Making Money With Podcasts

Plenty of people start their own podcasts without expecting to see a dime in revenue, but that's not the case for one-time radio superstar and current podcast king Adam Carolla. Fast Company magazine has a fascinating profile of his podcasting juggernaut— and how to turn avid listeners into cold, hard cash.

Perhaps more important, however, is the chart that accompanies it. It details four major revenue models for successful podcasters, including sponsorships and ads, donations, live shows, and subscriptions.

It's a smart chart, but I'd add two other components that I've seen successful podcasters use: merchandise (you can see this model with Jesse Thorn's Maximum Fun Store) and premium non-audio content (like Brian Preston's Money Guy member site, which includes plenty of charts, newsletters, and financial geekery).

If there's one thing all of these revenue models have in common, though, it's building a passionate group of listeners. Ad buyers love it, and perhaps more importantly, listeners don't mind paying for value. People will pay if they love who you are and what you represent. Devoted listeners alone won't guarantee financial success. But you can't have financial success without them.

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