Spotify Memberships are officially here, giving podcast creators a new way to charge fans directly inside the app. The feature launches today in 34 markets, including the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
What We Know: Spotify first previewed Memberships at its Investor Day in May. Now, creators can offer exclusive audio or video, bonus episodes, fewer ads, early access, and archive access. They can also package those perks across multiple tiers and price points. Most importantly, creators keep 90% of the revenue they generate.
Fans on both Free and Premium plans can join from a show’s page and listen without leaving Spotify. Additionally, members display badges in episode comments, and creators can greet them with welcome clips. Creators also get targeted promotions, free trials, and analytics showing what drives sign-ups.
To qualify, shows need three episodes, 100 listeners or viewers, and 100 consumption hours over the past 30 days. Those shows must also use Spotify for Creators or Megaphone for hosting. Eligible creators can sign up today.
Launch partners include The Adam Friedland Show, Making Sense with Sam Harris, The Shawn Ryan Show, and Two Hot Takes. Meanwhile, YMH Studios is bringing Memberships to 12 shows across its network.
What They Said: “Memberships add another way for more creators to build their businesses on Spotify, in addition to advertising, sponsorships, and the Spotify Partner Program. Creators can build a recurring revenue stream directly from their fans while keeping 90% of the revenue they generate. They (creators) can also export member data, including contact information from fans who choose to share it.” – Spotify
What Remains Unclear: Spotify did not share suggested pricing or any minimum membership price. The company also didn’t say how many creators have signed up so far. Furthermore, there’s no timeline for expanding beyond the initial 34 markets. It’s also not clear how Memberships will work alongside existing Spotify Open Access paywalls.
What It Means: Memberships put Spotify in direct competition with Patreon, Supercast, and YouTube’s channel memberships. The 90% revenue share is aggressive, and it gives creators a reason to keep paying fans on Spotify. As a result, radio companies with podcast networks now have another direct revenue lever worth testing. That matters as programmatic ad dollars keep getting harder to count on.
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