Wondering how to make money podcasting when you’re just starting out? My first podcast advertisers didn’t come from a big sponsorship deal-I found them by selling ads on Fiverr. Authors, musicians, and small business owners paid to reach my audience. In this beginner’s guide, I’ll share what worked for me and how you can start exploring income opportunities for your own podcast.
My offer was straightforward: $100 for two 60-second midroll spots or $150 for four spots. I also offered a featured blog post with links to the advertiser’s website, which became an important selling point.
My experience taught me that advertisers want different things. Local businesses were interested in my radio exposure. Authors wanted to promote their books. Other buyers wanted attention for their music, Etsy shops, or online stores.
How To Make Money Podcasting at Startup
If you are wondering how to make money podcasting, start by thinking about what you can offer a business or guest. Your episodes may be one part of a package that also includes your website, written content, and other ways to reach your audience.
Here is what worked for me, what advertisers told me, and how I would approach monetization as a beginner.
Start With a Simple Podcast Advertising Offer
A beginner does not need a complicated sponsorship proposal to explain what is available. You need an offer a potential buyer can understand.
When I sold ads on Fiverr, my packages were:
- $100 for two 60-second midroll advertising spots.
- $150 for four spots.
- A featured blog post with links to the advertiser’s website as an added selling feature.
A midroll ad runs during an episode. When creating your own package, spell out how many placements the buyer receives, how long each ad lasts, and which episodes or dates are included.
Those were my prices, based on my offer at the time. They are a starting example, rather than a rate every podcaster should copy. Your pricing should account for your audience, your costs, and the work involved.
How to Make Money Podcasting: Sell a Package You Can Deliver Consistently
Before accepting payment, decide what you will need from the advertiser.
That might include:
- A short description of the product or service.
- A website or landing page.
- A clear call to action.
- An audio file MP3 or a script for an ad you will record.
- Images and background information for the blog feature.
Be clear about whether you are writing the ad, recording it, or placing an ad the customer provides. Those tasks take different amounts of time.
I offered a free MP3 recording; there was no discount if the advertiser provided their own recording.
The easier your offer is to understand, the easier it is for someone to decide whether it fits their needs.
Finding Clients: Use Fiverr or Facebook to Find Advertisers
If I were starting again, I would still use Fiverr or Facebook to sell advertising.
Fiverr is where I made my first podcast advertising sales. It gave me a place to present a specific service with a specific price.
Facebook is another place I would use to introduce an advertising package, particularly through relevant business relationships and communities that allow promotional offers.
Explain Who the Advertising Is For
My buyers included people promoting:
- Books.
- Music and music videos.
- Etsy stores.
- Online clothing websites.
- Local businesses.
A business owner needs to understand how your offer relates to what they sell. “Advertise on my podcast” is a starting point, but a description of the audience, placements, and supporting blog feature gives them more useful information.
Be honest about your reach. If a buyer asks for download numbers or audience details, share what you can verify. If your show also airs on radio, explain that distribution separately so the buyer understands what they are purchasing.
Add a Featured Blog Post to Your Advertising Package
One of my strongest selling features was offering a blog feature with links to the advertiser’s website.
I started this blog before I started my podcast.
That gave customers another place to explain what they offered and direct interested people to their business.
Someone promoting a book may want room to share its subject and who it is for. An online store owner may want a written introduction to their products. A blog feature gives you space for that information alongside the audio promotion.
Make the Blog Feature Useful to Readers
A featured post should offer more than a company name and a link.
Depending on the advertiser, it could include:
- The problem their product or service addresses.
- Who the offer is intended for.
- Relevant details about the book, business, or product.
- A clear link where readers can learn more.
Write it with your readers in mind. An advertiser is paying for exposure, but your audience still needs a reason to read.
I would also avoid promising search rankings or a particular amount of website traffic. You can commit to publishing the feature and including the agreed links. You cannot guarantee how readers will respond.
How to Make Money Podcasting: Get feedback from Advertisers
Several advertisers came back and told me they had sold books after their promotions. One author told me she sold 600 books.
One repeat customer, who sold spells through an online store, told me her store traffic had increased substantially. She returned to purchase advertising again.
Those experiences showed me that customers valued the exposure enough to report back, and in some cases, buy again.
Share Feedback Without Turning It into a Guarantee
These were customer-reported results. I did not independently measure how many purchases or visits came from each advertising placement.
That distinction matters when you describe your own success stories. You can share what an advertiser told you while being clear about what you tracked yourself.
For beginners, I recommend discussing measurement before a campaign begins. Depending on the offer, an advertiser could use:
- A unique discount code.
- A dedicated landing page.
- A trackable website link.
- A checkout question asking how customers heard about them.
Ask what success means to the buyer. An author may care about book sales, while a store owner may initially care about visits to a new collection.
How to Make Money Podcasting: Consider a Paid Guest Interview Package
Another option I would consider is a $50 guest appearance package.
My show airs on radio, and I pay for airtime. That is part of why I see an appearance fee as a reasonable option. I paid $250 for my own first radio interview, so I have experienced paying for that opportunity from the guest’s side.
For someone whose podcast does not air on radio, my recommendation would be to pair a $50 guest interview with a featured blog post.
That creates a clear offer: an interview and a written feature where people can learn more about the guest and their work.
Be Clear About What the Fee Covers
A paid interview package should describe exactly what the guest receives.
Specify details such as:
- The interview format and approximate length.
- Where the interview will be published.
- What the featured blog post includes.
- Which website links will be included.
- The expected publication schedule.
Paid appearances also need to make sense for your audience. Set guest standards before selling the package, and be transparent with listeners and readers when a feature is paid.
I had advertisers send me a link to their book, website or video before I accepted them as a guest. The content had to match my genre and audience.
How to Make Money Podcasting: Use Affiliate Promotions as Another Income Stream
Affiliate promotions are another option I would include if I were starting today.
With an affiliate arrangement, you may earn a commission when someone completes a qualifying purchase or action through your link or code. The exact terms depend on the program.
This differs from selling an advertising package for a fixed fee. Your earnings depend on the audience’s response and the affiliate program’s conditions.
Choose Offers You Can Explain With Confidence
Start with products or services that relate to your content and that you can evaluate honestly.
Before promoting an offer, consider:
- Whether it is relevant to your listeners.
- Whether you have enough knowledge to recommend it.
- Products that you have tried and can give a personal recommendation.
- What the customer receives.
- How commissions and payments work.
- How you will clearly disclose the affiliate relationship.
I would treat affiliate income as something to test and track. Putting a link in your show notes does not tell you whether the offer will earn money.
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Price Your Podcast Packages Around the Work Involved
My original rates give you a concrete example of how I started. But the price is only one part of making money.
An advertising package may require messages with the buyer, script preparation, recording, editing, publishing, and a blog post. A guest package may involve research and scheduling as well.
Before setting your price, estimate how long the full package takes and what it costs you to deliver.
Set Boundaries Before You Make the Sale
Put the scope in writing so both sides know what to expect.
Clarify:
- The number of ad placements or interviews.
- The length of the audio content.
- The blog content included.
- When materials are due.
- When the promotion will run.
A Practical Starting Plan for Beginners
If you are ready to monetize your podcast, begin with one offer you can deliver well.
- Identify the types of businesses that fit your audience.
- Create a simple advertising package with clear placements and pricing.
- Consider adding a featured blog post with relevant website links.
- Present the offer on Fiverr or through appropriate Facebook opportunities.
- Agree on deliverables and timing before accepting the work.
- Ask advertisers how they will measure results.
- Follow up after the promotion and request honest feedback.
- Review your time and costs before selling the package again.
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