Gumball
Gumball is a self-serve marketplace that connects podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for host-read advertising, serving over 2,024 creators and 1,190 brands with transparent CPM pricing, Gumshoe analytics, and LightningPay expedited payouts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Gumball does
Gumball, operated by Headgum, Inc. and headquartered in Los Angeles, operates a self-serve two-sided marketplace that connects podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for host-read advertising. The platform lists over 2,024 creators and 1,190 brands and has facilitated 46,000+ host-read ads to date; advertisers can browse shows filtered by genre, audience demographics, format, and airing window, then book campaigns directly through the Campaign Builder with transparent CPM-based pricing. The product stack comprises the Gumball Marketplace, the Gumshoe analytics layer (which uses prefix URLs, pixel tracking, and YouTube Data API integration to verify impressions and verified views), LightningPay (an expedited Stripe-backed payout system charging a 5% fee), the Campaign Builder self-service tool, Audience Surveys (21 demographic questions plus up to 5 custom), and Adaptive Ads (AI-customized host-read copy tied to episode context).
Gumball firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gumball
- Legal name
- Headgum, Inc.
- Website
- https://gumball.fm
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Gumball is a self-serve marketplace that connects podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for host-read advertising, serving over 2,024 creators and 1,190 brands with transparent CPM pricing, Gumshoe analytics, and LightningPay expedited payouts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gumball industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Podcast Advertising Marketplace
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms (MPACADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)
Keywords
Where Gumball is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gumball business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Marketplace Commission: Gumball retains a Marketplace Fee from Gross Revenue on all advertiser purchases as commission for platform services. Net Revenue (Gross Revenue minus Marketplace Fee) is distributed to podcasters.
- LightningPay Fee: 5% service fee deducted from Net Revenue when creators opt for expedited LightningPay payouts versus standard 30-day payment schedule.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | CPM-based pricing per show |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Creator eligibility minimum |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Gumball product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gumball operates a self-serve marketplace connecting podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for standardized host-read advertising campaigns. The platform enables advertisers to browse shows, filter by genre and audience demographics, set budgets, and book campaigns directly, while creators manage inventory, deliver ads, and receive payments. Key modules include Gumshoe for delivery verification, LightningPay for expedited payouts, Campaign Builder for self-service campaign management, and support for Integrated, Embedded, Dynamic, and Simulcast ad formats.
Product overview
Gumball is a podcast and YouTube advertising marketplace platform operated by Headgum, Inc. The core product is the Gumball Marketplace, a self-service platform connecting podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for host-read advertising. The platform integrates several key modules: Gumshoe (analytics and ad delivery tracking), LightningPay (expedited creator payments), Campaign Builder (advertiser campaign management), and Audience Surveys (audience insights). The platform supports multiple ad formats including Integrated/Baked-In ads, Dynamic ads, Embedded ads, and Simulcast (audio + video) ads. Advertisers can browse shows, book campaigns, and track delivery through the marketplace, while creators manage inventory, deliver ads, and receive payments through their dashboard.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LightningPay: Proprietary payment system allowing creators to receive expedited payouts for advertisements.
- Gumshoe
Products and services
- Gumball Marketplace The core marketplace platform connecting podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for host-read advertising. Enables direct booking of ad spots with transparent pricing, real-time inventory management, and standardized ad units across thousands of shows.
- Gumshoe Unified analytics system for tracking ad delivery across podcast and YouTube inventory. Provides real-time campaign progress monitoring, audience demographic insights, and payment verification through prefix URLs, pixels, and YouTube API integration.
- LightningPay
Quantifiable outcome
- 52% of podcast listeners are likely to take recommendations directly from podcast hosts
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gumball
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Gumball technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Gumball partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gumball competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AdvertiseCast: AdvertiseCast runs a programmatic and direct podcast advertising marketplace connecting advertisers with podcasters for host-read and dynamically inserted ads. It competes with Gumball in marketplace-based host-read ad buying and uses similar CPM-based pricing models.
- Midroll (SiriusXM): Midroll is a podcast advertising network owned by SiriusXM that sells host-read ads across a roster of independent podcasts. It is a direct competitor to Gumball on the advertiser demand side, offering similar host-read inventory and agency-style campaign management.
- Acast: Acast operates a global podcast hosting and advertising marketplace that connects independent creators with brand advertisers for host-read sponsorships. It is the closest direct competitor to Gumball in the host-read podcast ad marketplace category, with overlapping supply (independent podcasters) and demand (brand advertisers) and similar marketplace commission economics.
Emerging players
- Podscribe: Podscribe provides podcast advertising attribution and analytics, overlapping with Gumball's Gumshoe tracking layer. While not a direct marketplace competitor, it competes on the measurement and ROI-verification side of host-read advertising that advertisers use to justify spend.
- Magellan AI: Magellan AI is a podcast advertising analytics and verification platform that competes with Gumball's Gumshoe product on measurement. While narrower in scope than Gumball's full marketplace, it serves overlapping advertiser and agency customers with podcast ad intelligence.
Broad incumbents
- SoundCloud: SoundCloud offers creator monetization and audio advertising products on top of its audio streaming platform. It is a broad incumbent in the audio/podcast advertising space that overlaps with Gumball on creator monetization and audio host-read inventory.
- iHeartMedia Podcast Network: iHeartMedia operates one of the largest podcast networks in the US and sells host-read advertising at scale across its owned and partner shows. It is a broad incumbent competitor overlapping with Gumball's advertiser value proposition but at much larger inventory scale.
- Spotify (Ad Studio / Megaphone): Spotify owns Megaphone and offers Spotify Ad Studio, providing podcast and audio ad inventory at scale across the Spotify platform and through Megaphone-hosted shows. As a broad incumbent, Spotify competes with Gumball for advertiser podcast budgets while also controlling large swaths of creator supply.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gumball social profiles
Digital presenceGumball financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gumball leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Gumball funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors8 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gumball M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gumball
What does Gumball do?
Gumball operates a self-serve marketplace connecting podcast and YouTube creators with brand advertisers for standardized host-read advertising campaigns. The platform enables advertisers to browse shows, filter by genre and audience demographics, set budgets, and book campaigns directly, while creators manage inventory, deliver ads, and receive payments. Key modules include Gumshoe for delivery verification, LightningPay for expedited payouts, Campaign Builder for self-service campaign management, and support for Integrated, Embedded, Dynamic, and Simulcast ad formats.
Is Gumball a public or private company?
Gumball is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Gumball founded?
Gumball was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Gumball based?
Gumball is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gumball make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Marketplace Commission is the primary driver. The others are lightningPay Fee.
Who are Gumball's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AdvertiseCast, Midroll (SiriusXM) and Acast. Emerging players are Podscribe and Magellan AI. Broad incumbents are SoundCloud, iHeartMedia Podcast Network and Spotify (Ad Studio / Megaphone).
Does Gumball have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gumball.
What industry is Gumball in?
Gumball's product category is Podcast Advertising Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAD, Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAE, Audio Production & Podcasting. Its NAICS code is 541830 and its SIC code is 7310.