How to run a radio advertising supplier comparison

What to take away

A radio advertising supplier comparison is a scored, like-for-like assessment of stations, sales houses and audio platforms against your brief.
Ask every supplier for the same packrate card, audience data, make-good terms, copy deadlines and technical specs.
Price per thousand impressions means something only when the audience definition and daypart match across quotes.
Check commercial radio licences and advertising code duties before you sign, not after the first campaign runs.
Score suppliers on four weighted areasaudience fit, price, operations and compliance.

The Radio advertising: tools and supplier guide for 2027 sets out the wider market, so use it alongside this comparison method rather than repeating its groundwork.

Decide what you are buying before you ask for quotes

A supplier comparison fails when the brief is vague. Write down the objective, the audience, the regions and the dates, then decide whether you want spots, sponsorship, presenter reads or addressable audio.

Match supplier type to deliverable

What deliverable do you need?

Yes

Spots or sponsorship -> National sales house

Station airtime -> Single station

Supplier types sell different things. A national sales house bundles stations, a single station sells its own airtime, an audio platform sells addressable inventory. Only compare them when the deliverable matches.

Examples to consider include commercial radio groups Global (including Capital and Classic FM) and Bauer Media Audio UK (including Absolute Radio and Magic Radio). For digital audio, consider Spotify Advertising and Acast; compare only inventory that matches your brief.

ONS digital economy data can help explain the wider context of digital advertising, but it does not establish a radio supplier's audience or rate. Use supplier-specific audience evidence and written quotes for the comparison.

Build a like-for-like quote pack

Send every supplier the same request: current daypart pricing and rate-card basis, an audience estimate with a named source, make-good terms, copy deadlines and audio file specifications. For UK radio audiences, ask for relevant RAJAR data; for other audio inventory, ask the supplier to identify its measurement source.

Microsoft documents accepted audio advertising formats in its advertising API, a useful benchmark when suppliers ask for different file types and lengths.

Where a radio supplier cannot provide relevant RAJAR data, or another audio supplier cannot name its measurement source, mark the quote incomplete. A missing audience figure is a scoring failure, not a detail to chase later.

Normalise the numbers

Convert every quote to a cost per thousand impressions using the same audience definition. Adults 15+ across a week and adults 25 to 54 at breakfast are different products.

For example, a team paying £400 for a schedule reaching 20,000 listeners is at £20 per thousand, but that only travels if the audience base matches the other quotes.

Check compliance and rights before scoring

Commercial radio stations in the UK hold licences from Ofcom; check the station in Ofcom's broadcast licensing database. Radio ads must comply with the BCAP Code (the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising), administered by the ASA; the Ofcom Broadcasting Code also applies to broadcasters' editorial content and sponsorship. Ask whether copy is pre-cleared by Radiocentre's Radio Advertising Clearance Centre (RACC), who holds the licence and what happens if a complaint is upheld.

For music-led spots, ask the supplier to confirm in writing who is responsible for securing the music rights and whether the quoted package covers them. Include that responsibility in your comparison.

If the supplier cannot confirm the licence, copy-clearance route or responsibility for music rights, mark the quote incomplete. Resolve those points before scoring or signing.

Score the shortlist

Weight four areas. Audience fit carries the most weight, because reach without relevance wastes budget. Then price, operational reliability, and compliance and rights, combined as one area.

Score each supplier out of five and multiply by the weight. Keep the raw quotes attached so a colleague can audit the decision later.

Comparison checklist

Brief written with objective, audience, regions and dates.
Same quote pack sent to every supplier, including current daypart prices and rate-card basis.
RAJAR data for radio audiences, or a named measurement source for other audio quotes.
Cost per thousand calculated on one audience definition.
Ofcom licence checked; BCAP Code and ASA compliance, copy-clearance route and complaint process confirmed.
Technical specs for audio files agreed in writing.
Make-good, pre-emption and cancellation terms in the contract.
Weighted scores recorded with the raw quotes attached.

Common questions

How many suppliers should I compare?

Three to five is usually enough to see the market without turning the exercise into a full-time job. Include one supplier type you have not used before.

Should I compare on price first?

No. Start with audience fit, because a cheap schedule that misses your buyers is the most expensive option. Price only ranks suppliers once the audience definitions match.

What if a supplier will not share audience data?

For radio, ask for relevant RAJAR data; for other audio, ask the supplier to name its measurement source. Without a named source you cannot normalise cost per thousand across the shortlist.

When should legal or finance review the contract?

Before signature, once the shortlist is down to two. Ask them to check make-good terms, cancellation windows and any rights language attached to music or presenter content.