I estimate 95% of podcasters have at least once dreamed of making their full-time income from their podcasts.
But the hard truth is that most podcasters don't actually have what it would take. Yes, it takes high-quality content, presentation, production, and promotion in order to get the P.R.O.F.I.T. (popularity, relationships, opportunities, fun, income, or tangibles). But it is actually possible to have all that and not make a living from your podcast. That's because it really comes down to one of these three things.
This isn't about building your own business supported by the podcast (which is how I monetize), but about earning your paycheck solely from and because of your podcast.
Option 1: A big audience
Yup. There's no way around it. The “easiest” way to podcast full time is if you have a big enough audience that almost any monetization method will work.
- Sponsors
- Affiliates
- Audience support
- And more
It's the ultimate equation in podcasting monetization: big audiences usually lead to bigger income.
But don't let this scare you off! The next two options don't require a big podcast audience!
Option 2: A generous audience
It is possible to podcast full-time without a big audience, but it means you must have a generous audience. Just consider this basic math to get $10,000:
- 10,000 people pay you $1
- 1,000 people pay you $10
- 100 people pay you $100
In a sense, you just have to shift a zero from your audience size to the “price.”
Yes, getting your audience to be generous is another topic I'll address in the future. But this math works whether you're accepting audience support, offering premium subscriptions, or selling other things.
Just consider this one idea. Make a T-shirt that's available only for your highest supporters and sell that shirt for a high price—maybe even $100 or more (I recommend Sticker Mule stores, Dashery by TeePublic, and RedBubble for this). The generous people who truly love your podcast might love the opportunity to support your show and get some exclusive bonus! (I still have and enjoy multiple pieces of art and other things I got for large donations to organizations.) Although this does mean making a product for sale, the product is simple, purely about your podcast, for your podcast audience, and even has the potential to promote your podcast to others.
You could apply the same math to recurring support models. So instead of starting with a $5/month subscription, you could set your base level much higher.
Of course, a bigger audience means more potentially supportive people! But it is possible to make this work with a smaller audience if you deliver enough value.
And speaking of “value,” you could consider the “risky” route of going full “value4value” where you let your audience decide what your podcast is worth to them, and they can give back whatever amount they want! Just like Bryan Entzminger from Top Tier Audio did when he streamed 411§ on my previous podcast episode. As of August 11, 2025, that's worth about 45¢, which is 18× more than a single listener would be “worth” in a $25 CPM (cost per thousand downloads) ad deal!
Option 3: A company that will pay you
Lastly, podcasting could be your full-time job if you were actually hired for exactly that! My friend The Real Brian, from ProfitCast, does this. He gets hired by multiple companies to host their podcasts for them. Brian works as a contractor for these companies, but some companies might have so much content and production they need on the podcast that it could easily be a full-time job! Especially if you're an experienced indie podcaster who can do everything in the podcast workflow—preparation, presentation, production, publishing, and promotion—you could be an indispensable employee (or contractor)!
Grow toward the P.R.O.F.I.T. you want
If you want to earn your entire income from just the podcasting process, then figure out which of these appeal to you and start working toward that goal for the P.R.O.F.I.T. (popularity, relationships, opportunities, fun, income, or tangibles) you want.
And the absolute best place to start is making a better podcast and engaging your audience more.
If you love The Audacity to Podcast and value the podcasting inspiration and education I provide, would you please consider giving back what it's worth to you?
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Disclosure
This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
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