Introducing our podcast network initiative, collaborating with select Sony and Wondery shows

We’re living in the golden age of podcasts – and on Patreon, it’s the golden age of podcast earnings. In the last year alone, podcasters on Patreon earned over $472 million from over 6.7 million paid memberships, making podcasting the single highest-earning category of creativity on the platform.

Starting today, with the launch of our new podcast network program, Patreon is now a home for fan engagement and exclusive perks for shows from major podcast networks. To start, select podcasts from Sony Music and Wondery will be available on Patreon, including: “Getting Better with Jonathan Van Ness,” “Lipstick on the Rim,” and “This Is History” from Sony Music; and “Scamfluencers," “Killer Psyche,” and "Kurt Krömer - Feelings" from Wondery. More networks will be coming soon.

Here’s why Patreon is the best place on the internet for independent podcasters and media networks alike:

Patreon gives podcasters long-term audience growth

There are now over 100 million total memberships on Patreon, and that number is growing thanks to ongoing upgrades to discovery and free membership, which provide powerful ways for creators to reach and include more fans in their Patreon communities.

You’ll soon be able to house all of your episodes – free and paid, new and old – on Patreon through RSS syncing and importing, providing even more of your media to discover for potential new fans looking to dive deeper. If you have multiple podcast shows, you’ll also be able to organize those podcasts into multiple show feeds.

Patreon is turning podcasts into media empires – with earnings to match

The reason Patreon has sent over $472 million dollars to podcasters in the past year is simple: the breadth of new fan discovery combined with depth of existing fan connection on Patreon has proven to be a winning combination when it comes to growing a sustainable podcast business.

And that number is only poised to grow, because podcasters continue to unlock new revenue streams through Patreon that reach far beyond paid membership:

• Sell series/seasons as one-time purchases: On average, over 80% of one-time purchases come from fans paying a creator for the first time. With improved collections, you can now sell individual seasons or episode bundles to bring in more new fans, and more earnings.

Comedy podcast trio Escuela de Nada recently made a feature-length documentary about their live world tour and sold it exclusively on Patreon. In the first month of the film's release, EDN doubled their monthly Patreon earnings, and ultimately generated five figures in sales.

• Convert new members directly from Spotify: You can distribute episodes directly to Spotify, and show both free and paid episodes in a single Spotify feed with Synced Feeds. Creators using this integration have seen as much as 15% of their Spotify listeners who visited their Patreon sign up for a paid membership.

With Patreon’s podcasting tools, Fool & Scholar Productions have been able to manage all six of their original fiction shows from a single home, while distributing exclusive and public episodes to listeners via Spotify. Fool & Scholar recently saw a 15% jump in monthly earnings — one of their highest periods of growth in their career.

Patreon has the most valuable fans on the internet

In our recent State of Create report, creators told us that on average they make over 24x more per fan on Patreon than Instagram, and over 40x more per fan on Patreon than TikTok. It’s not just that Patreon gives podcasters access to a large audience network, it’s that these fans are inherently more valuable, because they are more likely to engage and become the kind of core fans who are excited to pay for exclusive work, experiences, and community.

From community chats to member-only IRL events, we’re continuing to build ways to help podcasters connect more authentically with listeners – and enable listeners to connect with each other. These connections are what fuel the kinds of fired-up, self-sustaining communities that drive more earnings without putting more work on your plate.

Patreon is a true home for podcasts

From independent shows to networks, podcasters are choosing Patreon because it’s a place where they can share their work directly with their audiences, reach new fans, deepen connections with existing members, manage their businesses, and ultimately earn more money – all under one roof.

Patreon is building the future that creators of all sizes deserve – one where podcasts thrive, communities flourish, and professional creativity is possible for all.