I did an analysis of the podcasts in my podcast app, Pocket Casts, and was not surprised at the results. There are 51 podcasts in my app, and 45 of them are produced by independents, small podcast networks, or non-profits. In fact, the only podcast I listen to that is included in the Podtrac ratings of the top ten shows is The Daily by The New York Times.
Podcasting was founded by independent entrepreneurs who find themselves being squeezed out of that industry by corporations that have plans to dominate the industry.
Ear Worthy
Why do I bring up my own listening habits? Because it’s important that I clearly explained the complexities of the David versus Goliath wars. Just so you’re aware, this war also includes indie musicians versus the big labels and streaming companies, self-published authors versus the publishing companies, and indie filmmakers versus the six major studios.
The podcasting wars are especially pernicious because the industry was essentially created by independent artists. For the first decade of podcasting, it was the small-fry, independent entrepreneurs that nurtured the industry, and laid the foundation for growth.
Unfortunately for these independents, large for-profit corporations swooped in just as podcasting was gaining a foothold.
Even since large podcast networks such as Spotify has prioritized celebrity interview podcasts, independent podcasters have found that monetization and survival are much more difficult than ever before.
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Even though celebrity podcasts aren’t a sure thing, podcast networks looking to minimize risk and maximize return on investment find them too tempting to pass up.
Rob Walch, Vice President of Podcast Relations at DAX US / Captivate discusses the risk/reward scenarios. “Just because a celebrity is launching a podcast, it does not mean it will be successful. There have been many celebrity podcasts launched that failed - Megan Markle’s podcasts both with Prince Harry and solo were flops. Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Alicia Silverstone and Nick Offerman all had podcasts that were considered flops. And there were many other A-list and b-list celebrities that launched podcasts that never picked up any audience. Celebrity status does not guarantee success. And being a sports star definitely does not guarantee success - unless, of course, you are dating Taylor Swift. But most sports star podcasts end up like those from Michael Porter Jr and Trae Young - with less than 200 reviews in Apple Podcasts and no real audience.”
Yet, the mainstream, non-podcasting media appears infatuated with celebrity podcasts and those shows produced by large corporations such as Amazon, iHeart, and Spotify.
According to Advertising Age, although celebrity podcasts make up less than one percent of podcasts, they have garnered 95 percent of all media impressions in the last 18 months.
Even when Independent podcasts capture a substantial audience, that achievement is overlooked in favor of a fixation on celebrity podcasts.
Verbal Diorama
An independent podcast about movies named Verbal Diorama by creator/host Em McGowan just topped five million downloads. What was the amount of attention for that achievement from the non-podcasting media? Goose egg. Unlike many indie podcast entrepreneurs, McGowan has refused to take this neglect without a fight.
McGowan and Emma Turner from whynow Media, launched The U.K.-based Independent Podcast Awards in 2023. When asked why they started these awards, McGowan and Turner responded, “to help uncover the talent that we have in the UK that doesn’t always get recognition it deserves.”
The third edition of the Independent Podcast Awards took place on Wednesday 15th October 2025 at Kings Place in Kings Cross London. Plsns are already underway for the 2026 ceremony.
These awards focus exclusively on independent podcasters, and the number of entries and growth of the annual event demonstrates a need to be more inclusive in podcasting.
British Independent Podcast Awards
Em McGowan adds: “These awards were launched for those podcasts that are truly free of corporate ties. We’re taking things back to those who create their content in their backrooms, in their spare time and without the pressures of upsetting their sponsors along the way.”
When asked in an interview: “Why are there separate awards for Indie Pods? Is it because they aren’t good enough to win other awards?” McGowan and Turner countered with, “We absolutely don’t think that they’re not good enough. It is recognizing the grassroots talent and bringing it up and getting it the recognition it deserves, which isn’t always easy up against people that have got years of media training and a big production team behind them, and all that kind of thing.”
For the most part, independent podcasts can’t compete and earn a full-time living, via running ads on their episodes. According to The Podcast Host, only the top five percent of all podcasts average 1,000 downloads an episode. Even at that download metric, an indie podcaster would average about $25 for a 30-second ad. That’s $50 for two ads in each episode. No indie podcaster can quit their day job for that meager return.
Gemma Smith is the host of the Tails & Tassels podcast, a burlesque performer, and works tirelessly for cat welfare.
Gemma Smith
Unlike network-supported podcasts, which focus primarily on the widest possible audience, hence the reason for so many celebrity podcasts, independent podcasts are predictably, or, more accurately, unpredictably, niche. For example, there’s a podcast that combines burlesque theater with a love of cats called Tails & Tassels. There’s an Australian podcast about death called Grave Matters. There’s a podcast about the working class the U.S. called Shifting Terrain. There’s a history podcast called Tracing The Path that studies connections in history. How did Crayola Crayons impact Grant Wood’s art masterpiece, American Gothic? How is the start of Halloween (1848, incidentally) and the Irish holiday Samhain connected? None of these niche shows with fervently loyal listeners can approach a celebrity podcast in capturing the same download/listen/view metrics. Yet, these indie shows serve a wide range of communities within society.
Perrysburg, Ohio is located near Toledo with a population of about 25,000. After listening to several episodes, it's inevitable that you'll want to move there!
Kim Newlove
Is Spotify ever going to develop, produce, and release a podcast like The Perrysburg Podcast? It’s a show by local pharmacist/entrepreneur/podcast consultant Kim Newlove where she affirms three simple goals for the show – provide information on Perrysburg, Ohio for current residents, offer helpful tips for new residents, and attract people thinking of moving to Perrysburg.
AI Writing & Communication Professional Stephanie Fuccio, who also consults with indie podcasters, says, “There are numerous superb podcasts developed by large podcast networks. Yet, what these shows lack is that passion and that innate sense of helping a specific local community that indie podcasters are built for.”
Kim Newlove with The Perrysburg Podcast is an example of giving back to her community. Others would like to make money and podcast full-time but are content to do what they love, even if the financial payoff never materializes. Still others like Angela Holowell from the Honey & Hustle podcast, which shares stories from North Carolina’s creators, entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders, and startups, are an enterprising entrepreneurs, with podcasting just one element of their growth strategy.
Other than ads, independent podcasters can monetize in a number of ways. First, you have a subscription plan, which brings in steady revenue. Of course, indie podcasters are competing with subscription plans from Spotify, SiriusXM, iHeart and others. In addition, indie podcasters must compete with subscription plans for streaming TV services. Household budgets can only stretch so far.
Second, donations from loyal listeners/ viewers, usually via Patreon. An extreme example of success here is podcaster Joe Budden, who, as of July 2025, was earning roughly $1.04 million a month on Patreon. That’s not the norm by any stretch of the imagination.
Another F*cking Horror Podcast combines true crime and paranormal stories with comedy to create a unique listening experience that has engendered a sizable, loyal, and growing audience.
Another F*cking Horror Podcast
Independent podcasts also host live shows, which accomplish two goals – bringing in revenue and expanding the audience. Another F*cking Horror Podcast with hosts Monique Sanchez and Amy Traydon held a Cute & Creepy Weekend from November 1 – 3, 2024 at Castle Hotel & Spa in Tarrytown, NY. Activities inlcuded A live séance held on the Day of The Dead by a psychic medium from New Orleans, and a private tour of the famed Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Last year, the hosts held another spooky weekend, this time in New Orleans. Both events made money and expanded their listener base.
The popularity of live shows is not relegated to the U.S. On October 12, 2025, the PastMaster podcast team took over The Bedford in Balham in U.K. in what gamemaster Claude called "the worst PastMaster on record." This show is at its best in front of an audience of superfans. From mugging off the Roman Emperor to kung-fu pole dancing in ancient Persia, the PastMaster community delivered for its fans.
Some independent shows are fortunate enough to have sponsors. For example, HVAC School -- For Techs, By Techs by Brian Orr has a slate of sponsors -- all in the HVAC industry, so there's a natural synergy there. Sponsors include Carrier (AC), Refrigeration Technologies, and ESCO Institute, which publishes training manuals, curriculum packages, assessment exams, specialty training packages and custom publishing solutions for the HVACR and building science fields.
In the book, Jenn Trepeck says: "You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You’re not broken. The truth? The wellness industry is off the rails(!), selling you noise, perfectionism, and shame disguised as health. Uncomplicating Wellness is your permission slip to ditch the dogma and finally trust your body again."
Salad With A Side Of Fries
Finally, there’s merchandising. While shirts, hoodies, mugs, and water bottles can make indie podcasters some money, there’s real money is writing and publishing a book. The Last Podcast On The Left successfully published their book of the same name was in 2020 and was equal parts haunting and hilarious in its deep-dive review of history’s most notorious and cold-blooded serial killers.
Hidden Brain podcast creator/host Shankar Vendantam published Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain in March 2021 to broad acclaim and brisk sales. Recently, Jenn Trepeck of the Salad With A Side Of Fries podcast published Uncomplicating Wellness, summarizing an expanding her canon from her award-winning health and wellness podcast. Sales have been steady.
There’s a natural, uneasy alliance between the large network shows and independent podcasters. Why? Because they need each other. Celebrity podcasts and the aggressive strategies of companies such as Amazon and Spotify endanger the indie shows. At the same time, those corporate efforts bring more attention to podcasting and subsequently to their “indie” shows as well.
Spotify and the other large networks need the indies because those thousands of indie podcasts generate about 90 percent of all downloads/listens in the industry. Could those self-absorbed celebrities survive in an industry that gradually shrinks because indies were failing?
Independent podcasts serve a vital communal good by creating information and entertainment for cultural niches that have historically been ignored by for-profit corporations, which focus on the broadest possible audience.
Ear Worthy
Here’s Rob Walch, VP Podcast Relations at DAX US / Captivate again on specific strategies for independent podcasts in the brutal competition for attention and then monetization. "I can tell you firsthand these indies are sounding better now, they’re looking better, and I find the content itself more compelling because they’re not trying to be everything to everyone – it’s niche."
Rob continues: "I see the evolution of podcasting will be in indie podcasting and will continue to get better and better. That will draw a higher percentage of listeners. Better content and fewer ads – yes please. The network podcasts will still have substantially higher budgets to promote and produce, but those budgets will be cut back as listenership slowly diversifies."
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