Start A Podcast - Business Ideas

Updated: November 1st, 2022
Start A Podcast

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

The podcast business involves creating and producing audio content that people can listen to online.

It’s a popular form of entertainment and information-sharing.

To start a podcast business on a budget, you'll need a few key steps.

First, choose a niche or topic that you're passionate about and that has an audience.

Next, get basic recording equipment like a microphone and headphones.

Then, find a free or affordable hosting platform to publish your episodes.

Finally, promote your podcast through social media, online communities, and word of mouth to build an audience and potentially attract sponsors or advertisers.

Starting a podcast requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell podcast, or selling podcast online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Want to learn more? You can check out our full guide on how to start a podcast ➜

Learn more about starting a podcast:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a podcast?
-> See other successful podcast businesses

Key Stats

revenue (monthly)
$39.5K
starting costs
$20.5K
gross margin
72%
avg product price
$21
time to build
90 days
growth
Word of mouth
business model
Subscriptions
time investment
Full time

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Employee & Freelancer Expenses

$151

$352

Website Costs

$223

$7,215

Business Formation Fees

$5,600

$20,400

Software Expenses

$162

$3,094

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$2,750

Total Startup Costs

$6,136

$40,811

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Patti Smith

pattismith.substack.com

572

RedeemerCast

redeemernashville.libsyn.com

3,889

BrandonGaille.com

brandongaille.com

12,708

Chartable

chartable.com

22,515

Blubrry Podcasting

blubrry.com

24,322

Side Hustle Nation

sidehustlenation.com

41,018

WNYC Studios

wnycstudios.org

51,454

Ben Greenfield Fitness

bengreenfieldfitness.com

52,870

Ecom Crew Podcast

ecomcrew.com

53,457

Entrepreneurs on Fire

eofire.com

61,948

Capradio

capradio.org

67,928

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Meaningful business connections

You never know who you will meet as a podcast. This could be the start of an incredible business opportunity!

High customer retention rates

Once a customer invests in your product, they've invested their time and energy to utilize your product/service which is highly valuable to them. Typically, your product or service becomes indispensable to your customer.

Quick build time

The average time it takes to build your product is quick - typically around 3 months. This will allow you to bring your product to market faster.

Control of workload

With starting a podcast, you have the unique ability to choose how little or how much you want to work. You also have the freedom to decide which projects you want to work on, and can turn down the ones that do not interest you.

Gain exposure and experience

This career allows you to gain experience working for multiple different businesses - which will benefit your resume and also keep things interesting for you!

Cons Description

Low margins

The gross margins for your podcast are typically around 72%, which can make it more challenging to incur new expenses and maintain profitability.

Time commitment

With starting a podcast, all responsibilities and decisions are in your hands. Although this is not necessarily a negative thing, work life can take over at times. This can place a strain on friends and family and add to the pressure of launching a new business.

Difficult to build trust with your customer

With starting a podcast, there can be minimal face-to-face interaction, which means it can be a lot more difficult to establish trust with your customers. You'll need to go the extra mile with your customer to grab their attention and business.

Impatient customers

You may offer an engaging user experience for your customer, but customers expect a lot and may be impatient if they aren't pleased with your product or service.

Difficult to scale

With a podcast, it can be challenging to find ways to scale. Check out this article that discusses scaling your business and the challenges that come with it.

Learning Curve

When you start your own business, you no longer have upper management to provide you with a playbook for your roles and responsibilities. You should know the ins and outs of every aspect of your business, as every decision will come down to you.

Marketing Ideas

  • 1

    Affiliate Program

    Affiliate marketing is a great way to bring in a new revenue stream, especially when you don't sell products or services.

    Simply put, an affiliate program is an agreement where a business pays another business or influencer ("the affiliate") a commission for sending traffic and/or sales their way.

    The affiliate typically gets a unique link where clicks and conversions can be tracked.

    Learn more about affiliate program ➜

  • 2

    Direct Sales

    Direct sales strategy implies a direct contact between a seller and a consumer without the involvement of any third party. Direct selling is popular in sectors where sellers communicate with their clientele personally. The sales technique occurs at non-store locations which include at home, work, or online.

    For direct selling to succeed, hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. It's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.

    Learn more about direct sales ➜

  • 3

    Word of mouth

    Word of mouth is when a consumers reflects their interest in a company’s product or service in their daily dialogues.

    Therefore, word of mouth advertising is essentially a free advertising triggered by the customers experience.

    According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family.

    Therefore, in today’s hyper-connected world, a single recommendation through a word of mouth can have a huge impact to your business.

    Learn more about word of mouth ➜