Spotify launched paid memberships on Tuesday, a new way for podcasters to earn money from their biggest fans via paywalled bonus episodes. Creators can decide what benefits to offer to listeners, which could be bonus audio or video, fewer ads, early access to shows, or a combination of these.
The streaming service first suggested the idea at its Investor Day in May, where it also introduced AI capabilities that allow listeners to ask questions about what they’re listening to or watching and debuted new tools to manage creator sponsors.
As the company explained at the time, memberships will help “create a natural way to go deeper, unlocking new and exclusive experiences for fans and new revenue opportunities for creators.”
The feature is now rolling out in 34 markets worldwide, including the US
The launch is the latest example of Spotify’s effort to make its platform more attractive to podcast creators, especially as it moves further into the video space to compete with YouTube. Although podcasters have long been able to monetize through ads, the new memberships could entice more fans to support creators by offering more than just the occasional bonus episode.
Creators keep 90% of membership revenue and can package their benefits across different tiers and pricing options to appeal to fans at different levels of commitment. To qualify, podcasters must host their shows on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone, have at least 100 consumption hours, 100 listeners or viewers, and at least three published episodes.
Fans will see memberships promoted on the show’s Spotify page, where they can subscribe, pay and have instant access to exclusive content. (The company tells us that memberships are purchased online, not through in-app purchases.)
A handful of shows will offer memberships at launch, including “The Adam Friedland Show,” “Making Sense with Sam Harris,” “Shawn Ryan Show,” “The Sculpt Society,” “Two Hot Takes,” as well as YMH Studios, which will offer memberships to 12 shows across its network.
Memberships join Spotify’s other monetization tools, including advertising and the Spotify Partner Program, as well as features that help creators grow their audience, such as promotions, free trials, and analytics. Soon, Spotify says creators will be able to offer fans membership badges and welcome clips.
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