One Minute Podcast Tips
Why Spotify's New Monetization Features Probably Aren't for You
Mon, 20 Jan 2025
Spotify's recent announcement of new monetization options for podcasters, including the Spotify Partner Program and Subscriptions, seems enticing at first glance. However, a closer inspection reveals that for many average podcasters, the eligibility requirements are prohibitively high. Mentioned in this episode:Podcast Marketing Trends 2024 Report - Podcast Marketing AcademyWhy You Need Multiple Revenue StreamsProducts I Use for One Minute Podcast TipsNote: these may contain affiliate links, so I get a small percentage of any product you buy when using my link.My equipment:Shure SM7B dynamic micTZ Audio Stellar X2 condenser micRodecaster Pro II audio production studioSony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor HeadphonesJOBY Wavo Boom ArmElgato Wave Mic Arm Low ProfileRecommended resources:Captivate.fm podcast hosting, distribution, analytics, and monetizationKit email marketingBoomcaster remote recording and live streamingHindenburg Pro recording and editingOne Minute Podcast Tips is a podcast education show brought to you by Danny Brown. If you enjoy the show, I'd love for you to leave a rating or review on your favourite podcast app!And please let your friends and other podcasters know they can listen for free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, as well as their preferred podcast app, or online at One Minute Podcast Tips.Mentioned in this episode:Recommend the showHelp your friends and other podcasters discover One Minute Podcast Tips, by sharing/recommending this episode and/or the show with them!Share the showIf you enjoy One Minute Podcast Tips, here's how to support the show!If you enjoy One Minute Podcast Tips and get value from the show and want to support it, you can do that with a donation of your choosing over at OneMinutePodcastTips.com/support. Thank you! Support One Minute Podcast TipsThis podcast...
I'm Danny Brown, and you're listening to One Minute Podcast Tips, the show that helps you be a better podcaster in just a minute a week. If you enjoy the show and want to support it, you can do that with a donation of your choosing at oneminutepodcasttips.com forward slash support. And thanks so much for supporting. And now this week's episode.
At the end of last year, Spotify announced their new monetisation options for podcasters, Spotify Partner Programme and subscriptions. Now while at first this might appear great news, after all it might seem tempting to be making money on arguably the largest podcast platform in the world, chances are for the average podcaster that's not going to happen because of their eligibility limitations.
For the Partner Program, for example, you need to be hosted with Spotify for Creators, have 10,000 streamed hours on Spotify in the last 30 days, have been streamed by 2,000 unique Spotify users in the last 30 days, and have at least 12 episodes published.
Now, the first and last bullet points aren't deal-breakers as such, but the main two, the 10,000 hours and 2,000 unique Spotify users in the last 30 days, definitely could be, and probably are, for several reasons. According to the Podcast Marketing Academy's Podcast Marketing Trends 2024 report, the average podcast has 425 downloads per episode and 1,132 downloads per month.
So if your figures are similar to that of the average podcast, then the Spotify Partner Program is out of reach, unfortunately. That, and the fact that a lot of listeners won't use Spotify for personal reasons, is a great example of why having multiple monetization options without restrictions is key.
So things like Patreon, buy me a coffee, direct sponsors, premium and exclusive episodes, merchandise, affiliate marketing and more. Many podcast and hosting companies also offer great options like memberships, private podcasts, etc.
By keeping multiple options open and not restricted to a single platform, you'll also be better positioned to manage if one of these options are no longer available to you, which can make a huge difference to your revenue goals. I talk about this a bit more in depth over at my Be A Better Podcaster newsletter, and I'll leave a link to that in the show notes so you can check it out.
Until the next time, happy podcasting. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy one-minute podcast tips, be sure to share with your friends and other podcasters so they can enjoy it too. Until the next time, happy podcasting.