Spotify announced a new integration with Substack. Substack will now allow podcast creators on the platform to distribute both their free and gated content to Spotify listeners.
As of April 11, Substack joins other leading platforms and publishers like Patreon, Bankless, Dateline NBC, and the Economist in powering its podcasts through the Spotify Open Access API (an interface that allows the software to communicate with other external programs). This in turn allows these podcasts to reach Spotify’s 602 million monthly user base.
Can you put a Substack podcast on Spotify?
To unlock access, all a creator needs to do is enable distribution to Spotify from Substack. This will then allow listeners to either link their Spotify and Substack accounts, or become separate subscribers through Substack.
“Spotify Open Access enables creators to grow their businesses while maintaining full control of their subscriber relationships,” Stephanie Shaer, head of partner strategy and business development at Spotify, said in a statement.
“Our new integration with Substack empowers their creators to reach new and existing audiences where they listen most while giving Spotify listeners access to some of the world’s foremost content.”
Given that Substack is primarily known as a newsletter platform, it might surprise some that it even has the capacity for podcasts. But since April 2022, creators have been gravitating toward podcasts on Substack to diversify their income streams. And to stop relying so heavily on the advertising revenue model present on other platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
How much does Substack charge for podcasts? What about Spotify?
It’s worth noting that Substack takes a 10% cut (plus payment fees) of podcasters’ profit from subscriptions. That is almost double the 5.5% payment processing fees Spotify takes on paywalled content. Still, for some creators, Substack is appealing. It allows them to see subscribers’ email addresses and keep all their paid subscriptions in one place.
In the past, Substack creators have had to use convoluted RSS feeds to connect to listeners on external platforms. But now, thanks to this new integration, premium podcast episodes from leading Substack shows are now readily available on Spotify.
One such show is “Split Zone Duo,” which centers around college football. Alex Kirshner, co-host of the show, said in a statement, “We’re very excited to be able to reach people on a ubiquitous platform and provide an ideal experience for our most important customers: our subscribers.”
This move comes after a difficult year so far for creators on Substack. The platform amassed controversy for purportedly allowing Nazi newsletters to thrive with minimal pushback. Over 100 creators on the platform signed an open letter urging the company to take a stronger stance on the issue.
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