Is it time to monetize your podcast? (Our answer is YES!)

If people are tuning in, you’re getting amazing feedback, you’re producing episodes consistently - you’ve got your own little community through your podcast.

That’s amazing! (Time to monetize)

Or maybe that’s just a vision you’re currently manifesting and working towards?

Also amazing. (Time to strategize your podcast WITH a monetization plan)

If you know you have lots of insights, knowledge or opinions to share about a topic you’re passionate about, podcasting can definitely be the way to go.

It’s a great way to connect with your existing community or grow one in the process. There’s something special about the intimate conversations that can only happen between closed doors (okay, with an audience in the background).

Producing a show takes work, though. You might do it for fun, to get creative, to connect with your audience in a different way or to build awareness towards other parts of your business - which is great! But you have to make it work for you, too.

The opportunities for creating wealth through your podcast are endless - so let’s talk about them.

The world of podcasting

Over half of all US homes are podcast fans - over 60 million to be more precise (Podcasting Insights, March 2020). That’s a lot of people to have as a potential audience! A lot of avid fans, too: 24% of people say they listen to a podcast weekly.

The number of shows isn’t any smaller, either.

There are currently 2 million podcasts online and over 48 million podcast episodes published (Blogging Wizard, June 2022). The thirst for knowledge is real, with most people listening to podcasts to learn new things (Podcasting Insights, March 2020) - so it’s an all-around win-win for you as a podcast creator to connect with your community and from them to learn from you.

While sharing insights, knowledge, or conversations is a great way to connect with folx - we know the work that goes into recording and managing a podcast can be a whole production process. Your work and efforts deserve to be paid, too.

And the podcasting industry KNOWS that.

In 2021, the industry generated over 1.3B in revenue - so when we say monetization, the opportunities are absolutely there (Blogging Wizard, June 2020).

If you’re a podcast listener, yourself, you may already have an idea of how others monetize their platforms. You’ve probably heard a cleverly placed ad or maybe a brand mention - most likely in exchange for sponsorship or maybe even a call for direct donations to the audience supporting the podcast message.

There are plenty of ways to monetize your podcast! We’ve rounded up a few of them below.

Investing in a Podcast Studio

You don’t need much to #StartHere with podcast monetization, but as your podcast starts to grow in popularity and traction - investing in a podcast studio can help make monetization easier.

You might have a mic that you bought to record from home…

The padded room you’re using to get the silkiest and smoothest audio could be your closet space with all your clothes…

And let’s face it, you’re getting a little hot recording in your closet or locked in your bedroom using Zoom, Zencastr, or another popular podcasting recording program.

What if you had a dedicated space for your podcast recordings - one that made you feel more comfortable, had the equipment to mix and record your audio files, and really made you feel like “HECK YEAH, I can monetize my podcast?”

Renting out our San Diego podcasting studio at You Belong Here can give you access to:

Professional equipment to help you sound absolutely amazing
Top quality microphones and a production console to mix and blend your intros, outros, and any sponsorships or ads
An overhead fan, sound absorption panels, and echo prevention foam installation, so you don’t need to tell your roommate, friends, family, partner, or even your pet to stay quiet for the next 3 hours while you record…

If you want to know all the details - our podcasting studio in downtown San Diego is equipped with:

2 Rode XLR Cardioid Dynamic Broadcast Mics
Rodecaster Pro USB Mixer + Production Console
Sound absorption paneling + Echo prevention foam installation
2-4 person drop leaf table
3-point LED lighting system
Livestreaming package add-on
ADD-ONS: Shure M7VB, Cloud Lifter Audio Interface
Overhead fan

Giving you the opportunity to batch record episodes, invite guests, Livestream your episodes onto YouTube or another streaming service (for more views and possibilities for monetization), and be in a space that’s built for your podcast monetization goals.

We’re not saying your closet or bedroom aren’t great places to record your podcast, but sometimes when we invest in a professional studio space, it really helps make the mindset shift that THIS PODCAST can actually build us wealth.

All it takes is a little change of scenery to put things into perspective and our podcasting studio is built for YOU to monetize and build wealth from your creativity in audio form 😉

Check out the studio space for yourself and rent our San Diego podcasting studio here.

Ways to Monetize your Podcast

There are plenty of ways to monetize your podcast once you’ve decided to really go for it!

Here are some examples of ways to do that:

Secure a brand sponsorship
Have businesses purchase ad space
Create a subscription aspect to your podcast for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes episodes, or a community space
Design and sell merch with your podcast slogan
Livestream your podcasts onto other streaming platforms for more views and listeners

If the podcasting industry generated over 1.3B in revenue in 2021, it can only grow from there. There are so many opportunities to monetize your creativity and build wealth as a creator - it just takes getting creative!

Not sure where or how to start with a business development plan for your creativity? We gotchu! Check out You Belong Here membership where we share business development for creatives who want to build wealth WITH their creative ideas and projects. You can learn more about membership at You Belong Here, here.

Ready to give your podcast the professional studio it needs to grow and expand? Rent our podcasting studio in San Diego, California!