Podcasts have, in part, changed how you consume information.
For years, people relied on legacy media channels (Fox, CNN) to tell them what shape the world was in.
And then all of a sudden, a new breed of news commentator emerged – the podcaster.
People could now pick and choose who they listened to, getting a different take on the news via their favorite podcast.
As of right now, there are over 800,000 active podcasts – 192,000 of them going live in the last 12 months.
But running a podcast is time-intensive, and it also costs money.
So how do you go about mitigating those costs?
By monetizing your podcast with some of the affiliate programs we found for you.
Because when you monetize your online efforts properly you can start earning money like this:
The types of products or services you promote on your podcast can depend on your audience.
So it’s very difficult to come up with a never-ending list of programs that covers every niche.
Instead, we have a list of generic programs that should appeal to most podcast audiences.
Let’s get started.
Join our FREE Training and learn how to:
Find profitable, hidden niches
Steal your competitor’s best keywords
Get links without paying a dime
Build fast sites that rank quickly
Affiliate Programs for Podcasters
- Amazon Associates
- Fiverr
- Express VPN
- Redbubble
- Manscaped
- Skillshare
- BarkBox
- Nootropics Depot
- Legacy Food Storage
- Midroll
- Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting
Amazon Associates
Amazon doesn’t need any introduction.
Or they shouldn’t if you’ve ever bought anything online.
So, how does the Amazon Associates program work with podcasts?
Well, you can piggyback off the vast levels of trust consumers have in their website and brand.
That means no matter what the topic of your podcast is, you’ll find something on Amazon to match.
But you don’t even need to rely on physical products – there are other options.
Like giving their Audible program a mention on your podcast.
You’ll earn $5 for every single person who signs up for a free trial of Audible through your affiliate link.
The biggest problem with the Amazon affiliate program is they keep shifting the goal-posts in terms of commission rates.
That and their cookie life of 24 hours.
Which has made a lot of marketers question even using Amazon affiliate links.
But it’s still a great program to get started with.
URL: Amazon Associate’s program
Commission: Varies
Cookie duration: 24 hours
P.S. Check out our Amazon Affiliate Program Review.
Fiverr
It’s hard to imagine life without sites like Fiverr.
If you’re not familiar with what they do, Fiverr is a marketplace for creators of all types to sell their wares.
And they do this for as little as US$5 – hence the name.
Things there have changed a little recently, like even the most basic gigs costing around $10 each.
But, all that aside, this is still a good affiliate offer for you to promote on your podcast.
The main reason is that it’s so generic – people can find book editors, website designers, graphic artists, programmers, writers, voice artists, etc. on Fiverr.
Your listeners can even find private cooking and fitness lessons on their website.
So what’s it worth to you if you promote this program on your podcast or via your show notes?
Anywhere up to $150 per sale.
Although, you’ll more typically earn around $15 for every first-time buyer you send their way.
Plus it comes with the advantage of Commission Junction’s intuitive affiliate dashboard and 30-day cookie life.
Commission: Up to $150
Cookie duration: 30 days
Check our in-depth Fiverr affiliate program review.
Express VPN
We’ve, rather unfortunately, found ourselves living in a society where governments are working to remove our right to online privacy.
And then you have the ongoing bullshit with streaming media platforms geo-blocking content.
So, what I’m getting at here is that online privacy and anonymity is very topical right now.
And it will continue to be a contentious issue for your podcast listeners for the foreseeable future.
That’s why it makes sense to promote a product like Express VPN via an affiliate link.
But if you’re not a fan of this service, we’ve put together a list of other VPN affiliate programs for you.
The reason why we’re mentioning this program specifically is that they don’t just sell software-based VPNs – your podcast followers can even buy a VPN router from their website.
And it’s more than worth your while promoting them on your podcasts.
Because you can earn up to $36 for every sale made through your affiliate links.
Even the lowest possible payout is $13 per referral, which is still great money for a mention on a podcast.
URL: Express VPN affiliate program
Commission: Up to $36 per sale
Cookie duration: 90 days
Redbubble
Got a loyal podcast following?
In that case, creating your own range of merch is pretty much one of the smartest ways to monetize your show.
Actually, even if you’re only getting started you should consider selling merchandise.
And what better goodies to sell to your podcast audience than your own range of branded t-shirts?
Like those manufactured and shipped by RedBubble.
But you don’t have to just stick to t-shirts – RedBubble will splash your name all over everything from a shirt, to a phone case, mug, shower curtain, or a notepad.
Why choose this offer over other similar merch programs?
Because some of the biggest podcasts in the world use them.
And the reason for that is these guys convert 14% of their traffic into sales.
Which means their landing pages do a great job at creating cash from an affiliate link.
So even though your podcast mentions might not earn a whole lot per item, you’ll make up for it with a volume of sales.
URL: RedBubble affiliate program
Commission: 10%
EPC: $30.13
Cookie duration: 30 days
Manscaped
The Manscaped website sells a range of…male grooming products for your nether regions.
These take the form of different types of trimmers.
But they also sell nail trimming kits, cologne, boxers, t-shirts, etc.
Now, their gear obviously isn’t going to suit every podcast audience.
But it’s promoted quite heavily by a number of social media influencers, so they’re obviously making enough money to justify that shout-out.
These products will typically appeal to a predominantly male audience.
There is, however, a lot of potential for female-led podcasts to promote Manscaped as a gift/hint from female listeners to their male partners.
This is one of those affiliate programs where you have to be inside before you get to see how much they pay.
But based on some basic research, a single podcast “ad” to an audience of around 30,000 listeners should be worth at least several hundred dollars to you.
If not quite a bit more.
URL: Manscaped affiliate program
Commission: TBC
Cookie duration: TBC
Skillshare
The whole purpose of the Internet was to give people access to information they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Skillshare has taken that to the next level by organizing that information into a range of courses.
The majority of people love learning new things.
In the case of this program, your listeners can access up to 29,000 different classes across a wide range of topics.
These cover everything from creative writing to marketing and website development.
Skillshare also adds new classes to their roster almost every week, giving your listeners a reason to stay signed up with them.
Which is probably why so many podcasters and YouTubers promote this program.
You will get paid $7 for every new customer you send their way via your affiliate links.
Which alas is not a recurring affiliate commission.
But I’m pretty sure you can renegotiate that amount if you have a big enough podcast audience.
URL: Skillshare affiliate page
Commission: $7 per sale
Cookie duration: 30 days
BarkBox
The trick with finding affiliate programs to promote on your podcast (or website) is that they appeal to the broadest possible audience.
Like people who have four-legged friends.
That’s why something like Bark Box might not sound like an instant match for your podcast at first.
But think laterally here – there are almost 90 million pet dogs in the United States alone!
Well, their humans think they’re pets, but the dogs know who’s really running the show.
Basically, there’s a very good chance that many of your listeners have a companion animal.
And no, you don’t need to have a “pet” podcast to promote this program through your affiliate links.
Not a dog person?
No problem – you can sign up as a Meowbox affiliate instead.
Or maybe check out some of the other pet affiliate programs we’ve already researched for you.
So how much can you earn by featuring them on your podcast?
This program pays $18 per referral, which is very respectable when it comes to subscription boxes.
But the only way you can be certain is to try it out.
URL: BarkBox affiliate program
Commission: $18 per sale
Cookie duration: 7 days
Nootropics Depot
In a world where people appear to be getting dumber with each passing second, it’s a relief that at least some companies are encouraging cognitive development.
Or the ability to become smarter, think with more focus, and remain alert for longer.
Kind of like what happened in the movie “Limitless”…but without all the bleeding-through-the-nose death stuff.
Nootropics Depot sells a full range of nootropic products covering everything from helping you achieve your fitness goals to enjoying better sleep.
So again, there’s a broad enough range of products here to appeal to a lot of people.
From Crossfit fanatics to insomniacs.
The only real proviso here is that you should check that promoting these types of products doesn’t put you on the wrong side of any local or national laws.
With an average order value of $53.01, you can expect to earn around $4 per sale.
But conversion rates also matter, and this program stands at around 15% in that regard.
So you can send traffic to a Nootropics Depot landing page with confidence.
URL: Nootropics Depot affiliate program
Commission: 8%
EPC: $63.61
Cookie duration: 7 days
Legacy Food Storage
If the last few years of human history have taught us anything it’s that we should expect the unexpected.
Emergency food supplies would really only ever have appealed to a prepper-type audience before now.
But these days people see absolutely nothing wrong with having several months of freeze-dried food stored away.
And who can blame them?
There are lots of companies in this niche you could promote, but Legacy Food Storage is the only one we found with reliable sales metrics.
Which means we’re pretty sure you can make good money promoting their products on your podcast.
How much?
Well, when people decide to invest in this type of food they tend to buy several month’s worth in one go.
Which means an average order value of $600 and a commission payment of $45 for you – per transaction.
And yes, a number of podcasters already promote this company.
URL: Legacy Food Storage affiliate program
Commission: 10%
EPC: $54.67
Cookie duration: 30 days
Midroll
Now, this is a slightly different take on affiliate marketing programs for podcasts.
That’s because Midroll isn’t exactly an affiliate program – it’s also kind of an affiliate network.
What they do is match your podcast with companies that want to advertise on it.
That’s where the name comes from – a “mid-roll” is advertising slang for an ad that plays in the middle of content.
So instead of having to chase down, and negotiate with, potentially dozens of different brands, you can just let Midroll do all the hard work for you.
For a fee, of course.
But it does set you free to just focus on creating content, which is what your podcast is all about in the first place, right?
Is there any downside here?
Yeah, you need to be a player to get signed up with Midroll.
Basically, they’re only interested in talking to podcasters with a large and established audience.
That also means they only discuss rates with people they accept onto their network/program.
URL: Midroll sign-up
Commission: TBC
Cookie duration: TBC
Buzzsprout Podcast Hosting
Although we stayed away from podcast-specific gear for the rest of the programs in this roundup, we thought it might be useful to include at least one.
After all, your listeners will probably ask random questions like, “Who handles your podcast hosting for you?”
Buzzsprout is a popular choice, both for promoting and to actually use as a service.
In fact, if you’re a podcaster you might already use them for podcast hosting.
Either way, they’re a solid pitch to your audience.
Firstly because they pay a flat $25 per sale.
And secondly, because you can also choose a 20% recurring income option instead.
URL: Buzzsprout sign-up
Commission: $25 flat or 20% recurring.
Cookie duration: Never expires
Over to You
Is this a perfect roundup of the best affiliate programs for podcasters?
Probably not…despite my OCD tendencies.
But what it does give you is an idea of the different types of affiliate marketing programs you can promote via your podcast.
You don’t have to stay in your “lane” though when it comes to promoting products or services.
Instead, think about what your listeners might find useful in their day-to-day lives.
Solve a problem for them.
That’s the easiest way for you to monetize your audience without anyone feeling bad about it.
If you’re still new to the concept of making money online, why not sign up for our free training?
The information we share there is as relevant to podcasters as it is to anyone else interested in affiliate marketing.
And you don’t even need to buy anything.
Can’t say fairer than that, right?
All we need is the best email address to send your invite to.
Oh, and don’t forget to share this on social media if you enjoyed it.
