I’m always shocked when I see comments from users in various podcasting groups that there is no money in podcasting. If this is you, then I want you to consider a few things. There are roughly 9-10 million podcasts on the air as of today (more probably by the time you read this) – these are podcasts where people spend hours of their days planning, recording, editing, buying equipment, hiring people — spending money. That is if not hundreds, thousands, or even hundred of thousands and even millions of dollars being spent. Eventually, if you don’t replace the money going out with money coming in, I think we all know what can happen. And for some of these bigger podcasts, I dare to say they’ve figured something out that any podcaster can do — even with a tiny audience.

There’s No Money In Podcasting! Or Is There?

I’m not even talking about the BIG podcasts like Joe Rogan, The Daily, or Call Her Daddy. These are examples of podcasts, and the hosts that already ‘made it’ have their money from other ventures (or they’re owned by a giant corporation like the New York Times, which has the means to do anything they want for as long as they want.

But out of the 9-10 million podcasts, how many are run by multi-millionaires, and how many are run by everyday people like you and me? My guess is we have more smaller podcasts in the pool than big, successful ones.

I challenge you to think about something… of the 9 million podcasts out there, what percentage of them do you think earn zero dollars? Is it 0%? Or is there a sliver of podcasts that actually make a few dollars, maybe even a few thousand? What about a hundred thousand or a million dollars?

Think about this now… even if only 1% of the podcasts make money, that’s still 90,000 podcasts that have figured it out.

And if some of the 9 million podcasts can make a profit… what are the chances you could figure it out too? I’m here to tell you that you can if you know where to look, and how to set it up so that it works like a little machine.

Ads Drive The Internet

Even if you know nothing about the internet, tech, or money, I think we can all agree that Google, Facebook, and all these mega-online corporations that don’t seem to sell anything sure do make a lot of money. Can you guess what they all have in common?

If you guessed Ads – you win, game over, collect $200, and pass go. They sell advertising!

In the case of Google & Facebook, their main growth driver is selling more ads to more people. If you know anything about the stock market you’d know that these companies live and die by two metrics — USER BASE; how many people use the platform, and ADVERTISING INCOME; how much advertising they sold in a given quarter.

Ad Flow & Why It Matters To You

The ads are served from somewhere… Companies and people pay Google and Facebook to run ads, to get in front of the right audience to take an action on whatever it is they’re selling. And this is why Google and Facebook is free — you sell your data and privacy in exchange for convenience, and they send you ads that they make money from. 

Here’s the money flow from advertiser to podcast listener…

The advertiser pays the platform → Platform places ads → Podcaster gets paid.

This is really important to understand!

Not All Ads Are Created Equal

Now, if you’ve ever dealt with these podcast hosting platforms, you probably spent more time trying to figure out their ad marketplace than you care to admit. Or you’ve been disappointed because you don’t have enough downloads to run ads, and when you do run an ad — the income is dismal and laughable. It’s not money you could live off of!

But why were you just explaining how ads work if you’re going to turn around and tell me they’re useless? 

First off, they’re not useless — ads are bought and sold on a bidding system, and that bidding system pays out different amounts depending on what’s being advertised. 

This Is Crucial To Understand

If your podcast is about bananas, and all you do is talk about the different banana dishes you bake, chances are your ad income will be fairly low — the image below shows a low-end bid at about .03. Think of it like .03 paid for by the banana company for the ad, which the ad platform then takes their cut, and you get paid .01.

Now if your podcast is about the housing market, and you have an episode about refinance, things change very quickly. You go from a .01 payout to much much more. Now we’re looking at nearly $8 the advertiser is paying, the ad platform takes their cut, and you get $6.

Let’s do simple math…

Banana example: On 100 downloads, at .01 per play you’d make literally $1.

Refinance example: On 100 downloads, at $6 per play you’d make $600 🍌

But I can’t play ads, and my show isn’t about refinance! Don’t Worry!

I’m here to show you there are TONS of ways to make money with your podcast! Money is exchanged online for goods and services in all sorts of ways you might not of heard of.

Ways To Monetize a Podcast

  • Sponsorships & Ads – Get paid by companies to promote their products in your episodes.
  • Affiliate Marketing – Earn commissions by promoting products and including affiliate links.
  • Listener Donations – Use platforms like Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee for direct support.
  • Premium Content – Offer exclusive episodes or ad-free content via memberships.
  • Merchandise – Sell branded merch like T-shirts, mugs, or stickers.
  • Live Events – Host ticketed live shows, meetups, or webinars.
  • Courses & Consulting – Offer coaching, online courses, or workshops based on your expertise.
  • Book Deals & Speaking Gigs – Use your podcast as a platform to land book deals or speaking engagements.
  • Syndication & Licensing – Sell your content rights to networks or streaming platforms.
  • Crowdfunding & Grants – Apply for podcast-specific grants or use Kickstarter for funding.

Now I just gave you 10 ways that you can, in theory, make money! Pretty cool, right?

And if you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you’d know I’m not just making this stuff up. Anyone who’s been out in public has seen a branded t-shirt, attended a live event, bought books, donated on Kickstarter, or bought products from people they follow & subscribe to on social media. We all spend money on stuff!

And this is exactly my point… All of these are viable ways for you to turn a profit for yourself, too. And the best part is you don’t need much at all — just a willingness to listen a little.

And if it sounds too good to be true, well, it isn’t — because I’m willing to share this stuff for no cost, clearly.

Who I Am

I am Matthew Fleischer, and I am insanely passionate about this stuff because it’s been my life for the better part of 18 years. I started selling Xbox 360s on eBay in 2007, then I worked in retail for 5 years, then shifted gears a bit, and ended up in a glorified customer support role with a visual effects company, to a full-time e-commerce & affiliate marketer & SEO (Search Engine Optimization) expert that runs a couple of YouTube channels who makes money doing it.

Your Turn

I challenge you to study the bulleted list above, look through each one, and think about your podcast. How could you implement each of those on your show?

…Because I’d be dumbfounded if you told me zero. My bet is you could probably nail 5-6 of them easily.

My Offer

I make money when I coach people and make a little profit from the products people buy after clicking my links. So with that out of the way, I also offer you free content to teach you about this stuff in the hopes that if you’re interested — you hit me up for a private coaching call where we can go over your stuff.

But I don’t want you to worry about that right now, because I think you need to learn more about how that bulleted list above applies to you.

If you’ve read this far, and are interested in what I’m talking about, then I want you to watch the little introduction video below, and consider dropping an email down below for a free PDF guide that’s packed with this information + access to a free video training where I take you over my shoulder to analyze a podcast that grew itself using the methods I’m talking about. I’ll show you how they are growing their audience in a way you probably haven’t considered, and it has massive implications. I also talk about how this stuff can be applied for yourself too. And like I said, it’s free. I promise I will never spam you, sell the list, or do any shady stuff. That is not how I roll, and I hate it when it happens to me!

Anywho, if you want to learn how this stuff is implemented, I have much more to show. Please watch the video below, and consider getting my free training below where I go into more detail and show you how it can be done.

Free Monetization Guide

& Video Training
• Master the Art of Monetization
• Convert Every Listener into a Cash-Generating Machine
• Command Premium Rates with Insider Secrets
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