Internet Explorer doesn’t work well with our website. We recommend using a different browser like Google Chrome.

If your favorite podcasters are making money from their Spotify podcasts… why can’t you?

When you’re first starting a podcast, you might not be thinking much about monetization strategies – but the earlier you can start getting serious about how you’ll make money from your podcast, the better.

The truth is, you don’t need thousands of followers to start generating money from your podcast. You just need to choose the right monetization tactics and tailor them to your audience.

Get your podcast content working harder for you and start earning from your expertise asap. Here’s our complete guide to Spotify podcast monetization – plus examples of how to monetize your Spotify podcast from successful creators.

Follow along or skip ahead:

Related: Content Monetization Explained: Models, Platforms, & Strategies

Top 5 Spotify podcast monetization tactics

  1. Podcast subscriptions

Spotify for Podcasters offers the option for podcasters to create subscriber-only content that your listeners can pay a monthly subscription to access. The exclusive content lets you build a premium content product to sell on Spotify and across all the podcast platforms you’re currently using.

By selling podcast subscriptions and creating members-only content, you can monetize your podcast while offering your audience genuinely valuable content that’s tailor-made for them. 

Here are some ideas for subscriber-only podcast content:

  • Bonus material and uncut interviews with guests
  • Deep dives into specific topics
  • A Q&A or call-in show 
  • Mini-courses tailored to your subscribers
  • Exclusive offers, discounts, and brand deals
  • One-on-one coaching with subscribers

Think about the content that will be most enticing and most valuable to your listeners to convince them to sign up and subscribe.

To use Spotify Podcast Subscriptions, you need to have at least 2 published episodes and at least 100 listeners in the last 60 days. That’s all.

Top tip: By setting up subscriptions through Spotify’s built-in monetization platform, you also keep 100% of your earnings (excluding payment processing) and can access and download your subscriber email list too.

  1. Listener support and donations

The biggest battle when you’re starting a podcast is finding your first listeners. If you’ve built a solid following of loyal listeners, encourage them to show your podcast some love by paying one-time donations to support your content. This is a way for your fans to show their appreciation for your work – and for you to earn money from your content.

This monetization strategy is super easy on Spotify thanks to their Listener Support feature that lets you add a donation button to your Spotify for Podcasters profile. You can also use additional monetization platforms like Patreon, Ko-fi, and Buy Me a Coffee to add donation links across your marketing channels.

Let listeners know they can make a donation, including:

  • Highlighting it in your podcast content
  • Adding a donation link to your podcast newsletter
  • Including donation links in your social media bio

On Spotify, your followers have the chance to make a one time donation to say thanks. They also have the option to commit to a monthly recurring donation – so your most loyal fans can become loyal patrons of your podcast.

Top tip: If you want to drive more people to make donations, you could offer them an exclusive shoutout or a bonus offer like a discount to bump up your podcast revenue.

  1. Automated ads

One of the best known podcast monetization strategies is adding ads to your content. This is an easy way to earn money from your podcasts, without putting in extra time or energy.

Spotify gives select creators the chance to add Automated Ads to their podcast episodes in the form of ad breaks. Spotify Ads are offered through the Spotify Audience Network (SPAN) – so you’ll get selected ads in your podcast content read by voice actors, rather than by you.

Here are 3 types of podcast ads:

  • Pre-roll: These ads are at the beginning of your podcast episode, usually as part of your introduction
  • Mid-roll: Ads placed in the middle of your podcast content, these may be longer or more in-depth than pre-roll ads
  • Post-roll: You can also put ads at the end of your podcast, as part of your outro for less disruption for your audience.

Top tip: This Spotify podcast monetization tactic is currently invite-only for specific podcast creators on the Spotify for Podcasters platform. If you want to take advantage of this monetization feature, you’ll need to get your listener count up and get recognized by Spotify.

  1. Sponsorships

If you’ve ever heard your favorite podcast creator highlighting a particular brand they love or recommend to their listeners, you’ll probably be familiar with podcast sponsorships. 

Most successful podcasts today have sponsors who pay the podcast creator to reference their brand – usually in the podcast content, description, and show notes.

Sponsorships are a great way to monetize your podcast if you have a big listener base. But this monetization strategy is trickier if you’re just starting your Spotify podcast. 

If you don’t have a massive fanbase of listeners yet, try pitching smaller brands in your niche and offering them a sponsorship opportunity. 

Here are a few ways to find potential sponsors for your podcast:

  • Research ads on blogs and websites in your niche
  • Browse paid ads on social media
  • See which brands are paying for sponsored content for relevant keywords on Google
  • Find brands with ads in magazines related to your niche
  • Ask your listeners for recommendations and products they use

When you’re reaching out to brands, take the time to create a targeted, personalized pitch. Highlight the specific audience who listens to your podcast, what makes your podcast different, and why a sponsorship could be beneficial for the brand you’re pitching to.

Here are 10 key things to include in your sponsorship pitch:

  1. The title of your podcast
  2. Your podcast logo or cover photo
  3. A summary of your podcast – including your podcast topics, content, format, average episode length, popular guests, and more
  4. A profile of your team – including a photo and bio about you and your podcast hosts, your experience, expertise, and any relevant qualifications
  5. Your listener profile – including key demographics
  6. Core statistics – such as listener numbers, downloads, and any other stats you have that will help sell your podcast 
  7. Details on how you market your podcast – such as email, social media, and your community
  8. Proposed sponsorship rates and partnership ideas
  9. Links to your top podcast episodes
  10. Your contact information

Top tip: Your first podcast sponsor doesn’t have to be a world famous brand. There are plenty of small businesses who are also looking for advertising opportunities in their niche, so go after those to secure your early sponsorship deals.

  1. Memberships

If people are listening to your podcast, chances are they’d be interested to hear more from you. Memberships are a top strategy to build closer connections with your podcast audience – and monetize your following.

Memberships allow you to build a community around your podcast brand while generating monthly recurring revenue from your listeners. Fans pay a monthly fee for access to your membership site and in return they get extra contact with you, bonus resources, and the chance to connect with other members.

Creating a membership product for your podcast comes with a host of benefits, including:

  • Predictable, recurring monthly income
  • Opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell to members
  • A resource for gathering feedback from listeners
  • The chance to build a strong sense of community and belonging around your brand
  • Increased brand loyalty
  • More brand advocates 

Memberships are relatively low effort for you to create and maintain – but offer high value to your audience. They can also be a unique source of feedback and ideas for your podcast.

If you’re looking to set up a membership site to monetize your podcast, Thinkific has all the tools you need to build a community, set up pricing tiers, and start engaging your audience from day one.

3 bonus Spotify podcast monetization methods

  1. Merchandising

Give your listeners the chance to show off your podcast brand IRL with merchandise. Merchandising is a fun way to monetize your podcast and turn your fans into brand advocates.

Your podcast merch can include hoodies, mugs, and stickers – or you can get creative and find new ideas for merchandising that’s relevant to your target audience. Try involving your podcast audience in the process and asking them what they’d most like to buy from you.

Find suppliers to handle your merchandise or if you still have a small following, opt for a print-on-demand service instead. While print-on-demand services can be more expensive than other manufacturers, you don’t need to worry about holding large amounts of stock or making a big upfront investment – you’ll only pay for printing when someone makes an order and pays you.

Some popular print-on-demand platforms include:

When you’ve got your merch ready to go – promote your stuff in your podcast content, in your newsletter, post your merch on social media, and add it to your online store.

Related: How To Make Money Selling Merch on YouTube 

  1. Digital products

Selling digital products is a top monetization strategy for podcasters. Why? Digital products give you the chance to convert listeners into customers, while offering your audience genuinely valuable information.

For example, if you have a podcast aimed at small business owners, you can create digital products that will help them apply the tips and methods you share in your podcast.

Here are a few ideas for digital products you can use to monetize your podcast:

  • Online courses
  • Workbooks
  • Templates
  • Masterclasses
  • Calendars and checklists

Use digital products as a way to generate passive income from your expertise, while helping your audience to do more and achieve more from every episode.

  1. Brand collaborations and partnerships

As well as finding sponsorships for your podcast, you can also use brand collaborations to monetize your content. There are a wide range of different types of brand collaborations and partnerships you can choose from, depending on the size of your podcast audience base and what you’re offering your listeners. 

For example, you could get paid by brands to review a specific product or create informative content teaching your listeners how to do something using specific branded tools, platforms, and products.

You can also partner with other podcasts to cross-promote each other’s content. Choose podcasts that share your target audience – if your listener likes your podcast, chances are they’ll like theirs and vice versa.

This is a great way to promote your podcast and get more listeners to your channel, as well as helping you promote your paid products and services.

Looking for more ways to monetize your podcast? Check out our guide to How To Make Money Podcasting and get 10 top monetization models you can use.

Related: Top 8 Content Monetization Platforms for Creators

Spotify podcast monetization example: Entrepreneurs on Fire

Entrepreneurs on Fire is an award-winning podcast with over 2000 episodes, one million listens per month, and a seven-figure annual revenue.

Together John Lee Dumas and Kate Eriksen help entrepreneurs launch and grow their own businesses with tailored advice for creators, solopreneurs, and small business owners.

They have successfully monetized their podcast through a range of strategies, including:

  • Podcasting memberships
  • Online courses
  • Paid ads and brand sponsorships

When Entrepreneurs on Fire launched their first online course, they generated over $50,000 in course revenue in two months.

Here’s Kate Erikson’s tips for podcast creators:

“My first step in monetization? Listening. As I continued to put in the work, listeners began reaching out to me. They were asking for coaching calls and books and online courses.”

“Beginning with your very first brainstorming session, your full focus should be on providing value to your audience… I put my head down and focused on becoming the best daily interview podcast to exist.”

Read the full Entrepreneurs on Fire case study here.

3 tips and tricks to make monetizing your Spotify podcast even easier

  1. Repurpose your podcast content

For every podcast episode you create, you should have a clear content plan to make sure every episode has maximum impact.

Think about how you will use your podcast content across your business – and different ways you can repurpose your content.

For example, one podcast can be repurposed into:

  • A blog post
  • A webinar
  • LinkedIn posts and carousels
  • Instagram Reels
  • TikTok videos
  • YouTube videos and Shorts
  • Pinterest tips

Your podcast episodes can also become content for an online course, a mastermind, an ebook, and much more.

Don’t leave all those nuggets of content gold trapped inside your podcast. Repurpose your content into different formats to make sure every episode packs a punch and keeps on delivering return on your investment. 

Top tip: If you’re pressed for time and don’t have capacity for repurposing your podcast content, use an AI-powered tool to create an instant transcript of your podcast so you can add it to your show notes and your website so your content is searchable. This will help make it easier for your ideal listeners to find your content through search engines.

  1. Include user-generated content

Get your listeners more invested in your podcast by adding user-generated content. Spice up your program by hearing from your audience – through questions, calls, and even guest hosts. 

Why? Because user-generated content (UGC) helps your listeners to feel more connected to you and your brand, making it easier for you to build a community. It also makes it easier to encourage listeners to subscribe, sign up for membership, or simply make a donation.

Some great UGC ideas you can add to your podcast includes:

  • Invite listener questions and calls
  • Host Q&A episodes
  • Share listener stories
  • Add case studies
  • Include testimonials and reviews
  • Invite listeners on your podcast as guests
  • Agree to be interviewed by a fan
  • Ask listeners what to talk about next
  • Run challenges and contests

Think about the type of UGC that will resonate most with your target listener – maybe they’ll prefer an informative and practical Q&A or be more interested in a funny segment where a fan gets to host your podcast. Get creative and follow the vibe of your audience.

  1. Do more public speaking, workshops, and discussions

To generate a buzz around your podcast and start generating more income from every episode, it’s important to put your expertise out into the world as much as possible. That means appearing not just on your own podcast, but also making a name for yourself as a podcast guest, a guest speaker, a member on panel discussions and more.

Public speaking, workshops, and discussions all have the same function – they help to establish you as an expert in your industry and an authority in your niche. By building your personal brand, you can become a thought leader who people can trust.

By putting yourself in the spotlight as much as possible, you can make yourself known among your target audience – helping you to drive more listeners to your podcast and open up new opportunities for monetizing your content, including subscriptions, memberships, sponsorships, and more.

Start making money with these Spotify podcast monetization strategies

You’ve invested time, energy, and brain power into creating a killer podcast. Now it’s time to start earning income from it.

These tried and tested techniques for monetizing your Spotify podcast will help you turn your top content into concrete revenue. Use the Spotify for Podcasters built-in monetization tools to start earning more from your podcast – and take advantage of bonus monetization strategies like brand collaborations, merchandising, and more.

With the Thinkific Spotify partnership, it’s now easier than ever to reach a global audience with your expertise. Convert your existing Thinkific course into a Spotify podcast to expand your reach and drive more ears – and more earnings – to your business.

Already using Thinkific? Join the Spotify pilot program today or join the waitlist.