3559 Q&A

Q&A: "How to sell a podcast as a paid subscription?"

Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other networks all offer premium podcast subscriptions now. If you want to start one, how do you do it?

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Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other networks are all jumping on the premium-podcast train. If you want to start one — a podcast as a paid subscription — how do you do it?

I saw that Apple announced an option for podcasters to offer a premium subscription. Are you going to do that with Side Hustle School? And if I wanted to try offering it, what do I need to know? For example, I saw that Apple will take a 30% commission, which sounds like a lot for something they've always provided for free before. Is there any way around that?

And no, this isn't an announcement that Side Hustle School is going premium — I'm happy the show is free for all. Two parts. The logistics are simple: on Apple Podcasts, listeners can subscribe directly and seamlessly, which is the benefit — but Apple takes a 30% commission, which isn't small. Spotify is different: through their Anchor program, creators keep more of the revenue (with much lower fees), though availability and terms vary by region and change over time.

More than the logistics, think about how you'll separate the paid podcast from everything else you do. If you already have a show, will the premium one be new and additional, or will you run only a paid podcast? That decision matters more than the platform mechanics.

Have a question? Visit SideHustleSchool.com/questions.

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