Spotify's $100 million podcast payout: Who's benefiting?

Is Spotify’s big payout to podcasters reaching the voices that made podcasting what it is, or just the ones already on red carpets?

When Spotify announced it paid podcasters over $100 million in the first quarter of 2025, the headline came across like a victory parade. The company positioned the news as a win for creators everywhere and a milestone in its support for podcasting as a legitimate income stream.

After hosting Tech Talks Daily for over a decade and watching this space evolve from basement studios to boardroom deals, I couldn't help but feel the shine was hiding something more profound. This payout was not simply about helping creators. It marked a turning point, reflecting a growing split between how the podcasting economy is marketed and how it functions.

Behind the confetti of big figures and upward trends lies an uncomfortable truth. Many creators who built this medium from scratch could be left behind and replaced by yet another celebrity show.

Who can join Spotify's partner program?

To qualify for Spotify's partner program, creators must host their show on Spotify for Podcasters. They also need at least 12 episodes with 2,000 unique listeners and 10,000 hours of listening or viewing in the last 30 days. For creators without a marketing team, a budget, or a pre-built audience, that's not just challenging; it's almost impossible.

Those who qualify can earn a 50% share of advertising revenue and a portion of subscription money based on how Premium users consume their video content. Spotify presents this as a flexible, audience-driven model. But when only a narrow band of shows qualify, the flexibility doesn't mean much to the thousands of podcasters outside that threshold.

It looks like growth, but who's growing?

At a recent podcast event, an industry insider shared with me that many TV stars were struggling to turn their one million Instagram followers into listeners of their new podcast. But pushing video podcasts makes it easier to promote social posts and YouTube videos.

The problem is that listeners enjoy their podcasts during dead time while they are doing their housework, cutting the grass, cooking, commuting, and walking the dog.

Spotify has also been eager to highlight rising numbers in this push to a visual format. Since launching the partner program, the company says video podcasting has grown by 28%. Participating creators have reportedly seen earnings rise by over 20% month-on-month.

It certainly sounds like progress.

Look closer at who's benefiting. Spotify's press material featues shows like Your Mom's House with Christina P. and Tom Segura, Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast, and The Rest Is Politics: US. All of them are established names with built-in fan bases and commercial polish. Some are run by production companies or backed by traditional media companies.

There's no problem with successful shows continuing to grow. The issue is that many of these creators had a head start. They arrived with marketing muscle, public profiles, and teams handling the business side.

In contrast, the kind of creators who used to make podcasting exciting, like people building something from nothing or creating a platform for industry insiders to share their expertise, are finding it harder to compete.

What independent creators are saying

One of the most telling insights came from Amanda McLoughlin, co-founder of Multitude. After enrolling in one of her client's shows in Spotify's Partner Program, she publicly shared that they had lost money. Switching to Spotify's video format meant losing control over their RSS feed and giving up ad sales they previously managed independently. The new revenue from Spotify didn't fill the gap.

There is also a lack of transparency in the program. The exact formula Spotify uses to pay based on Premium engagement is not public. You might see consumption rise, but still have no idea why your revenue is down. This uncertainty makes planning nearly impossible, let alone building a sustainable income.

Backing Harry's point, here's how joining the Spotify Partner Program to post video costs podcasters money. pic.twitter.com/c5yrGtFPxD

undefined alban (@AlbanBrooke) March 25, 2025

It's not just about dollars and cents. It's about creative ownership. Once creators join the Partner Program, Spotify gains more control over how their content is distributed, monetized, and promoted. That power shift matters. It raises concerns about whether creators are invited into a partnership or folded into a system they can't influence.

From the garage to the green room

Podcasting once had an open-door quality. Anyone with a microphone and something to say could create, distribute, and connect with listeners worldwide. That energy built communities. It made space for unusual ideas, quiet voices, and subject-matter experts who might never have been offered a spot in traditional media.

Today, you can't scroll through podcast charts without seeing familiar faces. Movie stars. Athletes. People with Netflix deals. Some of them are producing good content. Alan Alda's Clear+Vivid is thoughtful and honest. Shannen Doherty's show about living with cancer was compelling. But others build less on storytelling and more on keeping a name in circulation.

This isn't bitterness about success. It's about balance. The more platforms push celebrity podcasts to the top, the fewer chances independent creators have to be discovered. And while fame might draw in first-time listeners, it's often the indie shows that keep people returning.

Discoverability is still broken

Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and every other major player share the struggle with one of podcasting's oldest and biggest problems of getting people to discover shows they haven't already heard of.

Algorithms tend to recommend what's already popular. Paid promotions go to the shows that can afford them. Curated sections rarely feature new voices unless there's a team lobbying on their behalf. That's not a creative ecosystem. That's a popularity contest run by proxy.

It's not that listeners aren't curious. The platforms aren't making it easy for them to find what's out there. Where do you fit in if you're a teacher with a passion project, a data scientist exploring overlooked tech stories, or a first-time podcaster covering hyper-local issues? Without better discovery tools, the odds are stacked against creators with smaller but no less valuable audiences.

So what needs to change?

If Spotify wants to prove it supports creators at every level, it should open up its reporting. Tell us how many podcasters earned over $10,000 last quarter. How many earned under $100? Make the payout formulas public. Show what percentage of the $100 million went to shows hosted independently versus those with exclusive deals.

The early days of podcasting were built on highlighting unknown voices. The platform could bring this back by featuring a different indie show each week. Use those algorithms to surface something that doesn't already have a billboard in Times Square.

None of this has to come at the expense of popular creators. It just means sharing the spotlight. If big names can dominate the charts, they can also help lift others by featuring them as guests or shouting them out.

Can we stop with al the “new” celebrity podcasts? They talk about the same shit, interview the same people and they’re boring AF. Can we please make popular podcasts by normal people who actually have interesting things to say?

undefined brit🌻 (@britwrites_) March 13, 2025

Why this still matters

Podcasting is still one of the most accessible forms of media. You don't need a license, a broadcast tower, or a giant budget. You need an idea, a microphone, and time. But accessibility only matters if it comes with opportunity. The space thrives if creators can build an audience, earn enough to keep going, and be discovered without needing a celebrity introduction.

I started my show as a passion project that gave experts a platform. For people who are building tech companies. For engineers with something to teach. For entrepreneurs with lessons to share. That mission hasn't changed. But the medium around it is being reshaped to favor the loudest, not the most insightful.

Spotify's $100 million payout tells us that podcasting is no longer a side project. It's big business. But if that money mostly flows to the already-famous, it leaves behind the creators who gave podcasting its identity in the first place.

If you care about this medium, support the shows that challenge, surprise, or teach you something new. Find the creators who don't have a network behind them. Share their episodes. Leave reviews. Tell your friends.

The next podcast that changes how we think won't come from a celebrity. It will come from someone you haven't heard of yet, and they deserve a place in your podcast feed, too.