners across multiple apps with standard digital audio targeting. Both have value, but they serve different strategic purposes.

SiriusXM Advertising Options Compared

Common Confusion Points

SiriusXM Music for Business vs. SiriusXM Advertising

SiriusXM Music for Business is a licensed background music service for retail stores, restaurants, and offices. SiriusXM advertising is placing your ad in front of SiriusXM’s subscriber audience. These are completely different products sold by different divisions. Don’t confuse them when researching how to advertise on SiriusXM.

“Commercial-Free” vs. Ad-Supported Channels

For years, SiriusXM’s marketing emphasized commercial-free music. That was true, and it’s partly why subscribers pay. But talk, news, sports, and comedy channels have always carried ads. The 2025 launch of SiriusXM Play changes things further by introducing ads on music channels for the first time, though at a much lighter load than AM/FM radio.

Is SiriusXM Advertising Only for Big Brands?

No. SiriusXM explicitly welcomes small business advertisers. But the $10,000 weekly satellite minimum does create a natural floor. Businesses with smaller budgets can start on AudioGO’s streaming platform at $250 to test messaging and audience response before scaling into satellite. Many successful SiriusXM advertisers started with modest test flights and scaled up after seeing results.

Can I Target Locally on SiriusXM?

Not on satellite. Satellite distribution is national only. If you need to reach listeners in a specific city or region, terrestrial AM/FM radio is the better channel, either alone or paired with a national SiriusXM campaign for broader reach. SiriusXM’s streaming side does allow some geographic and demographic targeting, but that’s a different inventory pool than satellite.

Putting It All Together

SiriusXM advertising gives you access to a national, captive, high-income audience at CPMs that make most other media look expensive by comparison. The platform’s 2025 expansion with SiriusXM Play has massively increased available inventory, and advanced targeting capabilities are rolling out throughout the year.

The terminology can be intimidating, but the underlying logic is straightforward. Pick your channels based on who you want to reach. Choose a format that matches your goals (host reads for credibility, brand spots for scale, sponsorships for presence). Understand the minimums. Track everything.

If you want an independent team to build a custom SiriusXM media plan, negotiate rates, write your scripts, and produce your ads at no extra charge, reach out for a free consultation. Campaigns can launch in as little as 24 hours.

Pros and Cons of SiriusXM Advertising

Advantages

• Extremely low CPM compared to many digital channels

• Affluent listener demographics

• High in-car listening rates

• Less advertising clutter than AM/FM radio

• Premium talk, sports, and news programming

• Growing inventory through SiriusXM Play

Disadvantages

• High satellite minimum spend

• No local targeting on satellite

• Attribution can be more difficult than digital ads

• Limited daypart control

• Better suited to branding than immediate lead generation for some industries

Who Should Advertise on SiriusXM?

SiriusXM works particularly well for advertisers that benefit from broad national awareness and longer customer lifecycles.

It may be a strong fit if you are:

• National ecommerce brands

• Financial services

• Insurance companies

• Automotive brands

• Healthcare companies

• Home services franchises

• Universities

• Travel companies

• Business software companies

• Legal services

It may not be the best choice if:

• You only serve one city

• Your budget is under $10,000

• You need immediate local leads

• You rely heavily on geographic targeting

For many advertisers, combining SiriusXM with local radio, paid search, or social advertising produces stronger overall results than relying on one channel alone.

SiriusXM Advertising Alternatives

Businesses comparing SiriusXM often evaluate other audio advertising platforms, including:

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to advertise on SiriusXM?

SiriusXM satellite advertising requires a minimum weekly spend of $10,000 and a minimum order of $20,000 (typically a two-week flight). CPMs average $1 to $2. The self-serve AudioGO streaming platform starts at $250, but that covers streaming inventory only, not satellite.

Is SiriusXM advertising national only?

On the satellite side, yes. Your ads reach all U.S. subscribers with no geographic targeting. SiriusXM’s streaming inventory allows some geo and demographic targeting, and AudioGO provides additional digital targeting options across multiple streaming platforms.

What ad formats are available on SiriusXM?

The full menu includes pre-produced 30- and 60-second brand spots, live reads, pre-recorded host reads, host endorsements, billboards, tune-in promos, custom integrations, sponsorship vignettes, and channel takeovers. Host reads and live endorsements tend to deliver the strongest results on talk and personality-driven channels.

Does SiriusXM offer remnant advertising?

This is contested. Some agencies state that SiriusXM does not have true remnant inventory. Others negotiate discounted or “test” rates that function similarly. The honest answer is that negotiated pricing below rate card is possible, especially through experienced independent agencies, but it’s not the same as the remnant market on terrestrial AM/FM radio.

What is SiriusXM Play and how does it affect advertisers?

SiriusXM Play is a new ad-supported subscription tier launched in July 2025 at less than $7 per month. It opens over 130 channels (including music channels that were previously ad-free) to advertisers, with about half the ad load of traditional radio. This significantly expands the inventory available to brands learning how to advertise on SiriusXM.

Can small businesses advertise on SiriusXM?

Yes, but the path matters. The $10,000 weekly satellite minimum puts traditional SiriusXM advertising out of reach for very small budgets. AudioGO’s self-serve streaming platform, with a $250 minimum, offers a lower-cost entry point for testing audio advertising across SiriusXM streaming, Pandora, and other apps.

How do I track results from SiriusXM advertising?

Use unique phone numbers (call tracking) for each campaign or channel, dedicated landing pages or promo codes for web attribution, and SiriusXM’s measurement partners (Veritonic for brand lift, ArtsAI and LeadsRX for mid-funnel attribution). Correlating call and web traffic spikes with spot air times is the most straightforward method for direct-response campaigns.

What’s the difference between buying direct and using an agency?

Buying direct through SiriusXM Media means negotiating with the seller. Using an independent agency means having an advocate who negotiates on your behalf, compares rates across platforms, and isn’t tied to SiriusXM’s sales targets. Agencies can also handle creative production, trafficking, and tracking, which simplifies the process for advertisers without in-house media teams.