Spotify launches paid podcast memberships with perks beyond bonus content

Key points

• Spotify launched paid podcast memberships on Tuesday, rolling out to 34 markets including the U.S.
• Creators keep 90% of membership revenue and can offer perks such as bonus content, fewer ads or early access.
• Podcasters need at least 100 consumption hours, 100 listeners or viewers, and three published episodes to qualify.

Spotify launched paid podcast memberships on Tuesday, giving podcasters a new way to earn money from their biggest fans beyond paywalled bonus episodes. Creators choose which perks to offer listeners, such as bonus audio or video, fewer ads, early access to shows, or a combination of these.

The feature is now rolling out to 34 markets globally, including the U.S. Spotify first previewed the idea at its Investor Day in May.

How the memberships work

Creators keep 90% of membership revenue and can package benefits across multiple tiers and pricing options. 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.

At launch, memberships are offered by shows including The Adam Friedland Show, Making Sense with Sam Harris, Shawn Ryan Show, The Sculpt Society and Two Hot Takes, as well as YMH Studios, which is bringing memberships to 12 shows across its network.

create a natural path to go deeper, unlocking new and exclusive experiences for fans and new revenue opportunities for creators

— Spotify

Part of a wider push

The launch is the latest effort by Spotify to make its platform more attractive to podcast creators, particularly as it moves further into video to compete with YouTube. Memberships join other monetization tools including advertising and the Spotify Partner Program, plus features such as promotions, free trials and analytics.

Spotify says creators will soon be able to offer fans membership badges and welcome clips as well.