[FAQ]

Hi,

My podcast is starting to build a really dedicated, niche audience. It’s not massive, but the people who listen are very engaged. I’d love to find a way to generate some revenue from the show, but my first priority is the listener experience, and I’m really hesitant to break up my episodes with a bunch of ads.

I’m looking for other ways to monetize that feel more authentic and less disruptive. I’m willing to create more content or offer something valuable, I’m just not sure what the best models are.

What have you all had success with? I’m curious about things like memberships, selling products, or anything else that doesn’t involve traditional ad reads.

Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

This is the right way to think about long-term, sustainable revenue.

Short Answer: The best strategy is to stop selling access to your audience and start selling premium content formats directly to your most loyal listeners.

This model allows you to monetise your deep engagement rather than just your download numbers.

There are three primary content formats to build this strategy around. The first, and most direct, is the premium audio format; this involves creating a member-only subscription that offers ad-free audio feeds, early access to your regular audio episodes, or entirely exclusive bonus audio content. The second format is to sell high-value text-based content, where you repurpose your audio expertise into digital products like e-books, paid newsletters, or text-based companion guides. A third format is affiliate marketing, which differs from sponsorship because you are using your own authentic audio and text recommendations for products you genuinely use, rather than selling time to a third party. A common mistake is to overlook these methods because they seem slower than ads, but they build a far more resilient and profitable business in the long run.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

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