Tag: Podcast Publishers

From Audio to Video, Spotify’s $100 Million Payout Fuels Creator Success Stories

April 28, 2025

Podcasts have become a cornerstone of the Spotify experience, evolving from a niche interest to a cultural phenomenon. As the format continues to grow, we’re seeing an exciting trend emerge: the rise of video podcasts. At Spotify, we’re committed to supporting creators across all formats, and we’re thrilled to announce a significant milestone in that journey.

For the first time, we’re revealing that Spotify paid out more than $100 million to podcast publishers and podcasters worldwide in the first quarter of 2025 alone. This figure reflects our deep commitment to the creator economy and underscores Spotify’s position as a leading platform for audio and video creators alike.

We’re expanding creators’ reach to a global audience, providing flexible earning options regardless of format, and offering tools to capture and engage a loyal fanbase. Whether a creator is just starting out or looking to scale an existing show, Spotify provides the resources and opportunities to thrive.

For fans, this translates to an even richer library of diverse content and the unique ability to seamlessly switch between listening and watching their favorite podcasts on Spotify.

A platform for growth and innovation

This payout encompasses both ad-based revenue and revenue generated through the Spotify Partner Program, which launched earlier this year in select markets. The program is designed to provide creators with more ways to monetize their content, offering audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium video engagement and the ability to monetize via ads in Spotify Free and on all other podcast listening platforms.

We’re seeing positive signals that this approach is resonating with creators. The Spotify Partner Program is driving growth, with total earnings for participating creators up 23% month-over-month from January to February, and 29% month-over-month from February to March. We’ve also seen a significant increase in video podcast adoption, with active monthly video podcasts up 28% since the program launched.

Recognizing the power of podcasts to reach valuable consumers, some of the world’s largest advertisers are booking campaigns through the Spotify Audience Network as part of the Spotify Partner Program, including McDonald’s, Google, and Chelsea FC, providing creators with even more monetization opportunities.

The creator perspective

The real impact of these opportunities is best illustrated by the success of individual creators. Shows like Your Mom’s House with Christina P. and Tom Segura and The Rest Is Politics: US have experienced a remarkable surge in engagement since joining the Spotify Partner Program, with weekly consumption up more than 45%. Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast has also seen significant gains, with weekly consumption up 12% since joining the program and total consumption time up 30% from January to March. Similarly, Two Hot Takes has seen weekly consumption grow by 12% since introducing video on Spotify. But these numbers only scratch the surface. Here’s what participants are saying about the program:

  • Tony Pastor, co-founder of Goalhanger: “Since we added video to our shows on Spotify, we’ve been delighted by the growth we’ve seen across the Goalhanger network. It’s clear that our audiences love watching their favourite hosts and we’re really encouraged by the engagement levels we’ve seen so far.”
  • Christiana Brenton, Chief Revenue Officer at FlightStory and Co-Founder of FlightStory Studio: “Since joining the Spotify Partner Program, we’ve seen weekly consumption grow by over 45%. That kind of trajectory is exceptional, and it speaks to the power of a global platform that is committed to creator success. Spotify has opened up a new competitive revenue stream and allows us to tap into a deeply engaged audience.”

Ultimately, Spotify is committed to building a sustainable ecosystem where creators can thrive. This $100 million payout is just one step in that journey. We’ll continue to invest in new tools, resources, and programs to support creators in all formats, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for podcasting on Spotify.

How Spotify Is Strengthening Our Investment in Podcast Advertising With Acquisition of Megaphone

November 10, 2020

Less than two years ago, we announced that audio—not just music—would be the future of Spotify. We believe that streaming audio, including music and podcasts, is poised to be the next great frontier for listeners, creators, and advertisers.

That’s why today, we’re excited to announce Spotify’s acquisition of Megaphone, one of the world’s leading podcast advertising and publishing platforms. 

The acquisition of Megaphone represents the next step in Spotify’s expanding the possibilities of this intimate and screenless medium. At the top of the year, we launched Streaming Ad Insertion, an innovative podcast ad technology that delivers the intimacy and quality of traditional podcast ads with the precision and transparency of modern-day digital marketing. The results of Streaming Ad Insertion have been encouraging to say the least and have further validated our commitment to the significant potential of podcast advertising.

So what does Spotify + Megaphone mean for the growth of the podcast industry?

Delivering Scale to Podcast Advertisers

Advertisers are ready to realize the full potential of podcasts. The combination of Spotify and Megaphone will allow them to activate across Spotify’s Original & Exclusive podcasts while scaling reach through the Megaphone Targeted Marketplace.

Creating Added Value for Podcast Publishers

Together, Spotify and Megaphone will offer podcast publishers innovative tools that will help them earn more from their work. This includes the opportunity to opt in to have their content monetized, matching their loyal listeners with even greater demand from advertisers. And we’re excited to share that, once we come together, we will soon make Streaming Ad Insertion available to podcast publishers on Megaphone, the first time this technology will be made available to third-parties. That means that podcast publishers will be able to offer more-valuable podcast audiences to advertisers based on confirmed ad impressions (i.e., that their ad was actually heard).

We’ve already seen our investment in audio pay off. In our Q3 earnings, we announced that 22% of our total monthly average users (MAUs) engaged with podcasts last quarter and that podcast advertising revenue is up nearly 100% year over year. This comes alongside innovations like our first-of-its-kind format for creators to bring together music and talk, and mixed-media playlists like Your Daily Drive. Our podcast catalog now includes over 1.9 million titles that feature storytelling, sports, education, and wellness from diverse voices across the globe, and the world’s top creators—from Michelle Obama and Brené Brown to Addison Rae and DC Comics—come to Spotify to connect with their fans and meet new ones.

From groundbreaking authentic voices to can’t-miss news and information, podcasting is one of the most exciting mediums of our time. We are excited to collaborate with Megaphone to drive this business forward.

The transaction is subject to customary regulatory review, and it is business as usual until closing.


To learn more, head to the Spotify Advertising blog for a Q&A with Jay Richman, Spotify VP Global Head of Advertising Business, and Megaphone CEO Brendan Monaghan.