to show that you can make money with a podcast.

How To Make Money With A Podcast

By Eric Montgomery | November 25, 2024

In our last article, we covered podcast advertising agencies, and how to use them to secure sponsorships for your podcast.

But in reality, if your show isn’t getting 10,000-plus downloads per episode, it’ll be difficult to partner with an agency and get ad space sold for your show.

Fortunately, there are various other ways to make money with a podcast that don’t require sponsorships.

That’s what we’ll be covering in this article.

Make Money With Premium Content

Patreon

Offering premium content is a great way to make money with a podcast and give your audience something special that isn’t a part of the standard show.

If you’re a regular podcast listener, you’ve probably heard of Patreon.

If you haven’t, here’s the skinny: Patreon is a monthly membership site that content creators use to give their fans exclusive content. Patreon offers fans various levels of membership.

As the offerings go up, so does the monthly fee that audiences pay.

Exclusive Content Ideas for Patreon

Bonus segments
Q&As with listeners
Outtakes
Full episodes
A video version of the show
Live hangouts
Merchandise
Community forums

Patreon gives podcasters a private RSS feed where fans can access all of the bonus content.

Having a platform to grow a community that exists outside of the gatekeepers is key for controlling and executing your vision.

Podcasters can use this to begin building income in exchange for offering extra value.

By offering your fans a forum to connect, you’re building up your tribe.

FOMO will kick in for those who aren’t part of the exclusive club, and they’ll wind up wanting to join your Patreon.

Supercast

Supercast is a subscription podcasting platform. Podcasters can monetize their podcast while remaining in full control of their content.

Supercast integrates with all the major podcast players, so you don’t have to pull your listeners off their favorite listening app.

They can subscribe to the private feed from wherever they listen.

The built-in community aspect of the app is a great way to connect deeper with fans.

It has an AMA (Ask Me Anything) tool, where listeners can connect with hosts and other fans.

You’ll never lose your relationship with your audience.

Creators can see their subscribers’ names and email addresses and have access to export this info into the email marketing platform they use.

If you’re thinking about going private, this could be a solid way to make money from your podcast.

Not sure if your listeners would be interested in some premium content?

Ask them.

You may find that there’s a percentage of your listenership that would love to connect with you on a more personal level.

As we all know, humans love feeling like they’re a part of something special.

If you’ve got some ideas for exclusive content, you could be well on your way to monetization.

Apple Podcast Subscriptions

Apple Podcast Subscriptions is a premium feature that allows podcasters to offer exclusive content to their listeners for a monthly fee. Podcasters can create subscription tiers, providing access to ad-free episodes, early releases, or exclusive bonus content.

Subscribers can access this content directly within the Apple Podcasts app, ensuring a seamless listening experience. Apple manages the payments and distribution, taking a 30% cut in the first year, which decreases to 15% in subsequent years.

To set up Apple Podcast Subscriptions, podcasters need to sign up through the Apple Podcasts Connect portal and pay an annual fee of $19.99.

Spotify Podcast Subscriptions

Spotify Podcast Subscriptions allow creators to monetize their shows by offering premium content directly through the Spotify platform. Podcasters can set up subscription tiers and provide perks like ad-free episodes, early access, or exclusive content.

Spotify gives creators flexibility by letting them set their own pricing and retains only a 5% cut of revenue after the first two years. The platform also enables podcasters to maintain relationships with their audience by sharing subscriber email addresses (with the subscriber’s consent).

Listeners can easily subscribe and access premium content directly in the Spotify app, keeping everything in one place for convenience. Podcasters can set up Spotify Podcast Subscriptions via Spotify for Podcasters.

Monetize Your Podcast With Affiliate Marketing

Are you looking to make money from your podcast while you sleep?

Us too.

Affiliate marketing is when an affiliate (you) earn commission for selling other people’s products.

Podcasters and YouTubers do this all the time.

To get started, search for a product you like and sign up for that company’s affiliate program.

The company will then assign you a unique link for that product.

If people buy the product through your unique link, you earn a commission.

Different companies have different levels of commission, but on average, expect anywhere from a 3%-20% commission on your sales.

That’s a decent little chunk of money.

How Does This Work?

Say you want to promote your favorite podcast microphone to your audience.

You’d link to that microphone in your show notes, on your website, across your social media channels, and wherever else you can think of.

The easiest place to start is with Amazon’s Affiliate Program.

There’s tons of podcasting gear that you can begin to recommend and market to your audience.

Truth be told, Amazon’s commission structure is on the lower end.

But, consumers trust Amazon and are used to making Amazon purchases.

Additionally, you can leverage your YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok accounts—especially those aligned with your podcast’s name or brand—to qualify for the Amazon Influencer Program.

Since the program requires social media accounts with active followings rather than just a podcast, you’ll need to input your social handles or URLs during the signup process to be eligible

This is a great way to add a personal touch to affiliate marketing. For more info on this program check out our article, Amazon Influencer Program: The Easiest Way To Make Money Online.

How To Make Money With a Podcast Via Consulting

Hosting a podcast helps build authority in your niche because of the intimate relationship you and your listeners share.

As you earn your audience’s trust, they will look to you for advice and answers to their questions.

You can use this relationship to build a consulting business by offering services that relate to your podcast’s topic.

If you host a marketing podcast focused on SEO, you can sell SEO consulting packages.

If you host a podcast focused around health and wellness, you can sell wellness coaching packages.

These can be one-time sessions, weekly sessions, or part of a monthly plan.

You’d be surprised at the amount of money people will pay to get direct access to an expert.

This is especially true after you’ve built trust over the course of all the episodes you’ve released.

A well-produced, consistently released podcast can act as a launchpad to you selling your expertise.

Don’t sleep on this idea; it’s actually a really common way to make money with a podcast.

Make Money By Selling Courses

If you’ve got an informative podcast that teaches your listeners a skill, selling an online course is a great way to make money from your podcast.

Host a podcast about trading Crypto?

Create a course that teaches your trading methods.

Do you host a podcast about video editing? Create an Editing 101 course.

You get the picture.

People have an innate desire to learn things.

If you’ve built up a dedicated podcast audience, and you’re delivering real value, chances are some of your listeners will be willing to purchase a course from you.

How Much Can You Make Selling a Course?

Teachable recommends pricing your course at a minimum of $100. That’s a good chunk of change! And you can use your podcast to market the course.

Once you’ve set a launch date, you can start teasing the release of the course somewhere in your episodes.

Create a little buzz and BOOM, you’ve got some buyers.

The best thing about this is that the course will be evergreen, so you can tease your pitch for it in your episodes for many months and years to come.

You’ll need to host your course somewhere online. It could be on your website, or you could use a third-party hosting platform, such as Teachable, Udemy or Skillshare.

Many creatives enhance their courses by including a community element through platforms like Discord or Slack.

These spaces allow students to connect, share progress, ask questions, and engage more deeply with both the material and the course creator.

check if the name your want for your podcast is available. check the url too

Our podcast name check tool lets you instantly find out if the podcast name you want is taken across Apple, Spotify, and YouTube. Check your URL too!

Make Money By Selling Digital Products

Selling digital products through your podcast is a great way to leverage your existing audience.

Popular digital products that podcasters sell are ebooks, design templates, and “how-to” manuals.

If you have an educational or informative type of show, digital products are a great way to supplement your income.

Create a digital product that solves your audience’s problems, and some of them will buy it.

That’s why they’re listening to you in the first place.

The best way to plug your digital offering is to give your listeners a call to action in your episodes.

You can pepper this in at the top of the show, at the end, or both.

Your email list is also a great place to plug your products.

Regardless of where you promote your digital products, be tasteful and strategic.

You want to create good, informative content first, then casually pitch.

Selling Merch

If you’ve built your tribe over time and they’re digging the content you’re putting out, they may want to show you off.

Start smacking your logo on various items like t-shirts, mugs, stickers, and hoodies.

Make sick designs though.

Get help if you need it, but don’t phone in your merch designs or nobody will buy your shit.

Merch is a community builder.

How cool is it when you see someone wearing a shirt from your favorite band?

It’s pretty rad, and you feel an instant connection with them.

The same goes for podcasts, especially as the medium continues to grow and podcasters begin to see some fame.

The one caveat we have to mention is that it’s hard to move merch unless you have a massive audience. Sure, you might sell a few items with a small but dedicated audience.

But, to really make significant money you need a big audience.

Pro Tip: Use an on-demand platform to avoid inventory headaches and upfront costs. We like Printiful.

Make Money With Public Speaking

Conferences are more popular than ever, and influential podcasters seem to be getting invited to speak more and more.

Everyone has something to say, and if your podcast audience is eating up what you’re putting out, chances are conference attendees will buy into you as well.

The pay for speaking at events can range from a few hundred bucks to tens of thousands of dollars. Once you get on the circuit, it can be quite lucrative.

Plus, you’re already used to scripting and speaking on a microphone. Public speaking is a shoo-in for podcasters.

Consider virtual summits or webinars if in-person events aren’t feasible.

How To Make Money With a Podcast: The Wrap Up

Making money with your podcast doesn’t have to hinge on sponsorships alone.

From offering exclusive content through platforms like Patreon, Supercast, and Apple or Spotify subscriptions to tapping into affiliate marketing, consulting, and selling digital products, the possibilities are vast.

Each method not only provides revenue opportunities but also deepens your connection with your audience and solidifies your brand.

Whether it’s creating premium content, building a community, or selling courses and merchandise, the key is understanding your audience’s needs and offering them value in return.

With creativity and dedication, your podcast can become a powerful income-generating platform while staying true to your vision.