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Spotify is expanding its Partner Program for podcasts to a total of 35 regions this fall. The additions include Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Poland, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. The program lets podcasters earn money through ad and Premium revenue sharing, and this is the largest geographical expansion the streaming service has undertaken for it.
Until now, the program has run only in the United States, Europe, and Australia. That footprint just widened considerably. Eligible podcasters will be able to earn revenue from both video and audio podcasts. Video impressions from Premium users count toward earnings, as does the ad revenue share generated by free users listening to a show. Spotify said podcasters retain the ability to distribute their shows on other platforms and keep all the revenue they earn from sponsorships.
The expansion follows a period of rapid growth in video podcasting on the platform. The numbers back it up. Spotify said video podcast consumption has increased 140% since the feature launched in 2022, and its total monthly payouts to shows have risen by a third since January. That payout increase coincides with a change to the terms governing video podcast monetization that the company introduced earlier in the year.
Under the revised eligibility criteria, creators can apply to earn revenue from video podcasts if they have a minimum of three episodes online, 2,000 consumption hours, and 1,000 engaged audience members over the previous 30 days. The bar is measurable. Spotify said the change has lifted consumption in participating shows by an average of 45%.
The move positions Spotify to capture podcast advertising and subscription revenue across a broader set of Latin American and European markets, where the program had not previously operated. By counting Premium video impressions toward payouts alongside ad revenue from free listeners, the company is tying creator earnings to both sides of its user base. For podcasters weighing where to publish, the calculus shifts. Retained sponsorship revenue and permission to distribute elsewhere reduce the cost of participating. We are keeping an eye out for further detail on rollout timing in the newly added regions.