Audio show funded by sponsors or members. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives,
and the part most guides leave out.
Startup capital
€400–€2,500
Hours / week
8–25
First income
~36 wks
Net margin
90%
Saturation
high
Realistic ceiling
€100–€2,500
What nobody usually tells you
Sponsors typically pay €18–40 per thousand downloads, so you need around 5,000 downloads an episode before it's worth selling ads at all. Most podcasts never pass 200. The ones that pay came from an audience that already existed elsewhere.
The route, in five steps
Record ten episodes before publishing the first
Publish the video version too — that's where discovery happens now
Guests bring their audience: book above your level
Sell the sponsorship yourself before joining a network
Build the email list from episode one
What you'll need to buy
These are the categories every podcast pays for in the first month.
We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the
tools page.
microphonehosting platformediting software
Does it hold up for you?
These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on
your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.