As podcasts keep emerging in strong popularity, many people aim to join this field with high hopes that they can monetize their passion and knowledge.
From entrepreneurs looking to attract customers and use their expertise to hobbyists wishing to add to their income and share interests, podcasting provides broad appeal.
But how do podcast hosts make money? This post will uncover the most common ways podcasters monetize their words and the reward they can get.
How Do Podcast Hosts Make Money?
They earn revenue from various income streams, and some popular methods are advertisements, selling products, premium content, affiliate marketing, and donations.
The secret of earning revenue from podcasts is to build a solid audience base. So, choose topics that can attract and interest numerous listeners.
#1. Advertising & Sponsorship
When discussing podcast monetization, advertising and sponsorship are generally the default methods.
The huge reward is undeniable. Yet, the problem is that many brands focus more on numbers than engagement and interaction.
It’s necessary to know that 100 engaged listeners have a greater value than 1000 casual listeners.
Thus, if your show needs a sponsor, aim at someone that suits your audience and topics and talk to them about the engagement and interaction you can generate.
Also, look for local or smaller companies and explain how your podcasts benefit them and why they should support you.
#2. Affiliate Marketing
It means referring the audience to a company’s products. Where can you find these partners? The common places include Podcorn, Buzzsprout, and Amazon.
To be more specific, here is how you run affiliate marketing on your podcast.
The topic is parenting, and you mention your favorite baby wipes brand. You tell the audience where to buy the products through your recommended link.
You earn a certain commission when your listeners buy the company’s wipes through that link. Also, podcasters often post the link on their podcast’s websites or in their show notes.
Remember that keeping the audience’s trust and loyalty is crucial. Thus, it’s good practice to disclose you earn commissions from the recommendations.
#3. Sell Products
Another popular way podcasters make money is by selling complementary products, including links to live events, books, consulting services, courses, and merchandise.
Selling your products doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to own a fulfillment center. It’s possible to use print-on-demand or drop-shipping services to send goods ordered to your buyers. All you need to do is create a place to order for them on your podcast website.
#4. Premium Content
Many consider premium content an excellent way to extend their businesses and monetize their podcasts.
This concept differs from memberships in depth and length. It is generally longer and more in-depth than what you would receive from free content or a membership.
Premium content may not be available on your ordinary podcast feed but another episode. For example, you can create two episodes weekly, one for premium content and one for free.
Another option is making your podcasts checklists, product guides, webinars, longer-form blogs, or case studies.
Sometimes, people want tangible content to interact with and fully understand what you’re conveying through your podcast.
#5. Donations & Crowdfunding
The last way to seek support for your podcasts is to look for donations. This method applies more to entertainment-focused channels.
Patreon is a well-known platform for receiving donations that you should know. They make it straightforward to offer bonuses or additional content, depending on how much people provide you with.
How Much Money Do Podcast Hosts Make?
Let’s discuss some factual figures and reasonable assumptions:
- There are three advertisements in an episode: pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads.
- Two percent of the audience support you through Patreon. They send you $5 per month (a typical donation amount).
- Meanwhile, 1% purchase mentioned products through your affiliate links each month, and each commission pays $15.
- 05% buy an online consulting course a month, which charges $99.
With these assumptions, when you get 1,000 downloads each episode, you’ve succeeded in earning some money, even though sponsors are not fond of your shows yet:
- $495/month from course sales
- $150/month from affiliate sales
- $100/month from Patreon support
- Total: $745/month
FAQs
If you’re a beginner, the below questions should have fallen within your concern since the first day. We’ll give you a quick answer to each of them.
Do Podcasts Pay Guests?
Generally, podcasts don’t pay their guests. Instead, the payment is from exposure and interaction with the audience and highlights of their products, e-books, or services.
Is It Free To Start A Podcast on Spotify?
As long as you follow their instructions, Spotify will allow you to start a podcast for free. It goes the same as many current podcasting websites and apps.
There are also many free options. For example, you can access listener demographics, totals, and other assessment analytics.
What Is The Best Podcast Hosting Platform?
Here are three of our picks regarding the best hosting services:
- BuzzSprout: One of the most user-friendly platforms and podcasting service providers for beginners. They’ve built a firm community where you can find top podcasters to follow.
- Podbean: They provide users with boundless hosting plans and unlimited bandwidth. It’s the best platform, in our opinion.
- Blubrry: This hosting provider offers flexible hosting plans, allowing both experienced and new podcasters to join quickly.
Who Is The Richest Podcaster?
The most prosperous host is Joe Rogan – The Joe Rogan Experience. This decade-old channel ranks top one globally, claiming about 190 million downloads a month.
Rogan’s interviews with conspiracy theorists, MMA fighters, politicians, and comedians usually grasp the press’s headlines, yet the show has always been controversial.
Conclusion
Figuring out “how do podcast hosts make money?” their earnings strategies and income numbers before taking up the job is undoubtedly a necessary step.
Monetizing from the media is not a scheme to get rich quickly and takes time. You need to create an engaged, loyal listener base willing to purchase what you’re marketing, advertising, and selling.
