How Much Do I Make Podcasting?

Lindsay Harris-Friel of The Podcast Host recently asked me to provide some insight on how much money I make podcasting. She’s writing an article called “How Much Do Podcasters Make?” (which I’ll link here when it’s published) and asked what I, a more typical, non-Joe-Rogan-type podcaster, was able to bring in money-wise with this career. Was it enough to live on? Was it enough to live on AND pay health insurance as well as save for emergencies? Here is what I told her:

There are a few ways to think about “How podcasts make money”, and I like to look at it from a direct and indirect standpoint. For me, direct includes money I make directly from my podcasts — from avenues like Patreon, tip jars, in-episode advertising, etc. I also make money indirectly from my podcasts — through speaking engagements, product & merchandise sales, course sales, freelance opportunities, coaching, IP/rights licensing/sales, and more. These indirect revenue streams all technically come from my podcasts, just indirectly.

I am able to say that I make a full-time living podcasting (including paying for healthcare, if not saving for emergencies) because I include both direct AND indirect podcast income.

You’ve probably heard (or experienced) that podcasting is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Unless something magical or illegal happens, you’re probably not going to make $1 million podcasting overnight. But you can begin to make money and increase it incrementally over time, scaling it like a business. It comes down to setting and attaining realistic goals. So perhaps your first goal is to cover your podcasting costs — your microphone and other equipment, your website, your hosting company, paying actors, and maybe a few other things. What does that money look like on a per-month basis? That’s your first goal.

Some podcasters get there, and others don’t. It depends on a lot of factors — your audience size, your show’s overall quality, your marketing avenues & tactics, the time you have available to market your show, and tons more.

I hope this helps. How do YOU make money with your creative work?