As we continue on our mission of democratizing audio and empowering the creators behind it, we’re excited to announce the launch of our newest feature: paid subscriptions. It’s the easiest subscription experience for creators, who save time with streamlined setup and management while keeping 100 percent of subscription revenue (excluding standard payment processing fees). Listeners enjoy seamless discovery, access to subscriber-only content, and the ability to listen on the app of their choice—while directly supporting creators. Paid subscriptions from Anchor and Spotify provide a more predictable, stable source of revenue that creators control while engaging deeply with loyal fans. 

Starting today**, creators can sign up for access to paid subscriptions and enjoy no platform fees, keeping 100 percent of their subscription revenue* until 2023, when we plan to introduce a competitive 5 percent fee for access to this feature.

Simplest subscription setup

The setup couldn’t be easier for creators, and it’s all carried out right from Anchor:

Regardless of your audience size, Anchor’s simple setup process means all creators can be up and running with a paid subscription offering in minutes. Consolidate your podcast creation, hosting, distribution, and monetization in one robust, familiar, easy-to-use platform—so you can spend your time focusing on creating subscription-worthy content instead of headaches around managing separate feeds. Once you select your price point, it will apply to all your paid content. Then, just choose which episodes to make subscriber-only right from Anchor, and it’ll be instantly reflected in Spotify. 

From there, it’s equally simple to manage your paid subscription and every other facet of your podcast in one place: Anchor.

Increased revenue with ease

The most seamless discovery, subscription, and listening experience for your audience equals increased earning potential for you. It starts with a straightforward subscription process for listeners that immediately gets access to paid episodes within your existing show feed in Spotify, meaning less friction and more supporters; your audience won’t need to contend with RSS feeds or downloading a separate third-party app to listen. They’ll still have the option of listening on the platform of their choosing through a private RSS feed, so you don’t lose out on any potential subscribers. And with paid subscription content clearly marked on your show and episode pages in Spotify, listeners can easily see how to support you directly, thus presenting a bigger potential paid audience. 

Subscriptions are a great source of recurring revenue, even for shows with smaller but loyal followings. They can prove a lot more lucrative and stable than ads for creators of all sizes: a flexible tool that lets you decide what type of paid content to offer—whether it’s early access, bonus episodes, or something else. It all depends on what’s right for your goals, audience, and time investment. And with 100 percent of subscription revenue* going straight to the creator for the next two years as well as no flat fees*, there’s never been a better time to explore your monetization strategy.

Your listeners, your community 

As part of paid subscriptions, we anticipate giving creators priority access to Anchor’s recently announced Q&A feature, allowing them to take paid content even further by inviting their most loyal supporters to interact directly with the show. We also expect to add functionality in the near future that enables creators to contact their subscriber base directly, making it easier for you to connect with loyal fans and offer additional perks like merch, promo codes, and more.

For listeners, it’s now easier than ever to discover bonus content and support creators on a platform they use and trust—even if they’d prefer to listen somewhere else. And creators can receive support from listeners while offering them something of value in return, deepening the connection with your biggest fans by welcoming them into your show’s community.

Interested in setting up a paid subscription for your podcast? Sign up here! 

*Excluding standard payment processing fees

**Paid subscriptions are only available in the U.S. at launch, but we intend to expand to creators in additional markets in the coming months.