If you’ve got a podcast, monetization is never a guarantee. You can join ad networks, post content on ad-sponsored platforms, or look for direct sponsorships. But there are more reliable ways to monetize every podcast.

How else can you monetize a podcast outside of advertisements or sponsorships? Here are a few creative ideas for monetizing your podcast.

Reuse Podcast Content

Instead of monetizing your podcast directly, you can use the content you create with your podcast to monetize through other channels. Here are a few examples of what you could do:

  • Make YouTube Shorts or TikTok clips from the podcast
  • Transpose podcast segments into blog posts
  • Use content from a series of podcasts for a book
  • Create an online course that expands on your podcast information
  • Post quotable moments on Twitter

By reusing content, you’re creating an avenue for monetization and essentially using your podcast as a lead magnet. Having multiple avenues where viewers can interact with you or discover your content can help you grow your audience and bring more attention to any additional monetization you’ll add later.

This is an indirect monetization method that could be helpful for smaller, growing podcasts. Before you have a large enough audience to monetize directly, repurposing content is a great way to get the most out of each recording session.

Paid Shoutouts

Livestreams are where you usually see paid shoutouts as people use donations to have a message pop up on your screen or stand out in some way. This concept can also be carried over to podcasts, even though they’re not always filmed with a live audience.

Like some content creators shout out their higher-tier patrons at the end of videos, you can implement a similar system for your audience. There are a few ways to do this effectively.

One way is to shout out your patrons or monthly supporters, which will only add a little value to your audience. A better way could be to offer your audience a way to get a specific shoutout with a one-time donation to your podcast.

Shoutouts make people feel special. It can be exciting when they get a chance to hear their name or message on your podcast! Since reading user comments is already a fairly common way for podcasters to interact with their audience, this is an excellent way to give someone a chance to appear in your podcast.

If you go this route, add some conditions to the shoutouts. For example, you can say that you won’t shout out other people’s businesses or that you won’t read exact messages. Whatever your limits are, make them known ahead of time so people can be satisfied with the shoutouts you give them.

Make Your Own Merch

Podcast merch shouldn’t be your only method of monetization. If you’re trying to make a living from content creation, you should have multiple monetization avenues. Merch adds another avenue to generate income while giving your community a way to connect with your brand and other listeners.

Merch is an excellent avenue for extra income, especially if your podcast has a specific theme you can use to inspire that merch. For example, wellness podcasts can offer products like custom gratitude journals, while fitness podcasts may want to sell branded water bottles or headbands. Every time your viewers use the merch they buy, they also give your brand free exposure. Design merch with your audience’s needs in mind.

As scary as merch can seem, many different services today can help you through the process from start to finish, making it much more accessible than before.

Print-on-demand

Using a print-on-demand service is the simplest way to jump into selling merch. These companies allow you to design products and sell them to your audience. The physical products are only made once ordered, so you won’t have to keep inventory or buy items ahead of time.

Fees for the service are paid only on what’s actually made and sold, simplifying the whole process.

Platforms like Printful, Shopify, Redbubble, or Teespring all offer print-on-demand services with a wide range of products. Choose the products you want to offer, put a unique design on them, and let your audience know they’re for sale.

Supplying Your Own Merch

If you’d prefer to make a higher margin on your merch, you also have a few options to sell on your own. For smaller podcasts, you can get away with ordering a custom-designed product in bulk and shipping orders individually from your home or office. Of course, you could also offer homemade products, but only if they make sense for you and are worth your time.

When managing your own merch, avoid products with too much variation. It might help to stick to clothing items with limited sizes and colors or to restrict your merch to non-clothing items like mugs, water bottles, posters, etc.

Limiting the variations will make it easier for you to fulfill orders and reduces the problem of having a lot of leftover, unordered merch sitting around.

Memberships with Benefits

Membership is nothing new to creators. Subscription-based memberships are a well-known way to monetize your content. However, podcasts give you a few unique avenues for making those memberships more valuable for your audience.

Offer benefits to your members that non-members won’t have access to. Here are a few ideas for how you can make your membership valuable to people who love your podcast:

  • Bloopers or extended cuts for members
  • Early access to new podcast episodes
  • Behind-the-scenes or episode teasers
  • Topic-sourcing from member questions or input
  • Q&As with podcast guests or hosts
  • Live members-only watch parties for new episode premieres
  • Community chat boards or groups

Because podcasts tend to dig deeper into specific topics, membership programs have more opportunities to bring the audience on board. Make it your own.

Use memberships to build your community and allow them to be involved in the growth of your podcast.

Live Recordings

Podcasts have fewer cuts and heavy editing than other types of content. Because of this, you have the opportunity to film some podcasts live. With live recordings, you can sell admission to be part of that recording session.

This is something a few podcasters are already doing to great success. Podcast But Outside does live recordings, moving around to record their podcast in different locations every time. In some areas, they’ll sell admission tickets for a live audience recording event where audience members can participate in the podcast.
Live recordings don’t have to be in-person to be successful. You can invite people to join your recording sessions via live stream, giving some opportunities for input throughout the recording. Bringing your audience into the content creation process helps them connect more with the end product. This is a great way to make a special event for your audience without changing your model too much.

What would you do to monetize a podcast? Let us know your ideas in the comments below!