A good question was posed today about making money from Podcasts, a business covered in 20 Digital Home Businesses.
Here are some suggestions:
A podcast itself doesn’t magically make money. It’s a platform — the money comes from what you plug into it. Think of it like having your own radio station: you control the airtime, but you still need to sell the spots or use the reach for other purposes.
Here are the main ways podcasts generate income:
---
1. Advertising & Sponsorships
• CPM (Cost Per Mille = per 1,000 listens): Advertisers pay based on downloads.
• Industry average: $18–$25 CPM for a 30-second ad.
• Example: 10,000 downloads/episode × $20 CPM = $200 per ad slot. Three ad slots = $600 per episode.
• Flat-Rate Sponsorships: Smaller podcasts often negotiate flat fees with relevant brands.
• Affiliate Deals: Instead of cash upfront, you promote a product/service with your link → get a cut of every sale.
⸻
2. Direct Audience Support
• Patreon/Buy Me a Coffee: Fans pay monthly for bonus content, Q&As, or early access.
• Private podcast feeds: Paid-only episodes behind a subscription wall.
• Tip jars: One-off contributions from listeners.
⸻
3. Product & Service Tie-Ins
• Books (perfect for you!) → every episode funnels people to Amazon.
• Courses, coaching, consulting → the podcast is your top-of-funnel.
• Events or workshops → listeners convert into attendees.
• Merch → T-shirts, mugs, stickers, etc.
⸻
4. Licensing & Partnerships
• Some podcasts get picked up by larger networks who pay for content distribution.
• You might get invited to do speaking gigs, media appearances, or collaborations because of your authority from the show.
⸻
5. Hybrid Play
The smartest podcasters don’t rely on one stream — they mix:
• Small sponsorships + Patreon + book funnel = steady and diversified.
Follow the steps above and make money from a podcast.
