If you’re creating a podcast and want it to become a long-term project, you will inevitably need to monetize it at some point.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade your equipment or just want to be paid for your time, then your podcast needs to make some money.
Thankfully, there is Patreon. This platform allows you to monetize your podcast and build a steady source of income.
In this article, we look at how Patreon works and how you can make the most of the platform.
TLDR;
Patreon offers podcasters a platform to grow their shows and generate revenue from their dedicated listeners. By creating a membership program, podcasters can provide exclusive content to their biggest fans, increasing their income. Unlike traditional advertising models, Patreon allows podcasters to maintain control over their vision and have direct access to their fan community. This independence from ads and paid sponsorships provides a reliable revenue stream.
Key features for podcasters on Patreon include:
- a private RSS feed for sharing early access and bonus episodes
- easy management of membership benefits
- tools for engaging with and messaging members
What Is Patreon
Patreon is a platform that allows you to get extra money for your creations. It will enable the fans of your podcast to directly support the podcast by becoming paying subscribers.
Listeners can subscribe to your Patreon by paying a monthly subscription.
For their money, they usually receive additional content such as extra episodes, behind-the-scenes information, or even physical gifts. Patreon allows creators to set different tiers for different amounts, as well.
As well as the subscriptions, Patreon also allows creators to sell individual items without the need for a subscription. For example, you can sell individual episodes or bonus content for set prices.
What Are The Benefits Of Patreon For Podcast Creators?
Patreon is an excellent tool for podcast creators that are looking to monetize their podcasts. Let’s look at some of the top reasons why you should use Patreon.
1. Patreon Easily Monetizes Your Podcast
Earning money from your podcast isn’t always that easy. You can add adverts and sponsorships to your podcast but the amount of money you can earn from these is relatively limited, especially for smaller podcasts.
Patreon, however, lets you turn your podcast into a solid and consistent source of income. As you build your fanbase and consistent listeners, you will find that some of them will be willing to pay to support your podcast.
The money you earn from a Patreon can keep your podcast going throughout its lifespan.
2. Builds A Community And Fanbase
Patreon is a great way to create a community and fanbase with your listeners. Subscribers are likely to stick with your podcast longer than more casual listeners.
You can easily build a community by offering perks such as private Facebook groups or Discord servers. Patreon posts have comment sections where subscribers can not only comment on your content but also reply to each other.
3. Get Feedback Directly From Listeners
Listeners that are willing to pay money to support your Patreon are the perfect group to get feedback from. If you want to know what is working or what you can improve, you can ask your subscribers for their opinions.
The Patreon feed allows you to post these questions for comments but you can also add polls to get simpler feedback. You can ask for what they want to hear from future episodes of your podcast and ask for ideas for new subscriber perks.
How To Use Patreon As A Podcast Creator
Here are our tips for setting up a Patreon for your podcast.
Set Your Tiers
At the core of your Patreon are the subscriptions themselves. You need to decide how many tiers you want and how much you want to charge.
It is best to offer several tiers so that your subscribers can decide how much they want to pay. Every dollar adds up so don’t shy away from offering a reasonably priced tier and instead only offer more expensive pledges.
While deciding how many tiers you want to offer, you should also consider what benefits will be provided with each tier.
Some creators offer very simple benefits for their cheapest tiers, such as early access to podcasts or membership to a Patreon-only Discord server.
For higher tiers that have higher pledges, you can offer more tangible benefits.
These can range from stickers to t-shirts or to more personalized gifts such as handwritten notes or one-to-one chats. It’s really up to each individual creator what benefits they want to offer.
If you do decide to offer benefits that require a financial outlay from you, then you should consider when you want to offer them.
Many Patreons state that the benefits will only be achieved after three months of continuous subscription, for example. Make sure that you have set your benefits so that you can deliver them and they won’t leave you out of pocket.
Transparency
When you set up your Patreon, you will have the option of making the number of supporters visible if you want to. This will allow potential subscribers to see exactly how many people are supporting your podcast at each level.
This can be both a good thing or a bad thing, and ultimately it’s something you will need to decide. There are valid arguments that say seeing these figures can both encourage, or deter, new subscribers from signing up.
Whether you decide to show your figures or not, it is wise to let your subscribers know what their money is being used for.
If you buy a new microphone with your Patreon earnings, let your subscribers know! If you’re saving for a new laptop, make this a stretch goal to encourage new subscribers to join.
Offer Ongoing Perks
We spoke earlier about offering some benefits and perks for your subscribers but this needs its own category, too. There are two types of perks you can add: one-time, and ongoing ones.
Items such as stickers and t-shirts are one-time perks. Subscribers will get these after they’ve subscribed for a number of months but then they need an incentive to keep their subscription going.
The key to keeping subscribers is to constantly offer new perks each month. Consider adding benefits such as bonus episodes, Q&A sessions, or live streams each month. Frequently post to your subscribers and ask them for their input.
Who Uses Patreon for Podcasts
Notable podcasters who are using Patreon include Nextlander, Crime Junkie Podcast, DeadEndHipHop, Heather McDonald, Sibling Rivalry, Aaron Mahnke, True Crime Obsessed, and SuperMega. Looking to find out how much and how they make money from their own podcast.
How do I set up my podcast on Patreon?
Using Patreon as a hosting platform for my podcast is quick and easy. It allows me to provide exclusive content and benefits to my dedicated patrons while maintaining control over my podcast’s vision and revenue stream. The ability to offer a patron-only RSS feed is a great feature, as it ensures that my supporters have a seamless experience accessing the podcast episodes through their favorite podcast apps.
I appreciate that each patron has their own login information embedded in the feed, enabling me to serve different sets of episodes based on their membership tier. This flexibility ensures that I can offer varying levels of exclusive content to different tiers, rewarding my loyal patrons accordingly.
Moreover, I like that the RSS feed focuses solely on audio posts, making it easy for my patrons to access and download episodes for offline listening. By attaching the audio files directly to the posts, I can ensure a smooth and convenient listening experience for my audience.
Another aspect I appreciate is that while the RSS feed is patron-only, I have the option to make specific audio posts public. This allows me to share select episodes with the general public, potentially attracting new listeners and promoting my podcast further.
Overall, utilizing Patreon as a hosting platform for my podcast not only provides a reliable revenue stream beyond ads but also fosters a sense of community and support among my listeners. It gives me the freedom to create and share content on my own terms while engaging directly with my fans.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we looked at how Patreon can work for podcast creators. We hope that the information and hints in this article will help you monetize your podcast through Patreon.
