The realm of podcasting has taken the world by storm. According to statistics, over one-third of Americans listen to podcasts regularly. That’s over 104 million individuals! You’re probably thinking - chatting to a microphone sounds great, but how much do podcasters really make? In short, if you have 1,000 listens per episode, you can make around $745 a month. When you reach 10,000 listens per episode, you can find yourself make approximately $13,000 a month. For example, True Crime Obsessed rakes in $1.2 million per year while The Dave Ramsey Show has about 13 million weekly listeners and earns close to $10 million a year. Not to mention The Joe Rogan Experience - 190 million downloads a month bringing his earnings to $30 million a year.
But, how are these podcasters making so much money? Let’s break it down:
There are many streams of income that a podcaster may choose in order to profit off of their podcast, some more consistent streams of income than others. The top five methods include:
It’s important to mention that a lot of podcasters also upload their episodes to YouTube, giving them the ability to earn an income from ad revenue. If an account enables the option to receive monetization from videos, creators can start receiving a portion of the ad revenue from AdSense The top YouTubers can earn $29 million a year through AdSense, but of course, the income differs based on the traffic you bring to your channel and videos.
As you can probably guess, advertisers see podcasts as a very strong way to get their products out to a large audience. The feeling of trust and intimacy that is quickly formed between the listener and the host makes sponsorships highly successful. Podcasting ad revenue rose by 19% over the last year and is set to exceed $2B by 2023, which is pretty insane. Reports consistently show that 80% of podcast listeners can recall a brand advertised in a podcast and 62% of listeners are more likely to buy from brands that are advertised via podcasts. It is also important to point out that 78% of listeners don’t mind podcast advertising, so you can feel confident using podcasts to reach new audiences without annoying potential customers.
Additionally, the fact that there’s a podcast for every niche appeals to advertisers, since they know they will have no problem finding a podcast that lines up with their brand’s intention. Whether the podcast focuses on news stories from around the world or electronic gaming strategies, there’s no doubt that there’s a product that can be seamlessly mentioned throughout the podcast.
So how do podcast sponsorships work? Well, the amount a podcaster earns from a sponsor depends on the number of downloads each episode earns. Sponsors pay on a CPM (cost per million) basis. The creator’s rate usually ranges from $18 to $50 CPM, though the more popular a podcast is, the more they are able to demand.
The type of advertisement can also affect the price that a creator asks for. Here are the different types of advertisements:
There are pros and cons to each type of advertisement in podcasts, and it’s important to do your research before making a decision.
This podcast has been around for over 10 years and has only grown in popularity over that time. Rogan regularly achieves 190 million downloads per month and has had guest appearances ranging from Bernie Sanders to Elon Musk. A few months ago, it was revealed that Rogan received a $200 million exclusive deal with Spotify in 2020. Even amidst all the controversy Rogan and the podcast have faced, the podcast still stands as one of the most popular podcasts in the world.
My Favorite Murder has created a devoted and dedicated community of true crime junkies that are looking for a sprinkle of humor with their murderous tales. The podcast regularly sold-out live events, and the two hosts even co-published a novel titled, Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, which was a New York Times bestseller. The average revenue for the podcast is estimated at about $15 million.
Everyone wants to know how to balance their finances, and Dave Ramsey has been helping listeners with just that for over 20 years. Each episode is split up into 3 parts, with each part an hour long! It’s estimated that the podcast receives around $10 million in revenue, and the podcast is also heard on more than 600 stations in the United States.
Podcasts are going to continue taking the world by storm, and whether you’re a brand or a content creator, you’re going to want to jump on this bandwagon! If you have any questions on the world of podcasting or even want new podcast recommendations, get in touch! Also, if you want to understand a little bit more about the podcast sponsorships, check out our FREE guide.