The podcast advertising market today is tough. As a result, premium subscriptions are becoming an increasingly important part of show budgets. 

Even This American Life recently launched a premium subscription. In the announcement, Ira Glass noted that ad revenue was expected to drop by a third, writing, “We’re doing this out of necessity. The ad market’s changed a lot in the podcast industry and it has affected nearly everyone making shows like ours.”

For independent podcasters looking to monetize their content or offset declining ad revenue, a premium podcast feed can be a powerful tool. I’m currently exploring the possibility of adding a premium feed for my biggest podcast, Private Parts Unknown—an indie show with a loyal audience, though still much smaller than This American Life. To gain insight into best practices for launching a successful premium feed, I reached out to several experienced podcasters who have implemented their own.

Our expert panel includes:

• Dedeker Winston, co-host of Multiamory
• Dan LeFebvre, creator and host of Based on a True Story
• Sophie Lichterman, Head of Creative at Cool Zone Media, home to popular podcasts like Behind the Bastards and It Could Happen Here
• Neal Veglio, Executive Producer of The Weeniecast and podcast consultant and growth strategist
• Alise Napp, Managing Director of Pantsuit Politics
• James Cridland, Editor and host of Podnews and co-host of Podnews Weekly Review

Where to host a premium feed

There are several options for hosting premium podcast content, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify subscriptions, Supercast, Patreon, and Substack.

But not all premium subscription models succeed. Podnews host James Cridland experimented with an ad-free subscription through Apple Podcasts but found little traction. “Virtually nobody paid up. I think that’s partly because the ads are not much of a concern to most people (there’s one short read per show).”

There’s a common assumption that platforms like Apple Podcasts provide additional support or marketing for premium subscriptions, but that’s not always the case. Neal Veglio, who worked on a premium feed for a client, found Apple’s support lacking. “No standard support was offered, let alone additional support. And no promotion whatsoever. It wasn’t ‘available’ when I asked since that’s not how they ‘operate’ as a platform, I was told.” 

His team also encountered technical hurdles, including banking setup issues and limited transparency in subscriber data.

Luckily, if you’re not satisfied with your initial premium feed host, you can switch.

In 2024, Multiamory migrated from Patreon to Supercast, a transition that required careful planning but ultimately paid off. Co-host Dedeker Winston said, “The transition was a big undertaking, but the Supercast team helped us every step of the way to ensure the migration was a success without being too taxing on our existing supporters.”

The Pantsuit Politics podcast, which has been producing a twice-weekly free show since 2015, introduced premium content in 2017—first on Patreon, then on Apple Podcasts Subscriptions. As of 2024, they host their premium content exclusively on Substack, citing its strong technical support and promotional tools. Napp said, “They were very helpful in that transition and continue to be helpful as we think about promotion, growing our audience, and any behind-the-scenes tech questions.”

Cool Zone Media currently offers paid subscriptions via Apple Podcasts but plans to expand with an ad-free subscription for Android users in 2025.

You’re also not locked into a single platform. Many podcasters use multiple platforms to ensure accessibility. This American Life launched their premium offering using both Supercast and Apple Podcasts to handle subscriptions. Similarly, Based on a True Story uses a mix of Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Patreon, and Supercast. Host Dan LeFebvre explains, “As a former Android user myself, I’m always conscious of the fact that not everyone uses Apple devices.”

These examples highlight the importance of choosing a platform (or platforms) that offers adequate technical support, promotional tools, and audience engagement features.

Trust also plays a crucial role in building a successful premium model. After experimenting with a self-hosted membership system, Podnews ultimately found success on Patreon. “I built my own for a bit. Nobody trusted it. I moved back to Patreon—lots of people jumped in. There’s a lot to be said for trust!” That move has led to nearly six figures in annual revenue. 

Another of Cridland’s shows, Podnews Weekly Review, uses Buzzsprout’s membership platform and brought in around $400 in 2024—enough to cover hosting costs and contribute to new equipment.

What to offer behind the paywall

One of the big decisions podcasters must make when launching a premium feed is what content to offer behind a paywall. Many podcasters have experimented with bonus episodes, ad-free feeds, and community perks, with varying success.

Physical perks 

Some podcasters have tested physical perks, such as merch. Dan LeFebvre said, “Over the years, I’ve tried a few different perks. Things like free stickers and shirts were physical things I used to offer. I don’t offer any of those perks anymore simply because the ROI was not beneficial.”

Bonus content

Initially, Multiamory offered exclusive bonus episodes for paid subscribers, but co-host Dedeker Winston said, “The extra workload for an episode that only a few hundred people listened to ended up not being worth it for us.” Instead, they shifted to perks that add value without requiring lots of additional content creation.

LeFebvre also experimented with various premium perks, including exclusive bonus content, allowing subscribers to request episode topics and even introduce episodes themselves. But he also found that the return on investment wasn’t worthwhile. “Basically, there were not enough subscribers to warrant the time it took to create the content.”

Conversely, Pantsuit Politics found success by offering two additional premium shows per week—Good Morning and More to Say—with three weekly episodes each. Over the years, their premium offerings have included other opportunities, such as live Ask Us Anything (AUA) nights, book club chats, and special events. The key, according to managing director Alise Napp, is flexibility: “Our premium offerings have evolved over time, meeting the needs of our audience in whatever season they and we are in.”

Ad-free episodes

Instead of bonus content, many podcasters find that ad-free episodes provide the best balance between value and sustainability. LeFebvre shifted his focus to ad-free audio and video episodes as the primary benefit of his premium feed. He still sends small tokens of appreciation, like thank-you cards and stickers, but has moved away from time-intensive content creation.

Similarly, Sophie Lichterman, Head of Creative at Cool Zone Media, says their audience’s top priority is clear: no ads. “No ads is all our audience wants,” Lichterman said. Unlike some premium models, Cool Zone Media doesn’t produce extra content for subscribers, except for occasional Q&As. If your audience is vocal about disliking ads, this approach minimizes additional workload while still providing a compelling incentive for listeners to upgrade.

Community access

For some podcasts, community perks are a major draw. In addition to a dedicated ad-free RSS feed with early access to episodes, Multiamory offers premium subscribers access to a private Discord server and Facebook group, a monthly discussion group over Zoom, priority question submission for Q&A episodes, and exclusive access to tickets for live events and workshops.

Pantsuit Politics listeners are also drawn to the community element of their premium subscription. “A big appeal of the premium subscription for our audience is the walled-garden community element that comes with it,” says Napp. “As people move away from more traditional social media, it's been a real gift to us and our audience to have a gated space where commenters are operating within a shared framework and with a mutual desire to learn and grow together.”

Supporter recognition

Extra content isn’t always necessary to generate financial support. Podnews editor James Cridland has found success with a model that relies on supporter recognition rather than additional perks.

For Podnews, supporters receive name acknowledgments in the email newsletter and logo placements on the website. Cridland said, “Recently I’ve been saying ‘your support pays for everyone’s access,’ and that appears to have gone well.” This approach has proven effective, with a third of Podnews revenue coming from supporters.

For the Podnews Weekly Review podcast, Cridland has discovered that actively recognizing supporters can drive engagement and further support. “Reading out the names in the podcast works well; making a big fuss of new supporters is a good thing; and making a big fuss when our ‘sensational sixteen’ do anything worth promoting, like a new podcast or something. There is a definite flywheel effect here—the more fuss you make of new supporters, the more new supporters you get.”

Choosing the most effective pricing strategy

Pricing your premium feed correctly is crucial, and podcasters have tried various approaches to find what works best.

Price-point considerations

Determining the right price point can be challenging. “When we first started out, we were shooting in the dark with the price point and how many tiers to offer,” Winston admits. Over time, data on listener preferences helped refine Multiamory’s approach.

Based on a True Story host Dan LeFebvre priced his premium feed based on what he personally would pay for an ad-free experience. 

Neal Veglio, whose client had a less successful subscription experience, notes: "It seemed that the only viable price point that got any sales was the $1.99 mark." But even at that rate, engagement was limited. 

Sophie Lichterman said that Cool Zone Media offers premium subscriptions at $4.99 per month, with a discounted annual rate. Their shows remain free on major podcast platforms with ad-supported episodes.

Monthly vs. annual pricing

Most podcasters provide both monthly and annual options, with an annual discount to encourage longer commitments.

Veglio said that in his experience listeners tended to prefer the flexibility of monthly payments. “Definitely monthly, although we did sell a couple of annuals. I don’t think there’s enough trust in podcast content yet for people to feel comfortable paying upfront long term.”

Free trials

Free trials have been a key marketing tool for Pantsuit Politics, helping to convert hesitant listeners into paying subscribers. According to Napp, "We offer both monthly and annual pricing with a free trial. We have a high retention rate of premium subscribers, so the free trial is helpful for us to get people in the door and get them experiencing our premium shows."

LeFebvre, on the other hand, doesn’t offer a free trial for his ad-free feed, as he sees the public version as a built-in preview: “That makes the entire public feed basically a free trial.”

Tiered pricing

Finding the right pricing model was a challenge for Pantsuit Politics. “When we were on Patreon, we had quite a few different tiers of pricing and struggled with differentiating our offerings at each one,” Napp said. Moving to Substack, they simplified and streamlined the structure to two tiers: a standard subscription and a founding-tier “Executive Producer” option.

Multiamory also tested various models before settling on a sliding-scale approach, where listeners choose from three tiers with identical benefits. Winston said, “It’s up to the listener to choose which tier makes the most sense for their financial reality, and we offer some guidelines to help with that decision.”

While this model may not work for every podcast, it aligns with Multiamory's values-driven audience, who prioritize equity and financial accessibility. The result? Not only did subscriptions increase, but many existing supporters also opted to contribute more.

Additional workload and sustainability

One of the biggest considerations is how much additional work a premium feed requires. Creating extra content can be time-intensive, and some podcasters have found themselves overextended.

As mentioned, Multiamory initially experimented with exclusive bonus episodes but found the effort unsustainable, leading them to shift their strategy. Pantsuit Politics also refined their approach over time. Initially, they produced a large volume of premium content but later scaled back to maintain quality and ensure long-term sustainability.

Still, a significant portion of the Pantsuit Politics team’s content creation time is dedicated to their premium shows. “Some of it is looser and less polished than the main show, but not by a lot,” says Napp. “We try to bring the same level of execution in our work across the board.”

One key takeaway from their experience is that more content isn’t always better. “One of our biggest learnings has been that making more quantity doesn’t mean making more quality,” Napp said. “Often, reducing the amount of content we make enables us to create stronger shows.”

For some podcasters, premium feeds can actually streamline production. Veglio noted an unexpected benefit: “It was actually slightly quicker since we knew what they wanted because they were paying for it. Less guesswork. There was less polishing because we knew they were already sold on the content, so less need for ‘shop windowing.’”

However, the idea that premium subscriptions are an easy revenue stream is misleading. Veglio said, “The premium subscriber is a different kind of listener from your RSS feed listener. They want specific things. If anything, it requires even more workload to get it right. It’s not free money."

Time is money

Initially, LeFebvre’s premium content required a significant time investment—about 25 hours per month—because he was producing exclusive episodes that underwent the same rigorous production process as his public episodes, which was an unsustainable investment. Eventually, he did the math. If producing premium content takes 25 hours per month but generates only $50 in revenue, that equates to earning just $2 per hour. This calculation helped him decide that his time was better spent on his public feed.

"Since I shifted to making the premium content be ad-free episodes it doesn't take any extra time to create them,” LeFebvre explains. “The only extra time involved is having to publish in multiple places outside of my podcast host.”

LeFebvre also offers practical advice on time management: “I think it boils down to being realistic about how much time things take. It's easy to think something 'doesn't take much time' when in reality it burns up a lot of time each week. In my case, I track my time 24/7 so I know where everything goes." 

“I’m a big believer in ‘self-sustaining creativity’,” says James Cridland. While Podnews and Podnews Weekly Review do not offer exclusive bonus content, they receive financial backing from listeners who simply want to support the show. As Cridland puts it, “I genuinely don’t think you need to make extra things for most people. They just want to support you.”

Premium feeds should enhance, not overburden, a podcasting workflow—unless the financial incentives clearly justify the effort.

Marketing a premium podcast feed

Effectively promoting a premium podcast feed is essential for success. Many podcasters rely on direct, repeated calls to action within free episodes. Pantsuit Politics maximizes engagement through their email list and social media channels, while Cool Zone Media takes a similar approach. “We promoted on our shows and social media and emphasized the ad-free experience,” said Sophie Lichterman.

Dan LeFebvre recommends keeping the process simple. "These days everything is a subscription, so I think most podcast listeners are also familiar with how that concept pertains to podcasts as well,” LeFebvre explains. “That just leaves sharing how they can access the subscription and that can vary depending on what device they're using. Apple vs. Android, for example. For that, I'd recommend a landing page on your website that you can mention in episodes."

For Multiamory, community engagement has been a driving force in sustaining long-term subscriptions. Actively interacting with listeners through Discord, Facebook, and live events has strengthened their connection with supporters and encouraged ongoing membership.

Is a premium feed worth it for indie podcasters?

This is the big question for most indie podcasters. The answer depends on audience size, engagement, and overall goals. 

According to Sophie Lichterman, the viability of a premium feed is largely audience-dependent. Dedeker Winston agrees, advising indie podcasters to weigh audience engagement and demand when considering a premium feed.

For Pantsuit Politics, listener support is essential. “Without listener support, we wouldn’t be able to operate. It is the main sustaining element of our work.” 

Alise Napp believes the most important factor is understanding what you want out of a premium feed. “Is it purely for revenue? To create an audience community? To create a different type of content than you offer for free? The why behind the feed is the most important element because it will help you determine what makes a premium feed and the work behind it worth it to you."

For Multiamory, listener support has been financially significant. "It fluctuates each year, but about 60% to 70% of our revenue comes from listener support,” according to Winston. She believes listener support will always be a crucial part of Multiamory’s revenue model. “We launched our first subscription offering when the podcast was only a few years old, and it was paramount in enabling us to have the funds to expand and grow the show.” The premium feed has allowed them to hire production assistants and outsource some of the behind-the-scenes work.

LeFebvre acknowledges that every podcaster’s situation is different, but for indie shows, the decision to offer a premium feed should be based on a clear-eyed assessment of workload, expenses, and audience size. While engagement is a good indicator, he cautions: “I wish audience engagement paid the bills by itself, but sadly my electric company doesn’t accept audience engagement as a form of payment.”

By treating his podcast like a business, LeFebvre has structured his premium feed to maximize sustainability while keeping his audience satisfied. One of his biggest takeaways is that indie podcasters must take a pragmatic approach when evaluating whether subscriptions are worthwhile. “Podcasting as a hobby is great and creating a podcast can be done inexpensively, but it is never completely free.”

He advises podcasters to think about their expenses, subscription conversion rates, and the number of listeners needed to break even. Using Apple Podcasts as an example, he calculates: If a show’s expenses are $50 per month and Apple takes a 30% cut of each $5 subscription, a podcaster would need at least 400 listeners to reasonably expect 12 paying subscribers. However, even with those numbers, success is not guaranteed: “Even if you have 400 listeners, that doesn’t guarantee any of them will be paying subscribers.”

According to Supercast, they’ve seen anywhere from 2–7% of listeners convert to paid subscribers. This conversion rate aligns with real-world examples—Search Engine reportedly converted 3% of listeners, accounting for 33% of their total budget.

For indie podcasters with smaller audiences, the big question remains: Does a premium feed make sense? Based on his experience, Neal Veglio is skeptical. "I’d personally say no.” 

“In 2023–2024, one of my client’s shows had an Apple Podcasts subscription for premium content. It was a disaster,” Veglio recounted. The technical setup proved to be a major headache. Because his client didn’t fully understand the process, she relied on his agency to handle it through his dashboard, adding her as financial controller through the settings.

“Should have been simple enough,” Veglio says. “Only, the way it’s set up meant that adding banking information was a copy/paste job since she couldn’t enter the info via her financial login. Which, in my view, defeats the entire purpose of having secure admin clearances.”

Beyond the logistical hurdles, transparency was another major issue. "When we started getting subscriptions, we were lied to about how many we had and how much the account was making. The first she’d know is when random amounts (that weren’t even close to what was suggested in the reports!) started being deposited into her account."

While Veglio acknowledges the creative opportunities that premium content offers, his client saw little benefit. "The only perks I personally found were the creative opportunities to do something a little different with the content and see what results they drew. She’d argue there weren’t any perks. It certainly didn’t deliver the promised ‘visibility’ for the content."

Veglio urges indie podcasters to carefully weigh the effort and revenue potential of a premium feed, warning that it may not be as lucrative—or effortless—as some expect.

For indie creators considering this route, it’s crucial to carefully weigh the challenges and benefits before diving in. “If we couldn’t make it work as a branded podcast with access to marketing resources, then I can’t see how an indie will be easily able to manage it."

The listener perspective

Understanding why listeners subscribe can help shape your premium strategy:

Dan LeFebvre: "What motivates me to support a particular show usually boils down to how much value I get from it, whether that's educational value or entertainment value."

Dedeker Winston: "In one case, I was very motivated by getting access to their full-length episodes. They provide free episodes every week, but only one half to two thirds of the episode is available... But another example would be a creator I support who offers exclusive live streams and access to an online community—these are things I don't engage with at all... My choice to financially support was motivated primarily because he is a small-scale indie creator, and I really love what he is making, so I wanted to support regardless of the benefits attached."

Neal Veglio: "To be honest, on the other side, I also can't really see the huge benefit of paying money for what ultimately amounts to a lazy offering of getting content that's ultimately free anyway but just a few days early. It's not compelling enough for me."

Is a premium podcast feed right for you?

While premium podcast feeds can provide a strong revenue stream, their success depends on your specific show, audience, and goals. For indie podcasters, the most practical approach is to:

1. Do the math: Start with a realistic assessment of your audience size and engagement. Calculate potential revenue based on industry conversion rates (around 3%).
2. Choose perks wisely: Opt for the simplest premium offering that provides clear value. Sustainable benefits like ad-free episodes often work better than time-intensive bonus content long term.
3. Evaluate workload: Weigh the additional workload against the potential benefits. Premium content shouldn’t overburden creators or reduce free episode quality.
4. Set realistic pricing: Consider audience willingness to pay and provide clear value.
5. Pick the right platform: Choose a platform with strong support and easy listener access. Consider using multiple platforms to maximize accessibility.
6. Clarify your goals: Beyond revenue, what do you want to achieve? Defining your purpose will help guide your premium strategy.
7. Market effectively: Direct promotion in episodes, email lists, and social media can help drive subscriptions.

A premium podcast feed can be a game-changer, but only if it aligns with the show’s goals and audience expectations. Thoughtful planning, smart platform selection, and realistic expectations can make all the difference.

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