25 Podcast Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 19th, 2023
Start A Podcast

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.

Here are some real-life success stories of starting a podcast:

1. Cars of Carlisle ($5.03K/year)

Darren Reighard, founder and CEO of the Cars of Carlisle Network Podcast, came up with the idea for his profitable podcast after a friend recognized the need for an automotive podcast in their hometown of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. With his love for cars and background in mass communications, Reighard quickly established a virtual product to fill this niche and market gap, resulting in over 12,000 downloads and an increasing annual revenue.

How much they make: $5.03K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.11K
Current team size: 1

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How I Created A Profitable Podcast For Car Enthusiasts

Cars of Carlisle Network Podcast, founded by Darren Reighard, has grown into an increasingly successful entrepreneurial pursuit with over 130 episodes and is continuing to expand, with an annual revenue that is increasing, over 12k downloads from 45 countries, and a 18-month goal to expand sponsorship to become a full-time CEO managing the business with a 5 employee team.

About
Darren started Cars of Carlisle almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Darren grew the business to $419/month
Costs
It cost Darren $3111 to start the business
Read by 8,517 founders

2. Code Story ($60K/year)

Noah Labhart, a startup founder and CTO, came up with the idea for his podcast, Code Story, after realizing there was a lack of tech and startup-focused shows like How I Built This. With a passion for solution architecture and a desire to share the stories of tech visionaries, Labhart launched Code Story and has since gained over 80k downloads and an average of 1,000 downloads per episode.

How much they make: $60K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
Current team size: 0

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How I Started A Podcast Interviewing Tech People That Has Been Downloaded Over 80K Times

Noah Labhart's podcast, Code Story, has been downloaded over 80k times and generates an average of $1k a month in revenue through several ad deals with top tech executives and companies.

About
Noah started Code Story about 5 years ago
Revenue
Noah grew the business to $5K/month
Costs
It cost Noah $1000 to start the business
Read by 7,725 founders

So... can you actually make money with a podcast?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

3. Entrepreneurs on Fire ($2.42M/year)

John Lee Dumas came up with the idea for Entrepreneurs On Fire while working in Commercial Real Estate and listening to podcasts during his commutes to and from work. He noticed a lack of daily podcasts that provided valuable content for aspiring entrepreneurs, so he decided to start his own daily podcast to fill that gap. With zero online presence and no podcasting experience, John launched Entrepreneurs On Fire with the goal of inspiring millions to take their own entrepreneurial leap.

How much they make: $2.42M/year
How much did it cost to start: $9K
Current team size: 4

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How John Lee Dumas Grew A Podcast Into $2M/Year Business

John Lee Dumas grew his award-winning podcast, Entrepreneurs On Fire, into a business offering online courses, coaching, and a mastermind program, generating nearly $4 million in revenue from his flagship product, Podcasters’ Paradise.

About
John started Entrepreneurs on Fire over 11 years ago
Revenue
John grew the business to $202K/month
Costs
It cost John $9000 to start the business
Read by 8,436 founders

4. Cinquanta Cox-Smith ($120K/year)

Cinquanta Cox-Smith, a Multipreneur from South Carolina, stumbled upon the Print On Demand industry 12 years ago when she wanted to create a unique shirt and discovered Spreadshirt.com. Through her creativity and networking skills, she found success in designing and selling catchy, conversation-starting shirts. This eventually led her to create multiple POD brands on various platforms, generating an impressive $120k per year in revenue.

How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1

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I Make $120K/Year With My Print On Demand T-Shirt Side Hustle

A multipreneur shares how she built a successful print on demand side hustle, generating $120,000 per year through multiple brands spread over various platforms.

About
Cinquanta started Cinquanta Cox-Smith over 14 years ago
Revenue
Cinquanta grew the business to $10K/month
Costs
It cost Cinquanta $100 to start the business
Read by 10,743 founders

So... can you actually make money with a podcast?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

5. Ecom Crew Podcast ($420K/year)

EcomCrew, an ecommerce blog and podcast, was founded by Mike Jackness and an unnamed co-founder in 2014. With a passion for content creation and a desire to share ecommerce knowledge, they started EcomCrew and eventually monetized it through a membership program. They now generate around $35,000 a month in revenue.

How much they make: $420K/year
Current team size: 3

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Starting An E-Commerce Education Platform Generating $35K/Month

EcomCrew is an ecommerce blog and podcast that took three years to monetize and now brings in around $35,000 a month by selling a membership to a private ecommerce group that includes exclusive access to ecommerce courses, webinars, events and more, with plans slowly becoming more expensive to expand with new content.

About
Mike started Ecom Crew Podcast over 8 years ago
Revenue
Mike grew the business to $35K/month
Read by 4,066 founders

6. The Unofficial Shopify Podcast ($108K/year)

Kurt Elster came up with the idea for his podcast, The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, after realizing the potential of content marketing and wanting a consistent way to market his ecommerce consulting services. He decided to host his own podcast after receiving positive feedback from guest appearances on other podcasts, and with the help of his business partner's editing skills, he was able to launch the podcast and grow it to 750,000 downloads and four sponsors.

How much they make: $108K/year
Current team size: 0

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How Kurt Elster Monetized And Grew A Podcast to 750K Downloads

Unofficial Shopify Podcast has generated 750,000 downloads and has four sponsors, resulting in significant monetary gain for ecommerce consultant and host, Kurt Elster, who has created a thriving business and community around his podcast.

About
Kurt started The Unofficial Shopify Podcast over 9 years ago
Revenue
Kurt grew the business to $9K/month
Read by 4,088 founders

So... can you actually make money with a podcast?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

  1. Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
  2. Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
  3. Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. SGPN ($360K/year)

Sean Green, co-founder of The Sports Gambling Podcast Network, started the business with his partner out of a passion for sports gambling. Initially just a conversation recorded in a garage, the podcast has now grown into a legit sports gambling media empire with over 15 shows, multi-million downloads per year, and $30K/month in revenue. Their success is attributed to their adaptability, pivotability, and ability to attract and retain customers through free picks, contests, and a thriving community on Slack.

How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 2

article

I Started A $360K/Year Podcast About Sports Betting

Discover how Sean Green turned his sports gambling podcast into a multi-million media empire generating $30K/month in revenue and over a million downloads annually.

About
Sean started SGPN over 12 years ago
Revenue
Sean grew the business to $30K/month
Read by 4,652 founders

8. Workology ($12.2M/year)

Jessica Miller-Merrell came up with the idea for Workology after using free online dating websites to source candidates for job openings while working as an HR leader. She saw the potential for digital sourcing and recruiting through platforms like LinkedIn, MySpace, and Facebook, and started a job search blog to share tips and build a candidate pipeline. Workology has since become a leading HR and recruiting resource, with a website reaching half a million HR and Recruiting leaders each month, a podcast, and a training and development platform called LEARN by Workology.

How much they make: $12.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $12K
Current team size: 4

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This Solo-Female Founder Makes $12M/Year Selling Workplace Resources & Tools

This case study follows the journey of Jessica Miller-Merrell, a top 50 social media influencer according to Forbes, who founded Workology, a workplace HR resource that reaches half a million HR and recruiting leaders each month with 8,000+ published articles and resources, generating $12M in annual revenue, offering on-demand courses for HR certification and career development, providing Ace the HR Exam, Upskill HR, and HRCI recertification courses, and developing a proprietary learning system with LEARN by Workology, which has trained nearly 15,000 HR leaders.

About
Jessica started Workology over 18 years ago
Revenue
Jessica grew the business to $1.02M/month
Costs
It cost Jessica $12000 to start the business
Read by 4,025 founders

9. Content Allies ($900K/year)

Jake Jorgovan, founder of Content Allies, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that his own podcast had directly contributed to over 68% of the revenue for his previous business, Lead Cookie. Recognizing the power of podcasting as a marketing channel, he decided to start a business focused on helping B2B companies launch revenue-generating podcasts, and Content Allies was born. They now have a monthly recurring revenue of approximately $75k, produce 20+ podcasts, and have released over 500 episodes for their clients.

How much they make: $900K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
Current team size: 3

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How I Started A $75K/Month Podcast Production Service

Content Allies helps B2B companies launch revenue-generating podcasts, serving businesses doing over $1 million per year in revenue, with the company now doing ~$75k MRR and having released over 500+ episodes for clients.

About
Jake started Content Allies about 5 years ago
Revenue
Jake grew the business to $75K/month
Costs
It cost Jake $3000 to start the business
Read by 7,819 founders

10. The Digital Vibe Podcast and Network ($240K/year)

Annette Thomas, the creator and founder of The Digital Vibe Podcast and Network, came up with the idea to start her business after feeling the need to challenge herself and express herself in a way that traditional avenues couldn't offer. Through self-education and using her voice to share her story, Annette has built a network that generates around $20,000 per month through various revenue streams including brand clothing, podcast sales, affiliate sales, and book reselling.

How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 3

article

On Starting A Blog And Podcast To Inspire Entrepreneurs

A founder shares how she built a podcast network with brand clothing, podcast sales, affiliate sales, and publishing book partnerships, generating around $20k per month, while staying true to her voice and values.

About
Annette started The Digital Vibe Podcast and Network almost 9 years ago
Revenue
Annette grew the business to $20K/month
Costs
It cost Annette $10000 to start the business
Read by 5,113 founders

11. Fame ($204K/year)

Tom Hunt, the founder of Fame, came up with the idea for his podcast growth service while working as the head of marketing at a B2B SaaS business. After experiencing success with their own podcast, Tom decided to launch Fame and offer the same growth process to other B2B brands. He validated the idea by converting his ex-employer into his first client and finding two more clients through a blog he had built on the side.

How much they make: $204K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 3

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How I Started A $17K/Month Podcast Growth Service

Fame's founder, Tom Hunt, shares how he started a $17k/month podcast growth service for B2B SaaS and service businesses, and provides insights on how he grew the business to $20k MRR and his plans to hit $50k MRR by the end of 2021 through prioritizing revenue and customer satisfaction.

About
Tom started Fame about 4 years ago
Revenue
Tom grew the business to $17K/month
Read by 6,545 founders

12. Counterweight Creative ($192K/year)

Jeremy Enns, the founder of Counterweight Creative, came up with the idea for his podcast production business after realizing his passion for podcasts and his background in audio engineering made him well-suited to help others produce high-quality shows. With just one client and making $15/hour at the start, Enns grew his business into a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week, with revenue exceeding $10,000 per month.

How much they make: $192K/year
Current team size: 0

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How I Started A Successful Podcast Production Company

A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.

About
Jeremy started Counterweight Creative almost 8 years ago
Revenue
Jeremy grew the business to $16K/month
Read by 17,163 founders

16. Podcast Answer Man ($4.6M/year)

Revenue
$383K / month

  • My name is Cliff Ravenscraft. In November 2014, I made a commitment to work out six days a week, every week, for the rest of my life.
  • Over the next decade, I built an online business where I became the world's leading authority on podcasting. I am personally responsible for training more than 40,000 people on the successful launch of their podcast.
  • I’m now experiencing greater fulfillment and profitability than I ever dreamed imaginably.
  • Professionally, I coach others where I have the incredible honor of going on a journey with my clients, as they CREATE the life of their dreams.

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Case Study

14. Awesome Pros ($120K/year)

How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 5

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Online Drop Servicing: Building a $10k/mo Niche Productized Service Agency

Awesome Pros founder built a specialized drop-servicing business generating $10k/month with strategies to expand clientele, determine niche, and pricing.

About
Brian started Awesome Pros almost 4 years ago
Revenue
Brian grew the business to $10K/month
Read by 727 founders

15. Cary Jack - The Happy Hustle ($300K/year)

Cary Jack, founder of The Happy Hustle, experienced burnout while working 100+ hour weeks for his tech startup. After rejecting a 7-figure funding deal and taking time off in Thailand, he developed a way to find happiness within the hustle and created The Happy Hustle™ to help entrepreneurs achieve work-life balance. Through various revenue streams, such as podcasting, books, and mastermind adventures, Cary has built a successful business that focuses on serving his tribe and creating positive impact.

How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size: 4

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How Experiencing Burnout Led Me To Start One Of The Most Popular Podcasts In The World

Cary Jack started The Happy Hustle to help fellow purpose-driven entrepreneurs avoid burnout and achieve blissful balance in their personal and professional life while putting the Happy in their everyday Hustle, offering multiple revenue streams including a mastermind, book, and course.

Revenue
Cary grew the business to $25K/month
Read by 1,857 founders

16. BrandonGaille.com ($300K/year)

How much they make: $300K/year
Current team size:

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6 Million Visits a Month! SEO and Blogging Tips To Make More Money

Learn how Brandon Gaille built a blogging empire from the 1990s, amassing enormous wealth and now getting a combined 6 million visits/month across three websites by utilizing AI-powered SEO tools and podcasting.

About
They started BrandonGaille.com about 11 years ago
Revenue
They grew the business to $25K/month
Read by 680 founders

17. JAR Audio ($1.44M/year)

How much they make: $1.44M/year
Current team size: 24

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The Power of Podcasting for Building Your Brand

JAR Audio: The podcast agency achieving listen-through rates of 95-100%.

About
Roger started JAR Audio about 5 years ago
Revenue
Roger grew the business to $120K/month
Read by 798 founders

18. Side Hustle Nation ($420K/year)

Nick, the founder of Side Hustle Nation, started the blog and podcast as a side project in 2013. With just 11 people on his email list, he interviewed other side hustlers and entrepreneurs about their ideas and strategies. Fast forward to today, the podcast has been downloaded over 23 million times and the website reaches millions of visitors each year, proving that there is a demand for realistic ways to make extra money.

How much they make: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
Current team size: 1

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How I Built A $420K/Year Content Business Helping People Make Extra Money

Millions of people have turned to Side Hustle Nation since 2013 for realistic ways to make extra cash, with the podcast reaching over 23 million downloads and the website welcoming millions of visitors yearly.

About
Nick started Side Hustle Nation over 10 years ago
Revenue
Nick grew the business to $35K/month
Costs
It cost Nick $250 to start the business
Read by 3,282 founders

19. Graham Cochrane ($1.92M/year)

How much they make: $1.92M/year
Current team size:

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‘I work just 5 hours a week’: This 39-year-old makes $160,000 a month in passive income—a look at his typical day

This case study showcases a young entrepreneur who went from losing his nine-to-five job to earning $120,000 per month in passive income in just six months by teaching people how to generate money from their hobbies through online courses and coaching programs.

About
Graham started Graham Cochrane about 6 years ago
Revenue
Graham grew the business to $160K/month
Read by 816 founders

20. Millennial Money Man ($1.8M/year)

After paying off his own debt and becoming passionate about personal finance, Bobby Hoyt started his blog, Millennial Money Man, to teach millennials how to make more money, save more money, and pay off debt. After realizing the success of his own Facebook ads for local businesses, Hoyt partnered with Mike Yanda to create the Facebook Side Hustle Course, which teaches others how to run ads for local businesses. The course had a six-figure launch, leading Hoyt and Yanda to start Laptop Empires, where they help people start and grow online businesses.

How much they make: $1.8M/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
Current team size: 3

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How I Started A $88K/Month Personal Financial Improvement Website

Millennial Money Man founder Bobby Hoyt and partner Mike Yanda created Laptop Empires, which boasts a seven-figure revenue through their flagship Facebook Side Hustle Course, helping retirees and millennials launch and grow their local Facebook ad agencies.

About
Bobby started Millennial Money Man almost 9 years ago
Revenue
Bobby grew the business to $150K/month
Costs
It cost Bobby $50 to start the business
Read by 9,305 founders

21. Get Out Alive Podcast ($4.8K/year)

Ashley Bray, host of the Get Out Alive Podcast, came up with the idea after working in wildlife biology and experiencing frustrations with not being able to be honest about wildlife conflicts. She and her high school friend, Nick, decided to create a podcast about animal attacks that provided honest advice on how to coexist peacefully with wild animals. They invested in equipment, reached out to other podcasters for guidance, and launched the podcast, attracting initial listeners through social media.

How much they make: $4.8K/year
Current team size: 0

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How We Started A Wildlife Podcast Without A Prior Experience In Content Creation

Get Out Alive LLC's success story of how they grew to making a nearly $400/month profit on Patreon in just over a year, without spending any money on ads, through producing an animal attack podcast and selling merchandise.

About
Ashley started Get Out Alive Podcast almost 3 years ago
Revenue
Ashley grew the business to $400/month
Read by 1,177 founders