How Much Do Podcasters Make In 2024 (Revealed)

This is your definitive guide to knowing everything about how much a podcaster makes with their channel and how they do it.

The podcasting industry was valued at $23.56 Billion in 2024. Looking at the history, it is projected to go beyond the figure for the next year.

I reached out to a number of podcasters with diverse backgrounds and levels of experience. I realized that starting from zero, a podcaster can earn up to $30 Million annually!

I also referred to top studies done by other experts to verify my findings and combined the resulting knowledge into this article. 

Stay with me further to understand how much a podcaster makes per episode and per month, as well as essential tips to boost your podcast income. 

Podcasters Earning in 2024: In a Nutshell

The earnings from a podcast differ as per the stage of your podcast.

Type of PodcasterAverage earnings per year
Beginner$0 –$10k
Intermediate$10k – $ 50K
Top-level ExpertUp to $30 Million

This table shows the average income that a podcaster generates per year according to their podcasting experience and audience reach.  As a beginner, you would not earn anything from hosting a podcast until you have certain credentials (more on this further in the article).

Note: The figures mentioned in the article are based on that research and are average. The amount earned also depends on a variety of parameters.

A beginner podcaster need not worry, as every big podcast of this generation has started from scratch. They may not earn anything, but if they follow the ideal practices to start a podcast, they will surely take a step further in reaching there. 

Read this detailed guide to learn more about starting a podcast with no audience.

How Much Does the Average Podcaster Make?

Podcasting average income is not standard and varies as per the podcasts. These include ad revenues, sponsorships, book/course sales, merchandise sales, donations, memberships, etc. 

The income that an average podcast will generate can go from as small as $50 to $1000 per month. This depends on their audience reach and downloads. 

Check this YouTube video I found. Shelby Church briefly explains how much money you can make with a 50,000 downloads podcast channel. 

I also found this interesting thread on Redditt that helped me get more real-world insights on podcasters and how much they earn.

Multiple podcasters from around the globe tried answering the question by breaking down how much they make through their podcasts.

podcasters earnings reddit

Going through this thread gives a clear idea of how there is no ‘fixed’ earning when it comes to podcasts.

Here’s the thread that you can check out for a detailed idea.

How Much Do Podcasters Make Per Episode

Typically, if someone has a well-set-up podcast and has about 1,000 downloads for every episode they post, they are expected to earn up to $15/episode from affiliate sales. 

The amount that a podcaster earns variably differs according to the level that the podcast is at. As the channel and the audience grow you can expect this figure to go higher than this and even go to $1000 per episode.

Note – This figure is generated from assuming one ad-roll per episode. 

How Much Do Podcasters Make Per Month 

Now, we know that an average podcast can earn up to $1000 per episode. Depending on the channel’s frequency of posting an episode, this amount would again vary. 

To elaborate better, let’s take the same example of the above “1,000 downloads per episode case”.

Imagine a standard self-help podcast that goes on air every weekend. Now depending on the number of weekends in the month, the standard income that the same podcaster would earn is – $4,000 – $5,000 per month. This data depends on an average of 1% of your listeners buying through affiliate promotions). 

Listeners Needed to Make Money from Podcasting

There aren’t any ‘fixed number of listeners’ you need to earn money through Podcasts.

For Podcasting, there aren’t any guidelines on when you can start making money from it. But it never happens overnight.

It all depends on your skills. There are many small podcasters who are earning as same as the highest-paid podcasters only because of their financial and business skills.

However, it is always a good idea to grow the audience of your podcast. This is because podcasts with a larger audience have better chances of making different streams of revenue.

Sources of Income For Podcasters (How Podcasters Earn)

Podcasters use many effective methods to generate a solid stream of revenue from the podcast. Here are the top seven sources of income for podcasters.

1. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing can be your primary source of income for your podcast.  Over 16% of the online orders originating from the USA are generated via affiliate marketing. 

This works when each time a listener visits the affiliate links posted by the podcaster and buys the affiliate product. Podcasts are a running trend in the affiliate marketing landscape. Brands are always on the lookout to find the ideal space (podcast here) to market the product.

To get an insight into affiliate marketing and to learn the same from a podcast, refer to our list of the most famous affiliate marketing podcasts. 

2. Sponsorships

A popular source of income for podcasts is sponsorships, which many podcasters practice. Often, when you listen to a podcast, there are sponsor mentions by the podcasters. These are exactly the sponsors with whom the podcast is partnered.

Some common proven methods of gaining podcast sponsors for your podcast are – 

  • Leveraging podcast popularity
  • Pitching directly to brands
  • Joining podcast communities

3. Memberships

Memberships allow podcasters to earn money from their audience each month while also getting to know them better.

Podcasting audiences are pleased to contribute to the initiatives they care about on a regular basis -usually in the form of monthly or annual payments.

These payments allow podcasters to organize their work. This is because it gives them a consistent income rather than varying income from donations and ad revenue.

You can reserve some exclusive audio/video clips from your podcast. Additionally, you can have a virtual meet and greet with fans, Early access to your podcast, or other stuff under your membership. If people love you, you can get easy memberships!

4. Donations

Donations from listeners for a beginner are a must in the early stages of a podcast. This works very well once you have built up a community for your podcast and have a set number of loyal listeners who can also be your well-wishers.

You can also set up a Patreon account, write a blog explaining why you deserve donations, and mention the account in your episode.

5. Live Coaching

Teaching on podcasts is an effective way of promoting an online course. You can share snippets or small lessons from your existing course and get people insights into what the original course includes. 

Podcasters also run full-fledged series where generating money is a secondary intention and educating listeners is primary. Live coaching can further be clubbed with donations or memberships and build up the revenue earned from a podcast.

8. Selling Physical Products

Merchandise sale is an ever-popular way to generate a passive income from your listeners especially members and the community. Based on the nature of the merchandise sold, the revenue generated can be small or big. 

The best example of this is Logan Paul’s podcast “Impaulsive.” Through the podcast he promotes his hydration drink company Prime in every episode of his podcast.

9. Other Methods to Monetize Your Podcast

The methods we have listed above are popular, but they are not the only way to earn money through your podcast. There are many other ways to generate money from your podcast like:

  • Paid Podcasts
  • Public Speaking
  • Consulting Services
  • Mentoring
  • Hosting Events

That being said, do not be afraid of experimenting. Mix methods, and try out newer ways to make your podcast contribute to your income.

Case Studies to Understand Podcasters’ Earnings

Let’s check what the other expert reviewers have to say about podcasts and their earning potential.

Popular podcast platform – Buzzsprout has published its own study on podcasts and how much podcasters do. Know more about it from this table:

Company1, 000 episode downloads5,000 episode downloads10,000 episode downloads
BuzzsproutLess than $100/monthAbout $100/monthAbout $1000/month
CastrosAbout $745/monthAbout $4,925/monthAbout $13,450/month
Riverside Fm$500-$900/month

Note – Castros have projected a higher figure as they have also measured the Patreon and course sales in addition to the affiliate sales from the podcast.

Tips to Boost Your Podcast Earnings

Demandsage has been prevalent in research and development around podcasts. We have seen some popular podcasts take their shape using our guides and reviews.

Similar to the techniques used by them, I would like to suggest the below to boost your earnings from your podcast.

  1. Equipment setup

Efficient equipment would get you quality recordings and uploads. If you have a proper podcasting equipment setup, your end result will definitely improve. 

I would always recommend investing in high-quality equipment. Check out these essential podcast equipment that you need for a podcast. 

  1. Promote your podcasts

If you do not work actively on promoting your podcast, your creative efforts are second to nothing.

  1. Choosing the ideal Podcast hosting platform

There are a number of hosting platforms to choose from. However, choosing the perfect platform for your channel is highly crucial. 

Though some top and popular hosting platforms are always preferred as a beginner, you should always go for the most affordable ones early on.

I have compiled a list of the best podcast hosting platforms that include exclusive choices for beginners as well as experts.

Who Are The Richest Podcasters in 2024? 

Joe Rogan tops the list with an annual income of a whopping $30 million per year generated from the “Joe Rogan” Podcast.

Here’s a list of other top earning podcasters that make have built their podcasts to generate millions of dollars. 

  • Joe Rogan makes $800k per episode, and with three episodes released each week, he makes $9.6 million every month. Spotify recently paid $200 million to gain exclusive streaming rights to “Joe Rogan Experience.”
  • The Tim Dillion Show has 40,141 patrons, earning him $211579 per month.
  • Chapo Trap House has 34,838 patrons, which equals $153,529 per month.
  • Last Podcast On The Left has 13,652 patrons, which equals $77,214 per month.

Source: Forbes

Check out some of the best Joe Rogan podcasts of all time we have handpicked!

Can You Make a Living From a Podcast? 

As you can see above, thes podcasters have been able to earn pretty much more than just a living.

If you are willing to put in the required efforts and genuinely produce the content that people need, there’s no stopping. 

However, this effort has to be consistent, and building a top-earning podcast demands full focus. As a beginner with the ability to constantly learn and grow, you can make up to $10K per year.

Once you reach an intermediate level where you have figured out your niche, have a good number of audience and members in your community, and have a vision, you can easily make up to $50K per year. Then, you can aim for the summit and think of earning millions. 

But yes, you can definitely earn a living from a podcast.

Related Reads:

After analyzing the reviews from the podcasters and case studies, ultimately, how much a podcaster earns is solely dependent on:

  1. The reach of the audience and the stage at which a podcasting channel is at 
  2. It also depends on other factors such as – the source of income, method of marketing, and the frequency of the episodes rolled out. 

That’s about it. Do let me know in the comment field below if you have some more insights about podcasters and their ways of earning!

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