Spotify Launches Paid Podcast Memberships Across 34 Markets, Creators Keep 90% of Revenue

Spotify on Tuesday launched paid podcast memberships, allowing creators to charge listeners for perks including bonus audio and video, fewer ads and early access to episodes. The feature is rolling out to 34 markets globally, including the U.S. Creators keep 90% of membership revenue and can package benefits across multiple tiers and price points. To qualify, podcasters must host shows on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone and have at least 100 consumption hours, 100 listeners or viewers, and three published episodes. Memberships are purchased on the web rather than through in-app purchases. Launch shows include "The Adam Friedland Show," "Making Sense with Sam Harris," "Shawn Ryan Show" and YMH Studios, which is bringing memberships to 12 shows. Spotify first previewed the feature at its May Investor Day, alongside AI capabilities and creator sponsorship tools. The launch extends Spotify's push to attract podcasters as it expands into video to compete with YouTube. Memberships join advertising and the Spotify Partner Program among its monetization tools; membership badges and welcome clips are planned.