Spotify podcast memberships are here, creators keep 90% of the revenue
Spotify first unveiled the new membership feature at its investor day in May, and today it’s rolling out in 34 countries. It allows eligible podcast creators to charge their most loyal fans a monthly fee for exclusive content and benefits, replacing the podcast subscriptions the music platform introduced in 2021.
Creators can decide for themselves what their membership includes: exclusive audio or video content, bonus episodes, less advertising, early access, access to a show’s archive, or all of the above. They can also divide their benefits into up to three tiers, each with its own price. Spotify doesn’t set its own prices, but in its proposals, it uses, for example, $4.99 per month with a seven-day free trial.
Spotify podcast memberships can only be purchased via the website
Both free and premium users can find a podcast’s membership options on its Spotify page and then listen to member content directly in the app. The purchase process itself takes place via the website and not as an in-app purchase, presumably to avoid commissions going to Apple and Google. Members can display a badge when commenting on episodes, and producers can welcome new members with introductory videos.
Creators retain 90% of the revenue. In addition to advertising, sponsorships, and the partner program, memberships offer further earning opportunities on the platform. Spotify also provides them with targeted promotions, free trials, analytics on sign-up motivations, and exportable member data, including contact information from fans who choose to share it. To be eligible, a show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone and have at least three published episodes, 100 listeners or viewers, and 100 hours of usage in the last 30 days.
Among the first shows to offer memberships are “The Adam Friedland Show,” “Making Sense with Sam Harris,” “The Shawn Ryan Show,” and the YMH Studios network, which now comprises a total of twelve shows. The initial rollout phase covers Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
