Most shows earn little. Ads rarely help.
Readers ask how do podcasts make money, and do podcasts make money at all? Yes, but how do podcasters make money is a different story. Advertising is the famous way to earn, but it needs the biggest audience and pays last. As a full-service podcast production agency, we see business shows earn far more through leads and sales conversations.
I rebuilt this guide on how podcasts make money around published rules and sourced data. It also answers a plain question: can a podcast make money without ads? I removed the CPM and income tables that had no source, and I added the model I use to sort every option.
The two wallets: where podcast money comes from
Every podcast income stream pulls from one of two wallets. I call this the Two Wallets model, and it explains why so many shows earn less than their hosts expect.
- Their wallet. A sponsor, a platform or an ad network pays you to reach your audience. This includes advertising, sponsorships and platform programs.
- Your wallet. Your audience or your business pays you directly or creates revenue for you. This includes paid subscriptions, listener support, products, services and leads.
Their wallet depends on size. A sponsor pays for reach, so you need a large and measurable audience. Your wallet depends on trust. A small group that values you can fund a show or a business.
The counterintuitive part is that ads, the most famous way to earn, need the largest audience. Paid subscriptions often open sooner. Spotify’s published thresholds show the gap, which the next section covers.
Podcast monetization costs: taxes and fees most guides skip
The Podcast Consultant lists five models, with audience thresholds and CPM ranges. Mackie gives a revenue estimate but nothing on taxes or fees. Spacial’s post dates to 2017 and skips platform fees and rules. None of the three covers what you keep.
Here is the part I want you to see before you plan. Podcast monetization income is taxable. The IRS says the self-employment tax rate is 15.3%, made of 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. You must file Schedule SE if your net self-employment earnings reach $400.
I am not a tax adviser, and this is general information. Rules differ by country and by business type. Ask an accountant before you count the money as yours.
Add the fees from the table above. Patreon takes 10% plus processing, currency and payout fees. Buzzsprout takes 15% of subscription earnings. Spotify pays out monthly, after fees and taxes.
Say a sponsor pays you $1,000. After a platform cut and self-employment tax, you may keep well under that. I avoid giving a single take-home number, since your fees and tax situation will differ.
This is why I tell new hosts to track every cost from day one. Hosting, software, editing and any paid guests all count against income. A simple sheet that lists money in and money out is enough.
Sources of revenue for podcasters beyond ads: merch, events and networking
Spacial and The Podcast Consultant both mention merchandise and live events. Neither gives costs, margins or attendance. I will not invent them. Here is how I think about each of these sources of revenue for podcasters.
- Merchandise. It suits shows with a strong identity, such as a pop-culture or fan show. Spacial’s example is printed t-shirts and artwork. Count the cost of making and shipping before you count the sales.
- Live events. A ticketed show or live stream turns listeners into a room. It also takes planning, a venue and a team. Test it with a small event first.
- Networking. This pays in doors, not dollars. A guest, a partner or a collaboration can lead to a client or a sponsor later.
Mackie says most podcasts earn under $100 a month, though some earn thousands. Read that as a claim, not a rule. It matches what I see in small shows: the first year is about building, not earning.
Searching for how to make money podcasting? Start with an offer, not an ad. If you ask how to get paid for a podcast, the honest answer is that the path starts with your own offer. How to make money from a podcast has one more answer: make the show earn indirectly. A podcast can support the sales you already have.
What the platforms say you need
Spotify Partner Program requirements are the most reliable numbers in this topic, because the companies publish them. Here is what I read on October 12, 2026.
| Program | What you need | What you earn | Source |
| Spotify Partner Program (ads) | 3 published episodes, 2,000 consumption hours and an audience of 1,000 on Spotify in the last 30 days, a legal address in an eligible market | 50% of recognized revenue from Spotify-monetized ads in your episodes | Spotify support page |
| Spotify subscriptions | 2 published episodes and 100 Spotify users in the last 30 days | You keep 100% of earnings after payment processing fees | Spotify support page |
| Patreon | A page and a paying audience | Platform fee of 10% of income, plus payment processing, currency and payout fees | Patreon pricing page |
| Buzzsprout subscriptions | A Buzzsprout account | Buzzsprout takes 15% of subscription earnings, per its monetization guide | Buzzsprout guide |
Look at the gap. Spotify’s Partner Program asks for 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience members in 30 days, while its subscription feature asks for two episodes and 100 users. A small, loyal group can start earning long before a show qualifies for ad revenue.
Staying in the program has its own test: within each six month window, the show needs a new episode and at least $10 in earnings. Payouts are monthly, after fees and taxes, and Spotify requires two-step verification once earnings hit $1,000 in a month.
A quick reality check on the Spotify thresholds
Numbers like 2,000 consumption hours sound abstract, so here is simple arithmetic. If the average listener plays 30 minutes of an episode, 2,000 hours equals 4,000 listening sessions in 30 days. If the average is 15 minutes, you need 8,000 sessions.
This is an illustration, not a Spotify rule. Spotify counts consumption hours and audience separately, and a show needs both. But it shows why a long, engaging episode helps. Hours come from time spent, not from clicks.
It also shows why a niche show can struggle. A show with 800 devoted listeners who each play many hours can pass the hours test and still miss the audience test. Check both numbers in your dashboard before you plan around the program.
Compare that to subscriptions. If 100 people in 30 days listened to a show with two episodes, you can start offering paid access. That is a much lower bar, which is why I suggest most small shows test it first. Read how to choose a host if the platform you use limits these options.
How big is podcast advertising?
The industry is growing. The 2025 IAB and PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, covered by Radio Ink, put US podcast ad revenue at $2.862 billion for 2025, up 17.6% from the year before. Total digital audio reached $8.4 billion.
That is a large pool, but it does not mean your show gets a share. Most of the money goes to a small number of large shows and networks. I could not find a primary source for an average income by download count, so I do not publish one.
This is where many guides fall short. They print tables of CPM rates and yearly income for 1,000, 10,000 and 50,000 downloads. I removed the same kind of table from the old version of this page, because none of its figures came with a source.
The ways podcasts make money, ranked by when they pay
1. Direct products and services
This is your wallet in its simplest form. You sell a course, a book, coaching, consulting or a software seat, and the podcast builds trust. It works at almost any audience size, as long as you have something worth buying.
2. Paid subscriptions and listener support
Listeners pay for bonus episodes, early access or an ad-free feed. Spotify and Buzzsprout both offer paid subscriptions, and Patreon takes a platform fee of 10% plus processing fees. You need an audience that cares, not a huge one.
3. Affiliate links
You earn a commission when listeners buy through your link. A Buzzsprout guide by a creator with 13 million downloads reports occasional single payouts of about $100, and later monthly payouts of roughly $500 to $700. Treat these as one creator’s story, not an average.
4. Sponsorships
A brand pays you a flat fee or a fixed rate to mention it. The same Buzzsprout guide describes a deal that started at $50, was negotiated up to $300 for three ad spots and a giveaway, and a later deal worth $3,525. Deals vary widely and depend on trust and fit. Before you accept one, ask what the sponsor wants listeners to do, how you will measure it and whether you would use the product yourself. A sponsor that fits your audience protects your credibility, which is the asset every other wallet depends on. A bad fit may pay once and cost you listeners for months.
5. Programmatic and platform ads
Ad networks and platforms insert ads and share the revenue. This usually needs the biggest audience, and the money arrives last. Spotify’s Partner Program is the clearest published example.
Disclosure rules you should not skip
If a brand pays you or gives you free product, you must say so. The FTC’s guidance for influencers says to disclose any financial, employment, personal or family relationship with a brand. It also says the disclosure should be clear and placed with the endorsement itself.
That page does not mention podcasts or audio-only content, so for audio shows check the FTC’s full endorsement guides, or ask a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Silent Sponsor is the mistake to avoid. A host reads an ad as if it were an opinion and never says it was paid for. It risks both trust and a legal problem. Say the word sponsored plainly, near the start of the read.
What this means for a business show
If you run a company podcast, most of the advice above is the wrong goal. A business show usually does not need to earn from ads. It needs to create sales conversations, reduce sales cycle length or support customer relationships.
For business shows, Cassie Wells favors a single yardstick: sales conversations that are a real fit and where the show was mentioned. Her team reviews results every 90 days. Early signals appear by month three, and a dependable cost per customer is a month twelve question, not a month two one.
Lindsay Krasinski, our Podcast Strategy Consultant, warns against leaning on downloads. In her view the figure is padded by bots and counted differently on each platform. That makes it shaky ground for selling ads or proving business results.
So for a company show, treat revenue as indirect. Our guides on tying episodes to pipeline and closed deals and the B2B podcast ROI timeline explain how to measure it. For a view on how it fits the sales process, read how B2B podcasting for lead generation actually works.
Which path fits your show?
| Your situation | Start with | Why | Avoid |
| Solo host, small loyal audience | Paid subscriptions or listener support | Opens at 100 users on Spotify | Chasing ads first |
| Host with a service or product | Direct sales | Works at any audience size | Selling every episode |
| Niche show with trust | Sponsorships and affiliate links | Fit matters more than size | Undisclosed paid reads |
| Growing show on Spotify | Partner Program once you meet the thresholds | Published rules, 50% share | Counting on downloads alone |
| Company or association | Indirect revenue: leads and conversations | The show supports sales | Measuring success by downloads |
If you want help choosing a model and building the show around it, a production partner can plan the format and the measurement. Our overview of what a B2B podcast agency does shows where that fits. Our post on the cost of a B2B podcast shows what the investment looks like next to the possible return.
Three money mistakes I see
- The Ad-First Plan. A new show builds a budget around ad revenue it cannot earn for a year or more. Start with the wallet you control.
- The Silent Sponsor. A paid read goes out without a clear disclosure. It costs trust and can create legal risk.
- The Download Mirage. A host quotes download counts as proof of value. Downloads are inflated, bot-affected and inconsistent across platforms, so they work better as a trend line than as a price list.
Avoiding these three puts most shows ahead of the guides that tempt them. Each one is cheap to fix before launch and expensive to fix after a year of habits. Choose a wallet, write down what success means in plain terms and check the number every 90 days.
What I cannot tell you
I cannot tell you what your show will earn. Income depends on your niche, your offer, your audience and your trust, and no table can capture that. I removed the old CPM and income-by-download tables because I could not source them.
I can tell you where the published rules are, which paths open first and which mistakes to avoid. Rules also change, so re-read each platform page before you plan around it. Write down the date you checked, and set a reminder to check again in three months.
Conclusion
Podcast money comes from two wallets. Their wallet needs scale, and your wallet needs trust. Start with the wallet you control and add the other once you qualify.
Check each platform’s current rules, pick one path and measure it every 90 days. If you want a show built around a business goal, book a call and we can sketch the numbers together.
Strategy-first. Production second. Growth always.
Sources
- IRS, Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) (checked Oct 13, 2026)
- The Podcast Consultant, How do podcasts make money (checked Oct 13, 2026)
- Mackie, How to make money podcasting (checked Oct 13, 2026)
- Spacial, How do podcasts make money (checked Oct 13, 2026)
- Spotify for Creators, Spotify Partner Program (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- Spotify for Creators, Setting up Subscriptions (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- Radio Ink, IAB: Digital Audio Grew 10% In 2025 as Podcasts Near $3B (Apr 16, 2026) (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- FTC, Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- Buzzsprout, How to make money podcasting (checked Oct 12, 2026)
- Patreon, Pricing (checked Oct 12, 2026)
