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Since its entry into the podcasting arena in 2019, Spotify has reported that over one billion people have engaged with podcasts on its platform, according to an email shared with Entrepreneur on Monday. This milestone highlights the company’s significant influence in the podcasting landscape.
Moreover, Spotify disclosed that it has allocated more than $100 million to podcasters and podcast publishers across the globe this year alone. This financial commitment is partly attributed to the Spotify Partner Program, which was introduced on January 2 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia. This initiative allows creators to earn a 50% share of advertising revenue.
In an effort to attract more video podcast creators and compete directly with YouTube, Spotify’s partner program seems to be bearing fruit. A recent Edison Research report revealed that 70% of Americans aged 12 and above have listened to a podcast at some point, while 51% have viewed a podcast. Notably, one-third of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. prefer YouTube, solidifying its status as the leading platform for podcast content.
Additionally, Google has noted that over one billion people watch podcasts on YouTube each month. As reported by The New York Times, Spotify boasts 170 million monthly podcast listeners, contributing to its broader audience of 675 million.
The success of the Spotify Partner Program is evident, as numerous creators have reported increased viewership and revenue. For instance, a press release from FlightStory, which helps produce the popular podcast “The Diary of a CEO,” indicated that the show’s weekly views surged by over 45% after joining the program. FlightStory’s Chief Revenue Officer, Christiana Brenton, described this growth as “exceptional.”
Similarly, David Coles, who runs the horror podcast “Just Creepy: Scary Stories,” shared with The New York Times that he is re-evaluating his primary platform after finding that his Spotify earnings from the partner program exceeded his YouTube revenue.
YMH Studios, known for the comedy podcast “2 Bears, 1 Cave,” also reported to The Times that their quarterly revenue more than tripled post-join to the Spotify Partner Program. In contrast, YouTube has disbursed more than $70 billion to creators, including podcasters, between 2021 and 2024, as noted by the same publication.
Requirements for the Spotify Partner Program
To qualify for the Spotify Partner Program, creators must fulfill several criteria: their show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators, they need to reside within the U.S., U.K., Canada, or Australia, and they should have at least 12 episodes available. Additionally, they must achieve 10,000 hours of views within the past month and have reached at least 2,000 unique listeners who have streamed their content on Spotify in the last 30 days.
Potential candidates can verify their eligibility by visiting the monetization section in Spotify for Creators before applying for the partner program.
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