Tag: spotify partner program

‘Two Hot Takes’ Host Morgan Absher Talks All-New Video Eps of Her Popular Podcast

March 6, 2025

Up-and-coming comedian Morgan Absher is the creator and host of Two Hot Takes, a wildly popular podcast that transforms viral Reddit stories into unfiltered laugh-out-loud discussions on relationships, friendships, and life’s wildest dilemmas.

How did she get started? After graduating from her doctoral program during a global pandemic, Morgan turned to podcasting as a means to channel her obsession with Reddit and pass the time while searching for a job as an occupational therapist. Her hobby quickly gained momentum. Since its debut in February 2021, Two Hot Takes has amassed more than 60 million listens annually, and Morgan has gathered more than 5.2 million social followers.

Now, she’s launching video episodes of her show on Spotify. We caught up with Morgan to understand what makes her tick, her creative process, and how she envisions video upping her podcasting game.

Hi, Morgan, and congrats on your launch! First, a little history: What inspired you to start your show?

Thanks! I talked about starting my show for about a year before I actually did it. In April 2020, I began begging friends to start it with me, as I had just graduated with a doctorate in occupational therapy but couldn’t do anything with it because of the Covid pandemic. I was in a really dark spot mentally, as so many were, but Reddit and the drama I found on there kept me entertained. Fast-forward to the holidays of that year and my boyfriend at the time—now fiancé—gifted me all the equipment and taught me how to edit. Shortly after that, the first episode was posted and it immediately found its people thanks to social media.

And now you’re bringing video episodes to Spotify! How do you think working with us will help strengthen your connection with your fans?

A majority of my audience is audio listeners, so being able to partner with Spotify and now enhance their experience with video in an app they’re already using and love is so, so amazing. Just being able to hear a crazy title of a story and glance quickly to catch a reaction will really add to the experience for them, so I think it’s going to bring our community even closer together, increase engagement, and hopefully land itself in more people’s cars, homes, and adventures.

Has video changed the way you approach each episode?

I don’t think video has changed much of how I operate. I’ve always wanted to create a cozy, comfortable environment, on camera or not. When you’re recording video for two hours, the last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable or be constantly worrying about how you’re coming across on camera. I think it makes guests feel right at home, listeners can relax as they tune in, and we can get down to business and focus on what matters most: these crazy stories.

Are there any Spotify features or tools you’ve found especially helpful?

I love the polls and questions features—it’s such a fun way to instantly get the listener’s thoughts on these stories—especially if we have one that we ourselves really have a hard time deciding on. It’s also a great way to hear what guests would like to see. It makes the community closer and really gives them a voice in our show, too.

What advice do you have for emerging creators?

Don’t be your own biggest barrier. It can feel so daunting to start, but the best thing you can do is try. I think my show is the perfect example of: You never know what could come out of trying something you’re passionate about. Watch videos on how to get started and just do it! Don’t focus on having the best equipment. Don’t worry about your set being perfect. Just focus on having fun and making content you’re excited about. Your people will find you if you start putting it out there, which feels a little Kevin Costner-in-Fields of Dreams-ish, but it’s so true.

Finally, who are some of your favorite creators?

I love Hannah Berner and Chris Klemens—some of the most fun, witty, kind people I’ve met on this normal-person-to-content-creator journey. Also Joe Santagato and all my friends over at Smosh. I don’t think I laugh more than when I’m watching their content.

Spotify’s Partner Program Helps Creators Increase Revenue and Consumption of Video Podcasts

February 13, 2025

Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new monetization system for creators in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia. Just one month in, we’re already seeing the positive impacts on consumption and revenue growth for enrolled creators.

First announced at our Now Playing event, the Spotify Partner Program offers creators multiple revenue streams, including audience-driven payouts from Spotify Premium video engagement (in select markets), as well as ad monetization on Spotify Free and other podcast platforms. The flexibility gives creators greater control over their businesses, helping them adapt to shifts in the growing podcast audience while driving incremental revenue.

The results also speak for themselves: Spotify’s video podcast consumption is up more than 20% since the program’s launch, with payouts to creators in January increasing by 300% compared to the same period a year ago. In addition, hundreds of creators surpassed $10,000 in monthly revenue on Spotify in that same time, with the top earners crossing well into six figures in the first month alone.

Video podcasts that have experienced success through the Spotify Partner Program include Modern Wisdom, hosted by Chris Williamson, which increased consumption on Spotify by 36%; We’re All Insane, the mental health podcast hosted by Devorah Roloff, which earned more than $17,000; and Kinda Funny Gamecast, a video game podcast that’s earned $10,000.

As video consumption continues to grow on Spotify, we aim to give creators more opportunities to earn while giving our users a more seamless and delightful viewing experience.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your content? Get started now with the Spotify Partner Program.

The Spotify Partner Program Is Here, Offering New Ways for Creators to Monetize in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia

January 2, 2025

With more than 640 million users and more than 250 million subscribers, Spotify is one of the largest platforms in the world for creators. We’re also continuously building new offerings to help creators grow their audiences and better monetize their content on Spotify. Today, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new monetization system for creators in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, and Australia.

First announced at our Now Playing event, this program gives eligible creators who host with us access to multiple revenue streams to help them transform their shows into sustainable businesses: 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.

This dual approach gives creators greater flexibility and control, helping them navigate industry shifts and maintain consistent revenue streams. Users, meanwhile, benefit from enhancements to the viewing experience and a bigger and better catalog of video podcasts, and Premium users are able to watch without interruptions from third-party ads. While a creator’s baked-in sponsorships will remain in episodes, traditional dynamic ads will not interrupt the video for Premium users, creating a seamless viewing experience on any device.

Early success and creator optimism

Creators are embracing the opportunity for greater control over their businesses and the ability to deliver the best possible content to their fans, fostering loyalty and audience retention. Since we announced the Spotify Partner Program on November 13, more than 65% of eligible shows and networks have already enrolled. Here’s what we’re hearing:

- Smart Money Happy Hour creators: “We’re thrilled to partner with Spotify as they build a phenomenal podcast experience for their users. Smart Money Happy Hour exists to make the lives of our fans better, and adding video on Spotify does just that. We love all of the product enhancements that are happening on Spotify, and we plan to use all of them to engage with our audience even more in 2025!”
- The Paranormal Podcast host Jim Harold: “I’m thrilled to be one of the early participants in the Spotify Partner Program. The power of longform video on Spotify gives us access to new viewers while super-serving our loyal audio audience with an added dimension. It makes 2025 an exciting new year for The Paranormal Podcast. As usual, Spotify is at the forefront of innovation for both creators and their audiences.”
- The Makeshift Podcast co-host Zach Misischia: “The new Spotify Partner Program has given us a way to monetize our podcast without interrupting the listener’s experience, which is extremely important to us since it can often deter listeners from continuing an episode.”

Because video is naturally growing in popularity across Spotify, we’re continuing to invest in ways to make the viewing experience more seamless and delightful for our users, and to allow creators to leverage the format for discovery and growth. Podcast clips, also unveiled at Now Playing, are short-form videos uploaded by creators that are recommended across Spotify surfaces, making it easier for users to discover new shows. Since launching the feature in select markets in November, we’ve seen that clips are 33% more effective than previews at converting browsers into potential listeners.