What are the FTC rules for podcast sponsorships?

The FTC Endorsement Guides (revised 2023) require clear and conspicuous disclosure of material connections between advertisers and endorsers. For podcasts, that means pre-roll or in-read disclosure that a segment is an ad, not a recommendation. GeraCast inserts standardised disclosure copy and keeps an audit log of every ad read.

Can I use copyrighted music in my podcast?

Not without a license. Podcasts don’t get the same mechanical-license treatment as radio. Use royalty-free libraries (GeraCast’s built-in library), or license via Epidemic Sound, Soundstripe, Artlist, or directly with the rights holder. The Music Modernization Act of 2018 modernised mechanical licensing primarily for streaming.

What are the AI voice rules under SAG-AFTRA?

SAG-AFTRA’s 2023–2024 contracts (post-strike) impose consent and compensation requirements for synthetic-voice replication of union performers. For non-union voice work the restrictions are lower but the right of publicity (state-level — California, New York, Tennessee ELVIS Act 2024) governs voice cloning. GeraCast requires documented consent before cloning any voice.

How does GeraCast pricing compare?

GeraCast: $19/month starter (AI editing + hosting + distribution), $49/month pro. Descript: $24/month Creator, $50/month Pro. Buzzsprout: $12–$24/month by storage tier. Transistor: $19–$99/month tiered. Riverside: $24/month recording focus. Anchor/Spotify for Podcasters: free; monetisation through Spotify.

GeraCast in the US 2026 — AI Podcasting Beyond Spotify, Descript, and Buzzsprout

US podcasting is entering a second maturity wave. The first wave (2014–2019) was about getting hosting and distribution to work (Libsyn, Blubrry, Buzzsprout, Anchor). The second wave (2020–2025) was about video/audio convergence and AI-assisted production (Descript, Riverside, Adobe Podcast). By 2026 the winning tool combines AI editing, royalty-clean music, distribution, analytics, and the FTC/SAG-AFTRA/right-of-publicity compliance most creators don't want to think about.

The US regulatory layer for podcasts

FTC Endorsement Guides (2023 revisions): sponsored segments must be clearly and conspicuously disclosed. Scripts, ad reads, and host-read endorsements are all covered.
Copyright Act + Music Modernization Act 2018: the MMA modernised mechanical licensing primarily for streaming music services. Podcasts still need direct licenses for copyrighted music.
SAG-AFTRA 2023 Master Contract: post-strike, explicit rules on synthetic voice replication for union performers.
Right of publicity: state-level statutes (California Civil Code § 3344, New York Civil Rights Law §§ 50–51, Tennessee ELVIS Act 2024, Indiana, Tennessee) govern the commercial use of a person's voice or likeness.
Children's content and COPPA if targeting under-13 listeners.
ADA: transcripts improve accessibility and are expected for large-brand podcasts.
DMCA: safe harbour for hosts; takedown process integrated.

AI features with compliance baked in

AI audio cleanup (filler-word removal, de-reverb, voice isolation)
Transcription with speaker diarisation (ADA/accessibility win)
Auto show-notes with chapter markers and timestamps
Voice cloning — only after documented consent from the speaker, with watermarking; union-talent flows require contractual proof
Translation dubs (English ↔ Spanish is the obvious one for US market) with talent-consent gating
FTC disclosure inserter — auto-wraps sponsored segments with compliant copy

Monetisation in the US

Dynamic ad insertion: programmatic marketplace with major US advertisers; CPM-based
Host-read sponsorships: GeraCast marketplace to match podcasts with sponsors
Listener subscriptions: Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Spotify paid shows, and GeraCast's own Stripe-based paid tier
Merchandise and live events via GeraMarket integration

Distribution reach

One upload publishes to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio, YouTube Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Castro, and Google Podcasts successor. Feeds are fully standard RSS with the podcast:transcript and podcast:chapters tags included.

From a Brooklyn solo show to a Seattle interview series

A solo storyteller in Brooklyn records weekly from a home studio, uses AI cleanup and auto show-notes, and distributes via GeraCast at $19/month. A Seattle tech-interview podcast duo uses Riverside for recording, imports into GeraCast for editing and distribution. An LA true-crime podcast monetises via host-read sponsorships and the GeraCast marketplace.

Ecosystem

Upskill as an audio producer with GeraLearn; sell merchandise through GeraMarket; run sponsorship campaigns via the same studio. A Gera Prime Creator bundle waives the first three months of GeraCast Pro.

Sources

FTC — Endorsement Guides and .com Disclosures
US Copyright Office — Music Modernization Act
SAG-AFTRA — 2023 Master Contract on AI voice
California SAG-AFTRA + Tennessee ELVIS Act — right of publicity