Welcome to Podcast Insider!
April 14, 2025

Who’s Making the Most Money in Podcasting? – PCI 437

Who’s Making the Most Money in Podcasting? – PCI 437

Making Money in 2025 – What Works, What Doesn’t?

Monetizing a podcast in 2025 isn’t as simple as slapping ads on your episodes and calling it a day. Some revenue streams are thriving, while others? Not so much.

Today, we’re breaking down what’s working, what’s fading, and what podcasters should focus on to actually make money in 2025.

Today’s Hosts: Mike Dell and Todd Cochrane

Who is Making the Money Money in Podcasting in 2025?

1: The State of Podcast Monetization in 2025

Then vs. Now: How podcast monetization has evolved from basic ads to a mix of diversified income streams.

What’s Changed?

✅ More podcasters are using multi-platform revenue models (YouTube, social media, newsletters).
Traditional ad sponsorships are shifting—brands want more ROI, leading to performance-based deals.
✅ The pay-to-play model (subscriptions, memberships) is rising, but does it work for every podcast?

Who’s Making the Most Money? – Big networks vs. independent creators vs. niche podcasters.

2: Sponsorships – Do They Still Work?

CPM-based ads vs. Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) – Is the traditional CPM model sustainable for indie podcasters?

Brands in 2025: What Are They Looking For?

✅ More niche-specific partnerships.
✅ Measurable engagement over download numbers.
✅ Long-term relationships vs. one-off ad placements.

How to Land Sponsors in 2025:

✅ Creating brand-friendly content.
✅ Negotiating value-based deals, not just CPM rates.
✅ Using listener data to showcase audience loyalty.

Pro Tip: Even small podcasts can land affiliate sponsorships or direct brand deals—it’s all about audience connection.

3: Premium Content & Subscriptions – The Big Shift?

Are listeners actually paying for premium content?

Subscription platforms in 2025: Apple Podcasts, Patreon, Spotify, Substack, and other direct-to-fan monetization.

What’s working?

✅ Bonus episodes, ad-free content, and exclusive interviews.
✅ Behind-the-scenes content & private community access.
✅ Bundling podcast subscriptions with other offerings (newsletters, live Q&As).

What’s NOT working?

❌ Generic paywalls with no real incentive.
❌ Subscription fatigue—too many platforms asking for money.

📢 Key Insight: The most successful subscription models are tied to strong community engagement—not just extra content.

4: Live Events – Worth the Effort?

The Rise of Hybrid Podcast Events – Live-streaming + in-person experiences.

Types of Monetizable Events:

✅ Ticketed live podcast tapings.
✅ Virtual workshops, AMAs, and Q&As.
✅ VIP meet-and-greets or networking events.

Why Some Podcast Events Flop:

❌ Overestimating audience size & demand.
❌ High production costs vs. actual revenue.

📢 Case Study: How podcasts like My Favorite Murder & The Last Podcast on the Left turned live shows into major revenue drivers.

5: Merch – Is It Still a Viable Income Stream?

The state of podcast merchandise in 2025:

✅ Branded items like shirts, mugs, and stickers still sell—if the fanbase is engaged.
✅ Niche, creative merch (custom journals, soundbite NFTs, digital downloads) is gaining traction.
✅ Print-on-demand services make it easier than ever to sell without high upfront costs.

What’s NOT working?

❌ Generic merch with no brand connection.
❌ Selling products to an audience that isn’t engaged.

Pro Tip: The best-selling podcast merch is inside-joke-driven—if your fans “get it,” they’ll buy it.

6: The Future of Podcast Monetization – What’s Next?

Are ad-supported podcasts sustainable?

What emerging revenue streams should podcasters experiment with?

✅ Paid podcast courses & coaching.
✅ AI-powered listener insights to create targeted premium content.
✅ Integrated commerce (shop while you listen).

Final Takeaway: The key to making money in 2025 is diversification—podcasters can’t rely on just one revenue stream anymore.

———

What’s been your best (or worst) monetization strategy? Let us know on social or send us a voice memo, and we might feature your story in a future episode!

Thanks for listening to Podcast Insider, you can subscribe to new episodes out every Monday.

The best place for support with any Blubrry product or service is our ticket system. Tickets give the whole team access vs. direct emails or calls. General podcasting discussions and more can be shared on the Blubrry Podcasting Facebook group.

Fill out our listener survey at surveys.blubrry.com/podcastinsider


Hosting customers can schedule a one-on-one call with Todd or a tech checkup with Mike at todd@blubrry.com and mike@blubrry.com

Stay tuned for more episodes and visit our website for the latest updates and resources.

00:00 - Introduction to Podcast Monetization

01:00 - The Evolution of Podcast Revenue Streams

03:50 - Understanding CPM and Dynamic Ad Insertion

05:50 - Niche Partnerships and Engagement Metrics

08:30 - Premium Content Subscriptions and Incentives

10:40 - The Value for Value Model and Community Engagement

12:50 - Monetizing Through Live Events and Merchandising

14:55 - Emerging Revenue Streams for Podcasters

16:40 - Diversification in Monetization Strategies

19:10 - Listener Stories and Final Thoughts

1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,199
Welcome to Podcast Insider. I'm Todd Cochran, CEO

2
00:00:03,199 --> 00:00:05,519
of Blueberry. I'm Mike Dell, the VP of

3
00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:06,580
customer relations.

4
00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,359
Have you ever wondered who's raking in the

5
00:00:09,359 --> 00:00:10,660
big bucks in podcasting?

6
00:00:11,839 --> 00:00:15,039
Spoiler alert. It's not just the big networks

7
00:00:15,039 --> 00:00:15,539
anymore.

8
00:00:16,335 --> 00:00:19,214
Yep. From massive million dollar deals to indie

9
00:00:19,214 --> 00:00:22,175
podcasters making a solid living, we're breaking down

10
00:00:22,175 --> 00:00:24,355
who's cashing in and how.

11
00:00:24,734 --> 00:00:26,494
So stick around as we dive into the

12
00:00:26,494 --> 00:00:29,214
numbers, the strategies, and what's actually works for

13
00:00:29,214 --> 00:00:31,074
making money in podcasting today.

14
00:00:31,614 --> 00:00:34,390
You're You're listening to Podcast Insider hosted by

15
00:00:34,390 --> 00:00:37,829
Mike Dell, Todd Cochran, and Mackenzie Bennett from

16
00:00:37,829 --> 00:00:39,049
the Blueberry team,

17
00:00:39,750 --> 00:00:43,109
bringing you weekly insights, advice, and insider tips

18
00:00:43,109 --> 00:00:46,295
and tricks to help you start, grow, and

19
00:00:46,295 --> 00:00:47,674
thrive through podcasting.

20
00:00:48,534 --> 00:00:50,215
With all the support of your team here

21
00:00:50,215 --> 00:00:53,594
at Blueberry Podcasting, welcome. Let's dive in.

22
00:00:54,454 --> 00:00:56,155
Mike, as you well know, monetizing

23
00:00:56,454 --> 00:00:57,114
a podcast

24
00:00:57,739 --> 00:00:59,119
in 2025

25
00:00:59,339 --> 00:00:59,839
isn't

26
00:01:00,140 --> 00:01:01,679
as simple as slapping

27
00:01:02,299 --> 00:01:04,299
ads on your episode and calling it a

28
00:01:04,299 --> 00:01:06,239
day. Some revenue streams today

29
00:01:06,780 --> 00:01:08,799
are thriving while others, well,

30
00:01:09,099 --> 00:01:11,099
not so much. And today, we're breaking down

31
00:01:11,099 --> 00:01:11,840
what's working,

32
00:01:12,219 --> 00:01:13,040
what's fading,

33
00:01:13,474 --> 00:01:16,594
what podcasters focus on to actually make money

34
00:01:16,594 --> 00:01:17,715
in 2025.

35
00:01:17,715 --> 00:01:18,454
And, again,

36
00:01:18,754 --> 00:01:20,914
this is a moving target. So Oh, yeah.

37
00:01:20,914 --> 00:01:22,774
It changes all the time.

38
00:01:23,155 --> 00:01:24,854
And there's kind of a then versus

39
00:01:25,634 --> 00:01:26,134
now.

40
00:01:26,530 --> 00:01:29,409
You know? And, you know, podcast monetization is

41
00:01:29,409 --> 00:01:31,990
evolved from basic ads to mix of diversified

42
00:01:32,450 --> 00:01:35,490
income streams. And I think more podcasters are

43
00:01:35,490 --> 00:01:36,710
using multiplatform

44
00:01:37,170 --> 00:01:39,670
revenue models, social media, newsletters,

45
00:01:40,495 --> 00:01:41,555
value for value,

46
00:01:42,174 --> 00:01:45,875
regular ads, pre rolls. It just kinda goes

47
00:01:46,094 --> 00:01:48,354
on and on. Traditional sponsorships,

48
00:01:49,534 --> 00:01:52,334
just not really happening as much as it

49
00:01:52,334 --> 00:01:55,454
used to. Now in certain niches, they'll have

50
00:01:55,454 --> 00:01:56,114
a a

51
00:01:56,629 --> 00:01:59,689
sponsor that really aligns with the show, but,

52
00:02:00,069 --> 00:02:01,989
you know, that's getting harder and harder to

53
00:02:01,989 --> 00:02:02,390
do,

54
00:02:02,790 --> 00:02:03,530
these days.

55
00:02:03,989 --> 00:02:05,849
And sometimes you have to run

56
00:02:06,310 --> 00:02:08,229
eight different ads during a month if you're

57
00:02:08,229 --> 00:02:10,229
doing eight different episodes. You don't have the

58
00:02:10,229 --> 00:02:11,050
same sponsor

59
00:02:11,885 --> 00:02:13,564
for the whole for the whole month. And,

60
00:02:13,564 --> 00:02:14,224
of course,

61
00:02:14,525 --> 00:02:17,324
the pay to play model subscriptions and membership

62
00:02:17,324 --> 00:02:18,385
is rising, but

63
00:02:18,764 --> 00:02:20,865
it doesn't really work for every podcast

64
00:02:21,245 --> 00:02:23,085
and there's a lot of reasons for that.

65
00:02:23,085 --> 00:02:24,604
But I guess we should talk about who's

66
00:02:24,604 --> 00:02:27,909
making the most money. Big networks versus independent

67
00:02:27,909 --> 00:02:28,969
creators versus

68
00:02:29,430 --> 00:02:29,930
niche

69
00:02:30,310 --> 00:02:31,610
podcasters, and

70
00:02:32,230 --> 00:02:34,810
I think the networks probably still have

71
00:02:35,510 --> 00:02:36,330
an advantage.

72
00:02:37,349 --> 00:02:39,510
Yeah. Of course. The bigger shows are gonna

73
00:02:39,510 --> 00:02:40,969
attract the the advertisers,

74
00:02:41,504 --> 00:02:43,344
but, you know, there's more to making money

75
00:02:43,344 --> 00:02:46,064
than than advertising too, which we'll talk about

76
00:02:46,064 --> 00:02:48,165
later on. Yeah. I think it's important

77
00:02:48,944 --> 00:02:51,284
that we all realize that that the

78
00:02:51,585 --> 00:02:54,165
end goal of a show may not be,

79
00:02:54,625 --> 00:02:55,284
you know,

80
00:02:55,650 --> 00:02:59,510
dollars, yen, 1, whatever your currency may be.

81
00:03:00,290 --> 00:03:02,310
There's a variety of ways to

82
00:03:03,010 --> 00:03:04,530
but if we go down and look at

83
00:03:04,530 --> 00:03:05,270
the basics,

84
00:03:06,050 --> 00:03:08,949
you know, at CPM based ads versus dynamic

85
00:03:09,169 --> 00:03:09,830
ad insertion,

86
00:03:10,814 --> 00:03:12,435
they're kinda tied together now, you

87
00:03:12,814 --> 00:03:13,715
know, because

88
00:03:14,175 --> 00:03:16,115
CPM based ads mostly

89
00:03:16,895 --> 00:03:17,795
are DAI,

90
00:03:18,814 --> 00:03:20,355
our digital audio inserted

91
00:03:21,135 --> 00:03:22,014
so that the

92
00:03:22,860 --> 00:03:24,879
when the ad hits its volume,

93
00:03:25,180 --> 00:03:27,340
in other words, if you've contracted for x

94
00:03:27,340 --> 00:03:29,979
thousands or tens of thousands or hundreds of

95
00:03:29,979 --> 00:03:32,560
thousands of deliveries once you've hit that number,

96
00:03:32,939 --> 00:03:34,860
the d e I tool can pull the

97
00:03:34,860 --> 00:03:36,799
ad out and stick a new one in.

98
00:03:37,340 --> 00:03:38,239
So or

99
00:03:38,594 --> 00:03:41,074
restitch it back together so there's no ad

100
00:03:41,074 --> 00:03:41,974
there whatsoever.

101
00:03:43,314 --> 00:03:47,094
But simple fact still applies that 90%

102
00:03:47,634 --> 00:03:49,794
and all and maybe we haven't talked about

103
00:03:49,794 --> 00:03:51,014
this a long time, but

104
00:03:51,650 --> 00:03:54,150
90% of podcasts globally deliver

105
00:03:54,689 --> 00:03:56,629
90% of their lifetime downloads

106
00:03:57,729 --> 00:03:59,430
within the first ninety six hours.

107
00:04:00,129 --> 00:04:01,669
So not everyone

108
00:04:02,289 --> 00:04:04,530
needs to use d a I because, you

109
00:04:04,530 --> 00:04:06,550
know, you're not gonna deliver that many

110
00:04:07,064 --> 00:04:08,844
downloads after that first month.

111
00:04:09,145 --> 00:04:12,125
Some do. Those 10% are really truly,

112
00:04:12,664 --> 00:04:14,844
you know, in a great position. But

113
00:04:15,384 --> 00:04:17,785
Yeah. There are some long tail shows that,

114
00:04:17,785 --> 00:04:18,444
you know,

115
00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:19,339
I

116
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,160
can I can think of one that, you

117
00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,959
know, she started way back when, and, you

118
00:04:23,959 --> 00:04:26,279
know, her older shows are getting darn near

119
00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,919
as many downloads as her newer shows? Yeah.

120
00:04:28,919 --> 00:04:31,479
Yeah. And, again, if you have that long

121
00:04:31,479 --> 00:04:31,979
tail

122
00:04:32,375 --> 00:04:35,175
and you have that ability then DAI is

123
00:04:35,175 --> 00:04:37,095
definitely for you. But you can run CPM

124
00:04:37,095 --> 00:04:38,715
based ads without DAI

125
00:04:39,495 --> 00:04:41,095
if you have a show that, you know,

126
00:04:41,095 --> 00:04:43,095
kind of looks like a hockey stick that

127
00:04:43,095 --> 00:04:43,595
is

128
00:04:43,975 --> 00:04:46,770
laid tip up and, you know, if your

129
00:04:46,770 --> 00:04:49,009
downloads kinda do, we go up and then

130
00:04:49,009 --> 00:04:51,170
go down and be pretty flat. Why use

131
00:04:51,170 --> 00:04:53,649
DAI? Just bake the ad in and and

132
00:04:53,649 --> 00:04:54,790
let it run. But

133
00:04:55,330 --> 00:04:56,850
brands in 2025

134
00:04:56,850 --> 00:04:59,750
are looking for more niche specific partnerships.

135
00:05:00,785 --> 00:05:04,144
They're obviously looking for measurable engagement over download

136
00:05:04,144 --> 00:05:05,204
numbers, you know,

137
00:05:05,985 --> 00:05:08,404
the response rate. How many people are engaging?

138
00:05:08,464 --> 00:05:10,165
How many likes? How many,

139
00:05:11,104 --> 00:05:13,125
comments? These types of things

140
00:05:14,029 --> 00:05:16,689
And they're definitely looking for long term relationships

141
00:05:16,990 --> 00:05:17,490
versus

142
00:05:17,949 --> 00:05:20,350
one off ad placement. But at the same

143
00:05:20,350 --> 00:05:23,709
time, that one off ad placement may be

144
00:05:23,709 --> 00:05:25,569
only once a month.

145
00:05:26,064 --> 00:05:28,324
You might only get one ad from

146
00:05:28,704 --> 00:05:30,324
advertiser x y z.

147
00:05:30,865 --> 00:05:31,764
Mhmm. So,

148
00:05:32,704 --> 00:05:35,044
but the landing of sponsor hasn't changed much.

149
00:05:35,745 --> 00:05:38,064
No. You you you definitely need to try

150
00:05:38,064 --> 00:05:40,644
to be brand friendly, whatever that means.

151
00:05:41,345 --> 00:05:41,879
You know?

152
00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,699
It depends on the brand too. You know?

153
00:05:45,879 --> 00:05:46,699
A a a show that,

154
00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:49,740
is explicit content, there are advertisers

155
00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,520
that that do want that. So it's not

156
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,379
like one size fits all

157
00:05:54,944 --> 00:05:57,904
for brand advertising. It's it's all about, you

158
00:05:57,904 --> 00:06:00,144
know, does the brand align with the type

159
00:06:00,144 --> 00:06:00,805
of show?

160
00:06:01,904 --> 00:06:02,724
You can also,

161
00:06:03,024 --> 00:06:05,985
you know, negotiate value based deals, not just

162
00:06:05,985 --> 00:06:08,404
CPM. So, you know, you can

163
00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:11,939
you can negotiate. You know, if I bring

164
00:06:11,939 --> 00:06:14,099
you x number of sales, then I get

165
00:06:14,099 --> 00:06:16,180
this much money or something like that. It's

166
00:06:16,659 --> 00:06:18,039
the deal is completely

167
00:06:18,339 --> 00:06:21,139
up to the advertiser and the, you know,

168
00:06:21,139 --> 00:06:21,639
podcaster.

169
00:06:22,324 --> 00:06:24,404
And when it comes to those brand buys,

170
00:06:24,404 --> 00:06:26,165
in other words, if a brand buy would

171
00:06:26,165 --> 00:06:27,925
be like a Ford or a GEICO or

172
00:06:27,925 --> 00:06:28,985
someone like that,

173
00:06:29,685 --> 00:06:32,485
they're looking for that engagement because they're not

174
00:06:32,485 --> 00:06:32,985
necessarily

175
00:06:33,604 --> 00:06:35,764
able to determine if you drove someone in

176
00:06:35,764 --> 00:06:38,220
to buy a new vehicle or an insurance

177
00:06:38,220 --> 00:06:38,720
policy,

178
00:06:39,099 --> 00:06:41,519
but they're looking for engagement within the content,

179
00:06:42,539 --> 00:06:44,779
to see that they actually, you know, guarantee

180
00:06:44,779 --> 00:06:46,379
that they heard the ads. So that's looking

181
00:06:46,379 --> 00:06:47,919
at your social media engagement.

182
00:06:48,379 --> 00:06:49,979
But, of course, they're always fall back to

183
00:06:49,979 --> 00:06:52,560
your listener data to showcase audience loyalty.

184
00:06:53,074 --> 00:06:55,235
And, again, you know, for small shows, you

185
00:06:55,235 --> 00:06:58,294
can land affiliate sponsorships or direct brand deals.

186
00:06:58,514 --> 00:07:00,435
It's all about the audience connection. You know,

187
00:07:00,435 --> 00:07:01,894
we're working with code ADX,

188
00:07:02,834 --> 00:07:05,254
and there's some great deals there that align

189
00:07:05,314 --> 00:07:06,535
specifically with shows

190
00:07:07,019 --> 00:07:10,160
that you you can find an affiliate sponsorship

191
00:07:10,860 --> 00:07:12,639
that you can do very well on.

192
00:07:13,180 --> 00:07:15,019
So, you know, don't forget if you're a

193
00:07:15,019 --> 00:07:18,560
smaller podcast, don't forget about those affiliate sponsorships

194
00:07:18,620 --> 00:07:20,540
or, again, even those direct brand deals. If

195
00:07:20,540 --> 00:07:21,680
you are a car show

196
00:07:22,105 --> 00:07:24,205
or you are a show on a specific

197
00:07:24,264 --> 00:07:26,444
topic, you you would make a good candidate

198
00:07:26,504 --> 00:07:27,245
for a

199
00:07:27,625 --> 00:07:28,925
direct brand deal.

200
00:07:29,384 --> 00:07:31,964
Sure. You know, I yeah. Especially car shows.

201
00:07:32,585 --> 00:07:34,500
Again, you know, any niche that, you know,

202
00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:37,060
that would align with a big brand might

203
00:07:37,060 --> 00:07:39,379
be the perfect candidate for that. Another way

204
00:07:39,379 --> 00:07:41,620
people are, making money these days are,

205
00:07:42,180 --> 00:07:43,720
premium content subscriptions.

206
00:07:44,100 --> 00:07:45,800
Apple has this subscription

207
00:07:46,180 --> 00:07:48,360
model that you can do just through Apple.

208
00:07:48,764 --> 00:07:51,405
We, of course, have premium podcasting, which you

209
00:07:51,405 --> 00:07:53,805
can run through everybody else or most everybody

210
00:07:53,805 --> 00:07:56,205
else. That may be a way to go.

211
00:07:56,205 --> 00:07:56,605
You know?

212
00:07:57,165 --> 00:07:58,145
One of the questions

213
00:07:58,685 --> 00:08:01,485
is our listeners actually paying for premium content.

214
00:08:01,485 --> 00:08:03,810
Well, you know, I I just look at

215
00:08:03,810 --> 00:08:05,509
my TV watching. I

216
00:08:05,889 --> 00:08:08,930
pay for the stuff I want, and I

217
00:08:08,930 --> 00:08:11,170
don't pay for cable. I don't pay for

218
00:08:11,330 --> 00:08:12,689
you know? So I have a, you know,

219
00:08:12,689 --> 00:08:15,810
Netflix account, a YouTube premium account, and a

220
00:08:15,810 --> 00:08:18,925
couple other things. And throwing a couple podcasts

221
00:08:19,064 --> 00:08:21,305
in there that you really, really like might

222
00:08:21,305 --> 00:08:23,464
be, the way to go. You know, Apple

223
00:08:23,464 --> 00:08:25,964
has it. Patreon, Spotify, Substack,

224
00:08:26,504 --> 00:08:27,404
you know, Blueberry,

225
00:08:28,024 --> 00:08:30,345
all that direct monetization. And it could be

226
00:08:30,345 --> 00:08:32,750
just to support your show, but, you know,

227
00:08:32,750 --> 00:08:35,629
you could give them premium content like bonus

228
00:08:35,629 --> 00:08:38,190
episodes. You know? So, say, you have you

229
00:08:38,190 --> 00:08:40,049
do your four episodes a month,

230
00:08:40,590 --> 00:08:43,230
and you give them a fifth episode that

231
00:08:43,230 --> 00:08:45,490
is exclusive to the premium. Or

232
00:08:45,975 --> 00:08:47,735
if you're doing ads in your show, you

233
00:08:47,735 --> 00:08:48,714
could do a

234
00:08:49,174 --> 00:08:52,214
ad free version of your show for the

235
00:08:52,214 --> 00:08:55,174
people that pay you. All kinds of, different

236
00:08:55,174 --> 00:08:57,034
ways of incentivizing

237
00:08:57,495 --> 00:08:58,954
people to subscribe.

238
00:08:59,409 --> 00:09:02,309
And I think too, if you offer a

239
00:09:02,370 --> 00:09:05,090
subscription with an another offering, whether it be

240
00:09:05,090 --> 00:09:05,750
a newsletter,

241
00:09:06,690 --> 00:09:08,870
a live q and a, something special,

242
00:09:09,730 --> 00:09:11,350
that really incentivizes

243
00:09:11,809 --> 00:09:14,049
people to do that. But definitely what's not

244
00:09:14,049 --> 00:09:17,865
working is generic paywalls with no real incentive.

245
00:09:17,865 --> 00:09:19,704
You have to have an incentive for people

246
00:09:19,704 --> 00:09:20,444
to subscribe.

247
00:09:20,824 --> 00:09:23,144
And also there's subscription fatigue out there. Too

248
00:09:23,144 --> 00:09:26,024
many platforms are asking for money. But in

249
00:09:26,024 --> 00:09:28,904
this case, it's really not a platform asking

250
00:09:28,904 --> 00:09:31,589
for money. It's an individual. So there's a

251
00:09:31,589 --> 00:09:33,589
few podcasters that I know that are on

252
00:09:33,589 --> 00:09:34,970
Patreon that I support,

253
00:09:35,429 --> 00:09:37,750
specifically on Patreon. There's a couple that are

254
00:09:37,750 --> 00:09:40,389
on Apple premium that I support. And again,

255
00:09:40,389 --> 00:09:42,549
this is content that I listen to on

256
00:09:42,549 --> 00:09:43,929
a glee basis

257
00:09:44,389 --> 00:09:46,345
that's a not miss for me. If it's

258
00:09:46,345 --> 00:09:49,085
a not miss and they are looking for

259
00:09:49,625 --> 00:09:51,785
support, I'm more than willing to get up

260
00:09:51,785 --> 00:09:53,705
and and support the show because I want

261
00:09:53,705 --> 00:09:56,585
the content to continue. Why? Because I'm getting

262
00:09:56,585 --> 00:09:57,085
value.

263
00:09:57,705 --> 00:09:59,850
You know, I'm getting value out of that.

264
00:09:59,850 --> 00:10:02,169
And the most successful part of the value

265
00:10:02,169 --> 00:10:05,149
for value model. You know? It doesn't necessarily

266
00:10:05,370 --> 00:10:08,529
mean streaming Bitcoin. It could be Right. Anything

267
00:10:08,889 --> 00:10:11,069
PayPal donation. Sports a show. Yeah.

268
00:10:11,894 --> 00:10:14,134
The most successful scripture models are tied to

269
00:10:14,134 --> 00:10:16,934
strong community engagement and and not just extra

270
00:10:16,934 --> 00:10:19,654
comment, but our live events, are they worth

271
00:10:19,654 --> 00:10:20,875
the worth the effort?

272
00:10:21,335 --> 00:10:23,654
You know, the rise of the hybrid podcast

273
00:10:23,654 --> 00:10:26,554
events, live streaming and in person experience

274
00:10:27,190 --> 00:10:29,029
is that, you know, made a bit of

275
00:10:29,029 --> 00:10:29,690
an impact.

276
00:10:30,710 --> 00:10:33,210
So I think if you have something fun

277
00:10:33,910 --> 00:10:35,990
and you're it's it's an event where they're

278
00:10:35,990 --> 00:10:38,070
paying for that, you know, there's an option

279
00:10:38,070 --> 00:10:40,644
there. Of course, there's there's different type of

280
00:10:40,644 --> 00:10:41,144
monetizable

281
00:10:41,684 --> 00:10:45,044
events too. There's ticketed live podcast tapings, and

282
00:10:45,044 --> 00:10:46,644
I think you have to have a very

283
00:10:46,644 --> 00:10:47,945
big show. Yeah. Yeah.

284
00:10:48,325 --> 00:10:49,764
And you have to have a pretty big

285
00:10:49,764 --> 00:10:51,924
audience to get people to travel because, you

286
00:10:51,924 --> 00:10:53,764
know, they're not all gonna be, you know,

287
00:10:53,764 --> 00:10:55,950
right in your area. Yeah. And if you

288
00:10:55,950 --> 00:10:57,389
have a, you know, kind this is why

289
00:10:57,389 --> 00:10:59,230
comedians have done so well. They've been able

290
00:10:59,230 --> 00:11:00,050
to go to,

291
00:11:01,389 --> 00:11:03,570
comedy venues all across the country

292
00:11:04,190 --> 00:11:06,350
and what ends up happening then is, you

293
00:11:06,350 --> 00:11:08,269
know, a smattering of their fans come in

294
00:11:08,269 --> 00:11:09,105
and buy tickets

295
00:11:09,664 --> 00:11:12,384
to to the comedy show or more often

296
00:11:12,384 --> 00:11:14,884
now I see individuals doing virtual workshops,

297
00:11:15,264 --> 00:11:16,964
AMAs and q and a's.

298
00:11:17,345 --> 00:11:19,584
And, of course, if you have an event

299
00:11:19,584 --> 00:11:22,200
where your fans are gonna go to, it

300
00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:23,800
might be all have a shared interest. In

301
00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:25,160
other words, I I just go back to

302
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:26,940
the analogy of a car show again.

303
00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:29,980
If you have the ability to have a

304
00:11:30,279 --> 00:11:33,080
a meetup at a trade show or car

305
00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:34,840
event or something like that where you have

306
00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,095
a separate meet and greet and have a

307
00:11:37,095 --> 00:11:39,574
small fee for the tenants, I I think

308
00:11:39,574 --> 00:11:41,975
you might do do well here. But some

309
00:11:41,975 --> 00:11:45,274
podcast events flop. Yeah. For sure. You know,

310
00:11:45,414 --> 00:11:47,334
you you overestimate how many people are gonna

311
00:11:47,334 --> 00:11:49,339
show up. And so you rent this

312
00:11:49,959 --> 00:11:52,200
big venue and, you know, 12 people show

313
00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:54,279
up. That's not gonna work out well. And,

314
00:11:54,279 --> 00:11:58,059
again, high production costs versus actual revenue. So,

315
00:11:58,360 --> 00:11:59,740
you know, start small.

316
00:12:00,279 --> 00:12:02,995
Merch. Here's another, thing. And this is real

317
00:12:02,995 --> 00:12:05,334
popular with YouTubers, but, podcasters

318
00:12:05,634 --> 00:12:06,294
as well.

319
00:12:06,914 --> 00:12:07,575
You can

320
00:12:08,115 --> 00:12:11,714
sell branded items and shirts, mugs, stickers, all

321
00:12:11,714 --> 00:12:13,075
that kind of stuff. And,

322
00:12:13,809 --> 00:12:16,129
and that works if your fan base is

323
00:12:16,129 --> 00:12:17,029
very engaged.

324
00:12:18,210 --> 00:12:21,110
You could, do some creative merch, custom

325
00:12:21,730 --> 00:12:22,230
journals,

326
00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:24,389
soundbite NFTs.

327
00:12:25,490 --> 00:12:28,610
NFTs still a thing? Yeah. A little bit.

328
00:12:28,610 --> 00:12:30,544
Yeah. I think it's it's kinda come and

329
00:12:30,544 --> 00:12:31,845
went a little bit in itself.

330
00:12:32,785 --> 00:12:35,664
Right. Right. So, but what's not working is,

331
00:12:35,664 --> 00:12:38,164
you know, general merch with no brand connection,

332
00:12:38,304 --> 00:12:40,164
you know, selling products

333
00:12:40,625 --> 00:12:42,965
to an audience that really isn't engaged.

334
00:12:44,090 --> 00:12:44,830
You know, you

335
00:12:45,210 --> 00:12:47,049
don't yeah. You you have to judge your

336
00:12:47,049 --> 00:12:48,990
audience. So, again, know your audience.

337
00:12:49,370 --> 00:12:50,889
But I do think that the print on

338
00:12:50,889 --> 00:12:53,129
demand services make it easier than ever to

339
00:12:53,129 --> 00:12:54,990
sell without high upfront cost.

340
00:12:55,769 --> 00:12:57,529
So, you know, that that way you don't

341
00:12:57,529 --> 00:12:58,750
have to put in inventory.

342
00:12:59,605 --> 00:13:02,085
There are companies out there that will, handle

343
00:13:02,085 --> 00:13:04,165
all your merch sales too if you're you're

344
00:13:04,165 --> 00:13:05,384
up a certain volume.

345
00:13:05,845 --> 00:13:07,764
You know? And they run contests. You know?

346
00:13:07,764 --> 00:13:10,184
This this one big outfit I know of,

347
00:13:10,965 --> 00:13:11,445
if you're,

348
00:13:11,990 --> 00:13:14,709
doing merch through them, what they'll do is,

349
00:13:15,110 --> 00:13:17,029
every once in a while, for every $5,

350
00:13:17,029 --> 00:13:18,629
you get an entry to win something, and

351
00:13:18,629 --> 00:13:20,789
it's usually something rather big, you know, like

352
00:13:20,789 --> 00:13:23,110
a a vehicle in the case of the

353
00:13:23,110 --> 00:13:23,924
one I know.

354
00:13:24,404 --> 00:13:24,904
Wow.

355
00:13:25,605 --> 00:13:27,284
And, yeah. So, you know, they'll they'll give

356
00:13:27,284 --> 00:13:30,184
away I think the last giveaway was a

357
00:13:30,964 --> 00:13:33,125
a Corvette z r one or something. You

358
00:13:33,125 --> 00:13:35,044
know? It was it was a big deal.

359
00:13:35,044 --> 00:13:36,964
And so every you know, that sells a

360
00:13:36,964 --> 00:13:38,964
lot of merch. That definitely sells a lot

361
00:13:38,964 --> 00:13:39,625
of merch.

362
00:13:40,090 --> 00:13:42,350
First, the some of the best selling

363
00:13:42,730 --> 00:13:45,210
podcast merch is inside joke driven. In other

364
00:13:45,210 --> 00:13:47,309
words, if there's something your fans get

365
00:13:47,690 --> 00:13:50,409
that maybe someone else won't that will drive

366
00:13:50,409 --> 00:13:50,909
conversation,

367
00:13:51,529 --> 00:13:53,629
you know, that that does really, really,

368
00:13:54,009 --> 00:13:54,750
really well.

369
00:13:55,065 --> 00:13:58,004
And, of course, the future podcast monetization, you

370
00:13:58,105 --> 00:14:00,585
know, I still believe that your audience, if

371
00:14:00,585 --> 00:14:02,365
they value your content,

372
00:14:03,065 --> 00:14:05,144
can be the source of the biggest revenue

373
00:14:05,144 --> 00:14:07,945
for smaller shows and maybe even bigger shows.

374
00:14:07,945 --> 00:14:09,245
So don't discount

375
00:14:09,690 --> 00:14:12,169
having your your fans support your show with

376
00:14:12,169 --> 00:14:14,410
direct donations. But, you know, the question is,

377
00:14:14,410 --> 00:14:16,669
are ad supported podcast sustainable?

378
00:14:17,370 --> 00:14:19,470
And what emerging revenue streams

379
00:14:19,929 --> 00:14:21,070
should podcasters

380
00:14:21,610 --> 00:14:24,009
experiment with? I think on the ad supported

381
00:14:24,009 --> 00:14:24,509
side,

382
00:14:24,865 --> 00:14:25,924
it's gonna continue.

383
00:14:26,304 --> 00:14:28,225
But it's been a weird kind of a

384
00:14:28,225 --> 00:14:29,845
weird time over the last

385
00:14:30,225 --> 00:14:32,465
couple of years where, you know, a a

386
00:14:32,465 --> 00:14:34,705
small number shows get a high percentage of

387
00:14:34,705 --> 00:14:36,165
the ads and everyone else

388
00:14:36,545 --> 00:14:38,404
is ignored and or

389
00:14:39,110 --> 00:14:39,769
the platform,

390
00:14:40,709 --> 00:14:43,829
YouTube and or Spotify is monetizing around your

391
00:14:43,829 --> 00:14:45,370
content and you're getting nothing.

392
00:14:45,990 --> 00:14:48,470
So, you know, you if you get to

393
00:14:48,470 --> 00:14:49,209
pick wisely,

394
00:14:50,470 --> 00:14:53,195
where you want your show to be and

395
00:14:53,254 --> 00:14:56,715
how you monetize. But the emerging revenue streams

396
00:14:56,934 --> 00:14:57,674
the podcasters

397
00:14:57,975 --> 00:15:01,274
could experiment with is consulting within your own

398
00:15:01,654 --> 00:15:02,154
niche

399
00:15:02,615 --> 00:15:05,195
and stuff that you that you are discussing.

400
00:15:06,375 --> 00:15:09,629
A book. Write your own book, you know,

401
00:15:09,629 --> 00:15:10,610
from the content.

402
00:15:12,909 --> 00:15:13,649
And I think,

403
00:15:14,350 --> 00:15:17,330
maybe even integrated commerce, shop while you listen,

404
00:15:17,470 --> 00:15:20,190
have some sort of like Code ADX, have

405
00:15:20,190 --> 00:15:22,269
some sort of offer in the show that

406
00:15:22,269 --> 00:15:24,375
people will will go support.

407
00:15:25,394 --> 00:15:27,394
Yeah. I you know, think about this one,

408
00:15:27,394 --> 00:15:29,315
and it's not listed in our notes here.

409
00:15:29,315 --> 00:15:29,554
But,

410
00:15:30,514 --> 00:15:33,095
you know, what about if you're in business

411
00:15:33,235 --> 00:15:34,695
doing something else

412
00:15:35,075 --> 00:15:37,450
and your show could be sponsored

413
00:15:37,830 --> 00:15:40,230
by that business. So it could be around

414
00:15:40,230 --> 00:15:42,629
that business. You know, our friend Gary, he

415
00:15:42,629 --> 00:15:45,190
really, took that to the to the higher

416
00:15:45,190 --> 00:15:47,690
level on a couple shows, a couple businesses

417
00:15:47,830 --> 00:15:49,509
he runs. And and,

418
00:15:50,184 --> 00:15:52,585
you know, that that's you know, he didn't

419
00:15:52,585 --> 00:15:54,425
make money because of his pod or he

420
00:15:54,425 --> 00:15:57,004
didn't make money from talking on the microphone.

421
00:15:57,065 --> 00:15:58,045
He made money

422
00:15:58,425 --> 00:16:01,945
by, you know, talking about the topic and

423
00:16:01,945 --> 00:16:04,605
promoting his business in that field.

424
00:16:04,919 --> 00:16:05,639
Yeah. He was,

425
00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,419
at the beginning, he was selling, girls

426
00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:11,179
softball bats.

427
00:16:11,879 --> 00:16:13,980
Yeah. And his show was all about

428
00:16:14,759 --> 00:16:17,019
girls softball. Softball. Yeah. And,

429
00:16:17,559 --> 00:16:20,039
and he and he sold literally tens of

430
00:16:20,039 --> 00:16:20,539
thousands

431
00:16:21,504 --> 00:16:23,845
of Beryl softball bats because he was

432
00:16:24,304 --> 00:16:25,825
the man. You know, he was the one

433
00:16:25,825 --> 00:16:27,904
that he was talking about all the different

434
00:16:27,904 --> 00:16:30,325
bats and you know and actually covering,

435
00:16:32,304 --> 00:16:34,245
the games and industry

436
00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:36,299
where those bats are being used. So it

437
00:16:36,299 --> 00:16:38,620
was brilliant move on his part. So I

438
00:16:38,620 --> 00:16:40,559
think the key to making money is diversification.

439
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:45,039
You can't rely on just one revenue stream.

440
00:16:46,220 --> 00:16:49,894
What is in today maybe out tomorrow. There's

441
00:16:49,894 --> 00:16:50,955
content that,

442
00:16:51,815 --> 00:16:55,414
people have built wonderful businesses with and then

443
00:16:55,414 --> 00:16:57,254
a little bit of changing of the tide

444
00:16:57,254 --> 00:16:59,254
in the way people think and all of

445
00:16:59,254 --> 00:17:01,620
a sudden that content is much much harder

446
00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:03,639
to monetize. So having that diversification

447
00:17:04,660 --> 00:17:06,119
is really really critical.

448
00:17:06,579 --> 00:17:07,539
I think that,

449
00:17:07,940 --> 00:17:09,880
that is the biggest takeaway here.

450
00:17:10,579 --> 00:17:12,099
But again, I I go back to what

451
00:17:12,099 --> 00:17:13,079
I said earlier.

452
00:17:13,724 --> 00:17:15,804
The value of your podcast is more than

453
00:17:15,804 --> 00:17:16,304
monetization.

454
00:17:16,765 --> 00:17:19,025
The value is the people you connect with,

455
00:17:19,164 --> 00:17:21,724
the opportunities that are afforded you because of

456
00:17:21,724 --> 00:17:22,545
your podcast.

457
00:17:23,404 --> 00:17:25,484
Maybe that maybe all of a sudden you're

458
00:17:25,484 --> 00:17:26,625
on a speaking circuit.

459
00:17:27,169 --> 00:17:27,669
Maybe,

460
00:17:28,210 --> 00:17:29,589
you have written,

461
00:17:30,049 --> 00:17:31,269
a best selling book.

462
00:17:31,650 --> 00:17:34,549
Maybe you have now become the authority on,

463
00:17:34,849 --> 00:17:35,990
you know, category

464
00:17:36,529 --> 00:17:39,569
x y z. Maybe it's increased your people

465
00:17:39,569 --> 00:17:41,410
walking through the door or calling you for

466
00:17:41,410 --> 00:17:41,910
business.

467
00:17:42,265 --> 00:17:45,644
These are the ongoing bigger values of podcasting,

468
00:17:45,785 --> 00:17:46,365
I think,

469
00:17:46,664 --> 00:17:49,625
beyond monetization because I think, Mike, you'll agree

470
00:17:49,625 --> 00:17:51,244
that when people get so

471
00:17:51,944 --> 00:17:53,404
focused on just

472
00:17:54,105 --> 00:17:54,605
advertising,

473
00:17:55,529 --> 00:17:58,890
They forget about all these other opportunities and

474
00:17:58,890 --> 00:17:59,390
what

475
00:17:59,690 --> 00:18:02,809
podcasting is making available to them. You might

476
00:18:02,809 --> 00:18:04,570
just get a new career out of it

477
00:18:04,570 --> 00:18:05,950
like I did. Right.

478
00:18:06,410 --> 00:18:08,650
I'm only here at Blueberry because I started

479
00:18:08,650 --> 00:18:11,174
a podcast way back when and, you know,

480
00:18:11,735 --> 00:18:14,055
those kind of opportunities do come up. They

481
00:18:14,055 --> 00:18:16,215
do all the time. And, again, I go

482
00:18:16,215 --> 00:18:18,134
back to the story. We never know who's

483
00:18:18,134 --> 00:18:18,634
listening.

484
00:18:19,095 --> 00:18:21,515
You could have someone that's very influential

485
00:18:21,815 --> 00:18:24,075
in your category space listening to

486
00:18:24,535 --> 00:18:25,515
love your content.

487
00:18:25,890 --> 00:18:27,329
And the next thing you do is you're

488
00:18:27,329 --> 00:18:28,849
getting a call saying, hey. I'd love to

489
00:18:28,849 --> 00:18:29,829
have your resume.

490
00:18:30,210 --> 00:18:31,809
I think you'd make a great member for

491
00:18:31,809 --> 00:18:33,509
our team. That happens

492
00:18:33,890 --> 00:18:34,950
all the time.

493
00:18:35,490 --> 00:18:37,190
So I think this is the

494
00:18:37,570 --> 00:18:39,269
the biggest takeaway for me

495
00:18:39,730 --> 00:18:40,230
is

496
00:18:40,855 --> 00:18:41,674
from a monetization

497
00:18:42,214 --> 00:18:44,714
strategy. It's not just the money.

498
00:18:45,335 --> 00:18:46,394
It's the opportunities.

499
00:18:46,855 --> 00:18:47,255
And,

500
00:18:47,974 --> 00:18:49,654
I think we lose A lot of people

501
00:18:49,654 --> 00:18:51,434
just do this for a hobby.

502
00:18:51,734 --> 00:18:53,654
You know, they you know, so don't forget

503
00:18:53,654 --> 00:18:55,890
that. I mean, it it's it can be

504
00:18:55,890 --> 00:18:57,590
fun, and it can be informative,

505
00:18:58,850 --> 00:19:00,609
you know, to you. You know? The best

506
00:19:00,609 --> 00:19:02,369
way to learn about something is do a

507
00:19:02,369 --> 00:19:03,670
podcast about it because

508
00:19:04,210 --> 00:19:06,609
you're gonna engage an audience, and they're gonna

509
00:19:06,609 --> 00:19:08,289
train you know, teach you about it and

510
00:19:08,289 --> 00:19:10,130
all the research you're gonna do. So, you

511
00:19:10,130 --> 00:19:10,630
know,

512
00:19:10,945 --> 00:19:13,605
sometimes, again, it's not about the money. Yeah.

513
00:19:13,984 --> 00:19:15,445
So what's been your

514
00:19:16,065 --> 00:19:19,184
best or worst monetization strategy? How have you

515
00:19:19,184 --> 00:19:20,325
used your show

516
00:19:20,865 --> 00:19:23,984
to either one monetize or to, like I

517
00:19:23,984 --> 00:19:25,365
referred to, improve

518
00:19:25,909 --> 00:19:26,730
your life,

519
00:19:27,109 --> 00:19:28,890
business, standing, whatever it may be,

520
00:19:29,349 --> 00:19:30,950
let us know on social or send us

521
00:19:30,950 --> 00:19:31,609
a memo

522
00:19:31,990 --> 00:19:33,829
or send us an email and we might

523
00:19:33,829 --> 00:19:36,470
feature your story in a future episode. I

524
00:19:36,470 --> 00:19:38,789
think, we wanna hear from you on your

525
00:19:38,789 --> 00:19:41,234
various ways. I'm astounded many times when people

526
00:19:41,234 --> 00:19:43,554
tell us what what their podcast has done

527
00:19:43,554 --> 00:19:45,255
or how it's changed their life.

528
00:19:46,115 --> 00:19:49,075
There's literally thousands and thousands of stories and

529
00:19:49,075 --> 00:19:51,315
I'm sure you have one. Let us know

530
00:19:51,315 --> 00:19:53,315
or maybe you're developing one and we'd like

531
00:19:53,315 --> 00:19:54,589
to know that. You got

532
00:19:55,049 --> 00:19:57,049
something? Let us know. Thanks for listening to

533
00:19:57,049 --> 00:20:00,169
Podcast Insider. You can, find the show notes

534
00:20:00,169 --> 00:20:03,069
over at podcastinsider.com.

535
00:20:03,130 --> 00:20:04,429
We'll see you next week.

536
00:20:04,890 --> 00:20:07,505
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.

537
00:20:07,644 --> 00:20:11,164
And in the meantime, head to podcastinsider.com

538
00:20:11,164 --> 00:20:12,144
for more information,

539
00:20:12,445 --> 00:20:13,184
to subscribe,

540
00:20:14,045 --> 00:20:16,065
share, and read our show notes.

541
00:20:16,445 --> 00:20:18,465
To check out our latest suite of services

542
00:20:18,684 --> 00:20:19,984
and learn how Blueberry

543
00:20:20,285 --> 00:20:24,909
can help you leverage your podcast. Visit blueberry.com.

544
00:20:24,970 --> 00:20:26,909
That's Blueberry without the e's.

545
00:20:27,210 --> 00:20:28,750
We couldn't afford the e's.