Podcasts

Once a fringe technology, podcasts are big business. If you haven’t heard of a podcast, consider yourself a social outcast. Just kidding, we recognize not everyone is hip on podcasts, but at the rate they’re growing, most should be by the time we hit 2021. Adam Curry, an ex-MTV video jockey, is the man behind the first podcast. In tandem with a software developer, Dave Winer, the duo created a program that allowed them to download broadcasts over the Internet onto an iPod. In this manner, the broadcasts could be any length, format, etc., and were also free from government regulation. A podcaster, because he/she is not broadcasting their program over a federal or state airway, doesn’t need to purchase a license to broadcast like radio stations, for example. Due to this, literally anything goes with podcasts. The humor and content can be as PG or X-rated as the podcaster desires, but the popularity of the medium has attracted large broadcast companies and corporations, so some of the biggest podcasts are not overly edgy in terms of content. Podcasters, in general, target certain audience niches. To listen or subscribe to podcast, it’s as simple as going to the podcast site and clicking on an episode. You can also download the podcast to whatever device you are using to listen to it, or subscribe to the RSS feed to receive new podcast episodes as they become available. The top podcasts in 2020 are making $1 million plus per episode. This type of money was unfathomable just five years ago. How you generate money depends on the manner in which you monetize the podcast. This could be via the number of subscribers, your conversion rate, your sponsors, or even selling your own products through the podcast. The top podcasters earn some mind-blowing cash, let’s take a look. The Joe Rogan Experience Joe Rogan is a comedian, an actor, the voice of the UFC, and arguably the top podcaster in the world. Rogan boasts 9 million followers and his per episode revenue is roughly $75,000. Rogan typically does 3 podcasts per week, so he’s looking at $10.8 million per year. Joe has 40 plus sponsors and hauls in some real interesting guests (Elon Musk and Mike Tyson) to name a few. Chapo Trap House That’s a heck of a name. And this political humor podcast brings some real heat on a weekly basis. Hosted by four comedians, most of their money comes from their own fans that pitch in and earn this group $1.8 million per year. There are 34,000 plus fans and growing, and while the four of them need to split the earnings, it’s still pretty good money. Smart Passive Income Pat Flynn earns what is known as “passive income.” This is when you can create something – a video, a guide, or even a podcast episode – and keep selling that same product over and over again without having to produce a new one per customer. Eventually you need to keep churning out new content, but Pat details on his podcast with his affiliates how this is done, and tons of folks tune in. Pat banks from the two podcasts he runs $100,000 per month. The Ringer No podcast list would be complete without The Ringer. If you’re obsessed with sports and don’t know about The Ringer, you’re going to freak out once you tune in. Started by a self-described sports junkie and journalist, Bill Simmons, The Ringer has branched out into pop culture, and lately political talk as well. It’s a fabulous podcast with a range of shows raking in hundreds of thousands per show annually. Take caution in doing too big of a deep dive into the podcast world. The results are all tempting and you’ll never tune back into your TV again!