The best podcast membership platform depends on two questions: how big the paid audience will get, and where members should listen. Percentage fees may seem negligible at 50 members but can easily become your biggest expense 500, 1,000 members or above.
Here’s a quick TLDR:
- Apple Podcasts Subscriptions suits a show whose listeners are almost all on Apple and who will pay inside the app. It is also the most expensive option in this comparison.
- Spotify Memberships suits eligible shows already hosted on Spotify for Creators. It is the cheapest option below roughly 140 members and gets more expensive from there.
- Patreon suits creators who want a familiar fan marketplace and community tools, and accept a 10%+ platform fee.
- Buy Me a Coffee is a low-commitment way to test whether listeners will pay at all.
- Supercast, Supporting Cast and Memberful are dedicated membership tools that work alongside your existing podcast host.
- Beamly suits podcasters who want the public show, the website, paid memberships and unique private feeds in one place, with a flat plan and 0% platform fees.
What podcast membership platforms cost as you grow
Entry prices hide how each fee model scales. The table below applies each platform’s published fees to a membership priced at $8 a month.
| Platform | Fee model | 100 members ($800/mo) | 500 members ($4,000/mo) | 1,000 members ($8,000/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beamly | $30/mo billed annually, 0% platform fees | $30 | $30 | $30 |
| Buy Me a Coffee | 5% platform fee | $40 | $200 | $400 |
| Supercast | $0.59 per subscriber per month | $59 | $295 | $590 |
| Memberful | $49/mo plus 4.9% per charge | $88 | $245 | $441 |
| Spotify Memberships | 10%, processing included | $80 | $400 | $800 |
| Patreon | 10% on pages published after August 4, 2025 | $80 | $400 | $800 |
| Supporting Cast | Quote-based, reported at around 10% | about $80 | about $400 | about $800 |
| Apple Podcasts Subscriptions | 30% in each subscriber’s first year, 15% after | $240 | $1,200 | $2,400 |
(Note – Apple’s row uses the first-year rate. Once a subscriber stays past twelve months, Apple’s cut drops to 15%, or $120, $600 and $1,200 in the three columns.)
Spotify Subscriptions becomes Spotify Memberships on October 20, 2026, and the fee moves from 5.5% to a 10% platform fee that already covers payment processing, foreign exchange and payouts. Subscribers who joined under the old program keep the 5.5% rate until they cancel.
Supporting Cast does not publish pricing and only quotes a fee after a demo. Third-party reviews put it at around 10% of revenue plus processing, so treat that row as an estimate and ask for a written quote before comparing.
Keep in mind that payment processing fees still apply on most platforms, so the actual take-home figure might differ a bit further.
How these numbers were calculated
Platform fees come from the official pricing and help pages for Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, Spotify, Patreon, Buy Me a Coffee, Supercast, Memberful and Beamly. The example assumes one $8 monthly charge per member paid with a US card.
Beamly includes up to 1,000 members, and larger member tiers cost more. Fees and eligibility rules change, so check the current terms before setting prices. To model a different price point, use the Patreon fees calculator or the creator revenue calculator.
How can members actually listen to private podcasts
Delivery of your private podcasts can help reduce member churn and ensure members keep getting value out of the subscription. A smooth and delightful listening experience is key, but you should also keep in mind that your audience is broad and each person may have their own preferences, favorite apps and habits for listening to podcasts.
| Platform | Where members listen | Who owns the customer relationship |
|---|---|---|
| Beamly | Unique private RSS feed in compatible podcast apps, or on your website (with your domain) after login | You, through your own Stripe account |
| Patreon | Patreon app, a private RSS feed for supported podcast apps and Spotify | Shared, with billing and the member page inside Patreon |
| Supercast | Unique private RSS feed in compatible podcast apps | You, with billing through your Stripe account |
| Supporting Cast | Private feeds in the member’s podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify | You, with billing through your Stripe account |
| Memberful | Private feeds in podcast apps and Spotify, plus gated content on your website (needs to be integrated) | You, with billing through your Stripe account |
| Apple Podcasts Subscriptions | Apple Podcasts only | Apple |
| Spotify Memberships | Spotify, plus private RSS in a few supported apps | Spotify |
| Buy Me a Coffee | Audio posts on the creator page | Shared, inside Buy Me a Coffee |
A unique feed per member is the detail to look for. If one member shares a link, only that feed is revoked, and everyone else keeps listening without interruption. Same goes for the media files – you don’t want to allow anyone with the link to access those forever.
App-based programs are the opposite trade-off. Apple and Spotify make buying easy for people already in the app, but that makes it hard to move or enable access on other platforms.
Hello Audio and similar private audio services sit between these models. They focus on private feed delivery with plan-based pricing, and some plans add a percentage of revenue on top. They work well for course creators and coaches who already have a separate website and checkout.
What we see on Beamly membership sites
We’ve made a quick research with around 80 shows that offer paid memberships and are running on Beamly. The average plan is priced at $12 a month and 2%-5% of the audience upgrades to a paid plan. About half (47%) of the members choose a yearly plan (which is often discounted).
About 38% of the listeners regularly use the website to listen to new episodes, while the rest use a dedicated podcast app. Bonus episodes, attached files, ad-free feeds and early access are the most common perks, with at least one of the above offered by all podcasts we’ve tested.
This is by no means an industry-wide research, but can give pretty good insights for tendencies around private podcasts.
When a podcast membership makes sense
A paid membership works best when a show already has listeners who come back every week. If free episodes get little engagement, more audience growth will pay off faster than a paid tier.
The shows that convert well usually have a core audience that already replies to emails, leaves reviews or turns up for live episodes. A narrow niche helps too, because listeners pay for expertise or access to guests they cannot find in another feed. The last piece is a premium format you can repeat without burning out, such as one bonus episode a week or an ad-free version of the main show.
Memberships don’t always have to be paid initially – A free tier that only requires an email address builds a direct list of listeners, shows how many people care enough to sign up and gives a warm audience for a paid launch later. The same setup works for a fully private podcast for students, clients or employees.
The perks that sell most reliably are concrete and recurring: bonus episodes, ad-free listening, downloadables, early releases, a complete archive, live Q&A sessions, community access and discounts on merchandise. For ideas on structuring tiers and setting a price, see the guide on how to price a premium podcast subscription and the list of podcast membership perks.
A membership also rarely has to be the only revenue stream. Sponsorships, donations, merchandise and affiliate links can run on the same site, and the podcast monetization guide covers how they fit together. Once the plans are live, the guides on getting paying members and promoting a premium podcast cover the launch itself.
How to launch a podcast membership on Beamly
Beamly runs the public show, the website and the membership in one dashboard. The setup takes three steps.
1. Connect or host your podcast on Beamly
Sync your show from any host through its RSS feed, or host it directly on Beamly. Beamly creates a page for every episode automatically, and a podcast website template gives the site a starting design that can be customized later.
2. Connect Stripe and add your membership plans
Open Memberships in the dashboard.
A free plan is already there, and paid plans can be created there after you connect with Stripe. Give each plan a name, a description and its list of benefits. Once Stripe is connected, add a monthly or yearly price and save.
Visitors then see all plans side by side on the membership page:
3. Choose what members get
Each plan has a restriction section at the bottom of the editor. Select which podcasts, posts, pages, videos, courses and downloads the plan unlocks.
(Individual items can be restricted too. Open any episode or post, find Restrict Access and choose the plans that can access it. This is how a public show adds a few bonus episodes without creating a second podcast)
Visitors who open protected content see a notice inviting them to sign up or upgrade. Paying members get a unique private podcast feed for their app of choice, plus access on the website.
Podcast membership platform FAQ
What is the best platform for exclusive podcast content?
For a growing paid audience that should listen in any app, choose a platform with unique private RSS feeds and flat pricing, such as Beamly. For a small test, Buy Me a Coffee or a free member tier is enough. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions (or Spotify) can only makes sense when all your listeners already use either Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Can I keep my public podcast free and only charge for bonus content?
Yes, and for most shows that’s the better setup. A public main show keeps bringing in new listeners, and some of them become members later. On Beamly, individual episodes can be restricted, so bonus episodes live in the same show while members get them in their private feed.
Can I move members from Patreon or Supercast?
Sure. Beamly offers free migrations so feel free to reach out and let us know what you’re after.
Choosing the right membership platform
Start with how many members the show could realistically reach in a year, then compare the all-in cost at that size. Check where members will listen and who owns the customer list if you ever switch. For memberships built around newsletters, communities or courses rather than a podcast, the guide to subscription platforms for creators compares Substack, Ghost, Circle and Mighty Networks, and best podcast monetization platforms covers ads and sponsorships.
For podcasters who want the public show, a branded website and paid members in one place, Beamly charges a flat plan with 0% platform fees. Standard Stripe processing fees still apply. Explore Beamly’s podcast membership platform or start a free trial.
