Comparative Income: Freelance Vs. Full-Time Podcaster

The number of podcasters, the growth of podcasting, and how much podcasters make are all topics that come up frequently on Quora. It’s no secret that podcasting is on the rise—more than 2.6 billion people in the world today consume audio content regularly.

As a result, more people are starting their podcasts, and many are making money. But how much does a podcaster make, and is it enough to live on? We’ll examine how different podcasters make and why there’s so much variation.

1. Sponsorship
2. Complementary products
3. Listeners’ donations
4. Affiliate

• Popular Podcasts Earnings in 2024

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links

If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Part 1: Are Podcasts Profitable?

Podcasts are among the most underutilized marketing tools around today. They can be an easy way to add value to your business and market your products and services.

As a bonus, podcasts aren’t expensive, and you can produce a high-quality episode in less than an hour. These days, podcasters are finding that their podcasts are very profitable. Some people say that podcasts are the only business where you can make a full-time living without owning real estate.

The secret? Make sure your podcast is something that people want to listen to. If people are listening, you can make money selling ads and subscriptions.

Part 2: How Much Money Do Podcasters Make?

Podcaster earnings vary widely. Most people who have made their first million by podcasting make no more than half a million dollars a year.

Consider a scenario to figure out what podcasters can expect to earn and how much they’ll need to invest in their studios and equipment. Let’s say you’re a podcaster and you have the following stats:

• 5% of your audience buys a product through your link, earning you $20 for each.
• Your 3% audience supports you on Patreon, leaving you with $7 per person per month.
• 1% of your audience purchases a monthly online course for $49.
• You’re making about 5 podcasts per month.
• And lastly, you’re placing 4 ads in every episode, spaced out throughout the episode.

Considering all the statistics and more than 1,000 downloads/listeners per episode, you could make more than $1000 per month, which is a good amount.

• $300/month from affiliate sales
• $210/month from Patreon support
• $490/month from course sale
• Total = $1000/month

If you have 5000 download/listeners per episode:

• $1500/month from affiliate sales
• $1050/month from Patreon Support
• $2450/month from course sale
• Total = $5000/month

Note: These numbers are only speculative and assumptions. Depending on various factors, you could make anywhere from $1,000-$50,000 or more. That includes your reputation, strategy, and niche.

An example of this could include things like how much you want to charge to Patreon or possibly having a higher CPM sponsorship offer, or cost per thousand listeners based on expected performance and other factors.

Part 3: All Possible Income Sources for Podcasters

Many people would love to get paid to talk about their passions. That’s pretty much how it started for every podcaster. Yet, even though it may be easy to start a podcast, it’s not always so easy to make a living at it.

We’ll show you a bunch of ways podcasters earn a living doing something they love. Let’s take a look…

Sponsorship

In a podcast, a sponsor is the first thing you need to think about when seeking to make money from your podcast. With so many podcast ad networks, there are many options for advertisers wanting to advertise on podcasts. Podcasters hire networks, negotiate terms, and secure content on their behalf.

You need at least 5,000 listeners per month to be accepted by Midroll or Authentic. Suppose you don’t have a minimum number of listeners, you can always connect directly with sponsors, but your niche audience must be a perfect fit to get accepted.

Complementary products

As a podcaster, you are your merchant. There are some obvious items that you need to sell, such as t-shirts, caps, mugs and more.

You don’t have to sell everything; start small and grow. Promoting complementary products in your podcast is the best way to make extra income.

It’s important to know the best ways to market your brand through various platforms like, selling through a third party like eBay or Etsy that allow podcasters to sell their wares at wholesale pricing.

One thing to keep in mind when selling merchandising is that the more niche your podcast is, the less likely you will be able to sell a lot of it. Instead, focus on making quality items that appeal to your target audience.

Listeners’ donations

If you don’t have any other income sources, consider crowdfunding and/or donations to help you keep producing high-quality content. Crowdfunding is the act of funding a project or venture by raising funds from a large group of people.

Crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and Indiegogo allow people to share ideas and raise money for personal projects. You’ll need to carefully screen your donors, but if you’re willing to take some chances, the rewards can be pretty lucrative.

The downside is that, if you reach your fundraising goal, your funds may run out before you’re ready to launch your project.

Affiliate

One of the quickest ways to generate income for your podcast is to monetize it through affiliate marketing. With affiliate marketing, you make money when your audience purchases something through an affiliate link that you provide them.

You could sell a related product, share your affiliate link through social media or email, or even host a giveaway and earn a commission when someone enters their information.

In addition to the many affiliate marketing programs, some are specifically for podcasting, such as Amazon and ShareASale.

Part 4: Popular Podcasts Earnings in 2024

So many people are trying to figure out the best ways to make money online. So we decided to check out some popular podcasts generating consistent revenue for their hosts. Listen to the top-earning podcasts, according to a study by Forbes and The Richest.

The Bottom Line

Podcasting is becoming an industry in itself. It’s not just a niche anymore; it’s now one of the fastest-growing segments of the internet. With such an overwhelmingly favorable reputation, many businesses are now considering podcasting as a useful method of promoting their businesses.

Many podcasters start as amateurs and make a living doing what they love. You can, too! Learn the basics of podcasting and consistently engage your audience with valuable content; as a result, you could be the next high-earning podcaster.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Are Podcasts Profitable?

Podcasts are among the most underutilized marketing tools around today. They can be an easy way to add value to your business and market your products and services.

As a bonus, podcasts aren’t expensive, and you can produce a high-quality episode in less than an hour. These days, podcasters are finding that their podcasts are very profitable. Some people say that podcasts are the only business where you can make a full-time living without owning real estate.

The secret? Make sure your podcast is something that people want to listen to. If people are listening, you can make money selling ads and subscriptions.

Part 2: How Much Money Do Podcasters Make?

Podcaster earnings vary widely. Most people who have made their first million by podcasting make no more than half a million dollars a year.

Consider a scenario to figure out what podcasters can expect to earn and how much they’ll need to invest in their studios and equipment. Let’s say you’re a podcaster and you have the following stats:

• 5% of your audience buys a product through your link, earning you $20 for each.
• Your 3% audience supports you on Patreon, leaving you with $7 per person per month.
• 1% of your audience purchases a monthly online course for $49.
• You’re making about 5 podcasts per month.
• And lastly, you’re placing 4 ads in every episode, spaced out throughout the episode.

Considering all the statistics and more than 1,000 downloads/listeners per episode, you could make more than $1000 per month, which is a good amount.

• $300/month from affiliate sales
• $210/month from Patreon support
• $490/month from course sale
• Total = $1000/month

If you have 5000 download/listeners per episode:

• $1500/month from affiliate sales
• $1050/month from Patreon Support
• $2450/month from course sale
• Total = $5000/month

Note: These numbers are only speculative and assumptions. Depending on various factors, you could make anywhere from $1,000-$50,000 or more. That includes your reputation, strategy, and niche.

An example of this could include things like how much you want to charge to Patreon or possibly having a higher CPM sponsorship offer, or cost per thousand listeners based on expected performance and other factors.

Part 3: All Possible Income Sources for Podcasters

Many people would love to get paid to talk about their passions. That’s pretty much how it started for every podcaster. Yet, even though it may be easy to start a podcast, it’s not always so easy to make a living at it.

We’ll show you a bunch of ways podcasters earn a living doing something they love. Let’s take a look…

Sponsorship

In a podcast, a sponsor is the first thing you need to think about when seeking to make money from your podcast. With so many podcast ad networks, there are many options for advertisers wanting to advertise on podcasts. Podcasters hire networks, negotiate terms, and secure content on their behalf.

You need at least 5,000 listeners per month to be accepted by Midroll or Authentic. Suppose you don’t have a minimum number of listeners, you can always connect directly with sponsors, but your niche audience must be a perfect fit to get accepted.

Complementary products

As a podcaster, you are your merchant. There are some obvious items that you need to sell, such as t-shirts, caps, mugs and more.

You don’t have to sell everything; start small and grow. Promoting complementary products in your podcast is the best way to make extra income.

It’s important to know the best ways to market your brand through various platforms like, selling through a third party like eBay or Etsy that allow podcasters to sell their wares at wholesale pricing.

One thing to keep in mind when selling merchandising is that the more niche your podcast is, the less likely you will be able to sell a lot of it. Instead, focus on making quality items that appeal to your target audience.

Listeners’ donations

If you don’t have any other income sources, consider crowdfunding and/or donations to help you keep producing high-quality content. Crowdfunding is the act of funding a project or venture by raising funds from a large group of people.

Crowdfunding websites such as Kickstarter, GoFundMe, and Indiegogo allow people to share ideas and raise money for personal projects. You’ll need to carefully screen your donors, but if you’re willing to take some chances, the rewards can be pretty lucrative.

The downside is that, if you reach your fundraising goal, your funds may run out before you’re ready to launch your project.

Affiliate

One of the quickest ways to generate income for your podcast is to monetize it through affiliate marketing. With affiliate marketing, you make money when your audience purchases something through an affiliate link that you provide them.

You could sell a related product, share your affiliate link through social media or email, or even host a giveaway and earn a commission when someone enters their information.

In addition to the many affiliate marketing programs, some are specifically for podcasting, such as Amazon and ShareASale.

Part 4: Popular Podcasts Earnings in 2024

So many people are trying to figure out the best ways to make money online. So we decided to check out some popular podcasts generating consistent revenue for their hosts. Listen to the top-earning podcasts, according to a study by Forbes and The Richest.

The Bottom Line

Podcasting is becoming an industry in itself. It’s not just a niche anymore; it’s now one of the fastest-growing segments of the internet. With such an overwhelmingly favorable reputation, many businesses are now considering podcasting as a useful method of promoting their businesses.

Many podcasters start as amateurs and make a living doing what they love. You can, too! Learn the basics of podcasting and consistently engage your audience with valuable content; as a result, you could be the next high-earning podcaster.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

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