[FAQ]

Hello everyone,

I’m quite interested in the world of podcasting and how creators might generate income from it. My main question is, do you automatically get paid if you have a podcast and publish episodes?

Or does it work differently? For instance, do the podcast platforms themselves pay creators based on listenership, or does the money come from other avenues? And are there usually prerequisites, like a certain number of listeners, before one can expect to earn anything?

Thanks for any clarification!

[Jeff Bullas]

G’day,

Good question. The short answer is nah, just having a podcast and putting episodes out there doesn’t mean money will automatically start flowing into your bank account. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a quid from it – you just have to go about it the right way.

Podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts or Spotify don’t generally pay you directly for uploading your shows or for the number of listens you get, not in the way some other platforms might work with ad revenue for all creators.

So, how do podcasters actually make money? There are a few main ways.

First, there’s advertising and sponsorships. This is when brands pay to have their ads on your show. You usually need a decent number of listeners to attract advertisers.

Second is affiliate marketing. You talk about products or services you like, give your listeners a special link or code, and you get a cut if they buy something.

Third, you can offer premium content or subscriptions. Your listeners might pay a bit extra for bonus episodes, ad-free versions of your show, or early access. Platforms like Patreon, or even Apple and Spotify’s own subscription services, can help with this.

Fourth, if you’ve got other things to sell, like your own merch, courses, or coaching services, your podcast is a top way to let your audience know about them.

And fifth, there’s direct support from your listeners. People who love your show can chip in with donations through sites like Patreon or Ko-fi.

The main thing you need before any of this really kicks off is an audience. You need to build up a group of people who listen to your show and find it valuable. Once you’ve got that, then you can start looking at these different ways to monetise.

So, having a podcast is step one. Making money from it means actively putting some of these strategies into play, usually once you’ve got a bit of a following.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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