Patreon & Acast Partner for Exclusive Podcast Distribution

Patreon and Acast are collaborating to simplify the process for podcasters who want to offer exclusive episodes to their paying Patreon supporters.

Current podcast paywall options often prove cumbersome or restrictive. To address this, Acast introduced technology last year enabling publishers to distribute episodes accessible only to listeners through any podcast application.

Patreon currently provides functionality for creating a dedicated RSS feed for patrons, and Brian Keller, the company’s director of creator success, emphasized that “providing exclusive content represents the most significant and impactful benefit that [podcasters] can extend to their members.”

However, he explained that numerous podcasters utilizing Patreon have expressed a desire for a more streamlined solution, leading to this partnership with Acast.

This integration allows a podcaster to include a link to their Patreon account within their podcast’s public show notes. Individuals clicking the link who are not yet Patreon supporters can easily sign up. Existing patrons will have their membership verified and will then be directed to a listening experience where they can subscribe, through their preferred podcast app, to a feed containing both their exclusive patron content and the regularly published public episodes.

This setup ensures patrons only need to register once to access their premium content without any additional steps. Podcasters benefit from managing both their public and private feeds from a unified dashboard, alongside receiving comprehensive listener data from Acast.

Leandro Saucedo, Acast’s chief strategy and business officer, clarified that the companies are not requiring Patreon creators to adopt this new system. They can continue using their existing podcast distribution platforms and tools.

“With this partnership established, we anticipate widespread adoption, but we are not mandating its use,” Saucedo stated.

He also indicated that transitioning to Acast should be a smooth process for podcasters, without requiring listeners to resubscribe to a new feed.

Patreon and Acast have already been testing this integration in a beta phase with several podcasts, including Sleep With Me and 90 Day Gays.

“I am very pleased with the Acast integration!” commented Drew Ackerman of Sleep With Me. “The analytics provide confirmation that patrons are engaging with the content and offer valuable insights into their consumption habits. It’s a secure and straightforward process for patrons to get started, and the convenience of a single link for sharing content simplifies access for listeners and attracts new members to our community!”