The news: Patreon podcasters earned a platform-high $629 million in 2025, a 33% increase YoY, per Variety. That content is now the platform’s largest category by revenues.

More than 47,000 podcasters bring in income from the 7.6 million-plus paid memberships in Patreon’s podcasting category.

“Podcasts are a resonant medium (that) work well for multihyphenate creators who want to leverage several types of media formats to connect with their fans,” Patreon COO Paige Fitzgerald told Variety.

Patreon doesn’t support ads. Instead it charges a 10% fee on all subscriptions and purchases.

Zooming out: The platform has been building out its podcast infrastructure over the past year through new partnerships and distribution integrations.

• Its Podcast Network Partnership Program brings entire podcast networks onto the platform, giving them tools to grow audiences, manage content, and strengthen fan relationships.
• Patreon has also deepened its ties with Spotify, enabling creators to distribute both subscriber-only and ad-supported podcast content across platforms.

Platforms like Netflix—with its iHeartMedia licensing deal—are also testing the podcast waters as competition for a steadily increasing podcast listener base and interest in visual podcast content grow.

Why it’s worth watching: Podcast monetization is shifting beyond ads, with subscription models gaining traction as creators seek more predictable revenue streams.

That dynamic comes as ad-supported podcast growth begins to moderate. We expect US podcast ad spend growth will slow from 15.9% in 2026 to 5.8% in 2030—still solid, but indicative of an increasingly saturated and mature market.

Recommendations for marketers: Advertisers and creators should monitor which platforms are becoming podcast leaders and recognize where ads don’t play.

As subscription-first platforms like Patreon grow, brands may need to explore creator partnerships that live outside traditional ad formats. Identify shows and hosts that align with product uses and brand values to ensure sponsored campaigns feel authentic and natural to users.