Spotify has started rolling out paid podcast Memberships in 34 regions. Fans can now pay a show directly for perks such as bonus episodes, early access or fewer ads. There’s a catch for phone users, though. Spotify told TechCrunch that memberships are bought on the web, not through in-app purchases.
In practice, that keeps the purchase outside the Google Play and Apple App Store billing systems. On a phone, joining a show means extra steps in a browser instead of a tap inside the Spotify app.
What Spotify podcast Memberships include
Creators decide what to offer and what to charge. According to TechCrunch and The Verge, perks can include bonus audio or video, fewer ads, early access and exclusive content. Creators can also set up multiple tiers with different prices.
The Verge describes Memberships as a Patreon-style system. It’s separate from the podcast subscriptions Spotify launched in 2021. Spotify first previewed the feature at its Investor Day in May 2026, per TechCrunch.
Creators keep 90% of the membership revenue, both outlets report.
Which podcasts can offer a membership
To qualify, a show must be hosted on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone. It also needs at least 100 consumption hours, 100 listeners or viewers, and three published episodes.
TechCrunch lists these launch shows:
- The Adam Friedland Show
- Making Sense with Sam Harris
- Shawn Ryan Show
- The Sculpt Society
- Two Hot Takes
- YMH Studios, across 12 shows
Creator tools now and later
TechCrunch says creators can already use promotions, free trials and analytics. It adds that Spotify will soon let them offer membership badges and welcome clips. The Verge notes that creators who run paywalls elsewhere can bring that content into Spotify through its Open Access feature.
What listeners should know
Neither outlet gives price levels, and neither names the 34 regions. So it isn’t yet clear what fans will pay, or whether the feature has reached their country. For many listeners, this is another paid layer on top of Premium. A fewer-ads perk also means non-members keep hearing those ads.
It fits a wider pattern of Spotify reshaping what different users get. The company recently tested delaying new albums for free users, and it now wants Family plan members to scan a QR code in person.
Sources: TechCrunch, The Verge
