Passive Income Through Podcasting: How to Monetize Your Show and Create Recurring Revenue

Podcasting has become a popular way for individuals to share their thoughts and ideas with the world and generate revenue at the same time. 

With the growing number of podcast listeners, it’s now much easier to turn your passion into a source of passive income. 

In this post, we will explore the various ways you can monetize your podcast and create recurring revenue.

Affiliate Marketing Through Your Podcast

Affiliate marketing for a podcast works the same as it would for a blog. 

You receive a special link from the business that you share with your audience. If someone makes a purchase through the affiliate’s link, the business will pay you a commission.

You can use affiliate marketing as a way to monetize your show. 

To start, you must find affiliate programs that cater to your audience. 

It’s also a good idea to have a simple URL for the affiliate link, such as the business’ website plus the podcast’s name. The affiliate link can be shared through 

• The show notes 
• Email newsletter
• Discord community for your show
• Social media for your show
• RSS feed

There are many affiliate programs and networks available, such as: 

• Amazon Associates
• Rakuten Advertising
• Skillshare Affiliates

You can try different programs and continue with the ones that perform best. The key is to diversify and not be afraid to drop underperforming affiliate links. 

Sell Unique Merchandise to Fans

If you’re a podcaster and want to give your fans a way to show their support, you can consider selling custom merchandise. A print-on-demand distribution model is the easiest way to run a merch store.

With this model, a third party will handle printing and shipping at the point of purchase.

Hence, you don’t have to worry about:

• Overhead costs
• Shipping
• Inventory
• Financial risk

To start, you’ll need to create an online store and add products. But once you’ve done that, running your store can be mostly automated.

There are several print-on-demand apps and services available. This includes:

• Printful
• Printify
• Teelaunch
• SPOD
• Apliiq
• CustomCat

Choose the one that works best for your podcast.

When you sell products like t-shirts and totes, you can help spread the word about your podcast offline. You can also encourage fan engagement by asking them to share pictures of their recently purchased merch or using the merch as prizes in contests.

Consider Patreon for Tiered Subscriptions

Patreon allows fans, called “patrons” to support podcasters through regular monthly payments. The creators can offer different subscription options or “tiers” with varying benefits. This type of income model is great for independent podcasters.

When you use Patreon as a podcaster, it’s important to keep in mind that your audience may not initially pay for your podcast. To attract new listeners and turn them into paying patrons, you need to offer a large portion of the content for free. 

To keep existing patrons, you need to have enough exclusive content that is worth the monthly payment. A good rule of thumb is to split your content in half, with half being free and accessible on various platforms, and the other half being exclusively on Patreon.

Livestream Your Podcast and Enable Donations

Hosting a live event in person can be a way for a podcaster to make some extra money. That being said, it’s not easy to find gigs if your podcast is relatively small. Venues may allow you to perform, but they won’t pay you unless it’s big enough to bring in a lot of business.

You can host your own virtual podcast event with the help of live streaming and tip collection tools. This is actually better for smaller podcasts, as virtual events have several advantages over in-person shows:

• Low or no overhead costs: You don’t have to pay for a venue, so any podcast can host a virtual event, regardless of its size or popularity.
• Wider audience reach: Online shows can be viewed by fans all over the world, so you can reach a much larger audience than a show in a single location.
• Remote production teams: Your podcast host, guests, and other contributors can work from anywhere, saving on travel costs.
• Less planning needed: No need to book a venue or sell tickets, so you can go live online more often, even doing a weekly live show for your top patrons.
• Repurposed content: You can record your show and use short clips on social media to attract new audiences to your podcast. You can also sell access to the full recording even after the live show has ended.

Become Part of a Podcast Advertising Network

A podcast advertising network is a platform that helps brands and podcasts connect. It’s a place where brands can advertise to a shared target audience. It can be a good way to make money from your podcast, but it may not be an option for new podcasts with a smaller audience. 

One downside of using this method is that you won’t be able to keep your podcast ad-free. That being said, if you want to make them as less intrusive as possible, you could put them at the end of your podcast. These are called post-roll ads.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is it possible to generate steady passive income from only podcasting?

Yes. Although, it’ll be difficult at the start. You need to understand that it’ll be an uphill battle as you develop your style and promote your brand to the audience you want to reach. 

Once you have an established audience that tunes into your podcast regularly, only then will you be able to see a consistent passive income stream.

What are some popular monetization methods for podcasts?

Popular monetization methods for podcasts include: 

• Advertising
• Sponsorships
• Merchandise sales
• Paid subscriptions or memberships
• Hosting virtual events

How many listeners do I need to have to start monetizing my podcast?

The number of listeners required to start monetizing your podcast may vary depending on the monetization method you choose. Most advertising networks usually require a minimum of 1000 regular listeners.

Can I still have an ad-free podcast and make money from it?

Yes, you can still have an ad-free podcast and make money from it through other methods like merchandise, subscriptions, etc.

Is it possible to make a full-time income from podcasting?

Yes, it is possible to make a full-time income from podcasting once you have: 

• A large and dedicated audience
• A strong brand
• Multiple monetization streams

Conclusion 

Podcasting can be a great way to talk about yourself as well as the things you love or the knowledge you want to share with the world. 

Not only can you connect with people around the world and share your thoughts but you can also generate revenue while you’re doing it. What’s not to love? 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us in the comments section below.