How HubSpot Built a Podcast Network That Actually Drives Business Value with Carly Baker

What does it actually take to build a media network inside a company like HubSpot?

As Head of Media Partnerships at HubSpot Media Network, Carly Baker joined shortly after the acquisition of The Hustle and helped grow what started as a small collection of shows into a multi-platform media ecosystem spanning podcasts, YouTube, and newsletters.

In this episode of PodBiz, Carly breaks down how HubSpot approaches creator partnerships, what makes a show valuable today, and how podcasting fits into a broader media strategy.

At the center of that shift is a more expansive view of monetization.

“People are scrambling to try to figure out how to monetize directly through their audience… and to have more control sort of financially.”

That doesn’t replace advertising, but it does change how creators and networks think about building sustainable businesses.

It also changes how success is evaluated.

“Size does not matter… we have shows and newsletters and YouTube channels that we work with of all shapes and sizes.”

This conversation looks at how media companies are thinking about audience, distribution, and long-term value across platforms.

In this episode, we cover:

• How HubSpot built a podcast, YouTube, and newsletter network from one acquisition

• Why monetization is expanding beyond a single revenue stream

• Why downloads are becoming a misleading metric for audience value

• How HubSpot evaluates shows beyond audience size

• The difference between audio and video as separate products

• How YouTube search vs browse shapes growth strategy

• Why newsletters are becoming critical for audience ownership

• The role of trust, brand safety, and alignment in creator partnerships

About Carly Baker

Carly Baker is Head of Media Partnerships at HubSpot Media Network, where she leads partnership and growth strategy across podcasts, newsletters, and video. She has spent the past four years building sustainable audience growth for shows like My First Million and Goal Digger, with a focus on distribution-first strategy and long-term impact.

Connect with Carly Baker

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlycbaker/

Episode Chapters

(01:11) Introduction to Carly Baker and HubSpot Media Network

(01:53) Where the money is in podcasting today

(02:45) The shift toward direct audience monetization

(04:08) Why audience trust is the foundation of revenue

(05:37) The evolution of podcast advertising

(08:06) Building HubSpot’s media network after The Hustle acquisition

(12:16) What actually makes a podcast successful today

(14:23) The confusion around modern podcast metrics

(17:26) Why creator relationships drive long-term success

(21:51) Video strategy and YouTube growth

(23:55) Search vs browse content on YouTube

(28:42) Audio vs video as fundamentally different products

(31:57) Monetization differences across platforms

(36:09) Why relationships matter more than metrics

(39:49) The role of newsletters in owning your audience

(41:37) Substack, community, and direct audience connection

(46:48) Long-term strategy vs chasing trends

(47:59) What’s next: IRL events and private communities

Some Additional PodBiz Buzz

“Being able to give the audience a chance to directly support those creators that they love and trust is something that I think we’re seeing a lot more and will continue to see.”

“We’re not in the business of being transactional with creators… we really want to work one-on-one with the person to be able to provide them that individualized growth support.”

“If your audience is not on YouTube, that’s fine… you don’t have to be everywhere. You just need to double down where they are.”

PodBiz is the podcast about the business of podcasting. Hosted by industry veterans Norma Jean Belenky and John Kiernan, the show features conversations with creators, executives, and platform leaders to answer one question: Where’s the money in podcasting?

Each episode dives into monetization strategy, adtech, branded content, IP development, and audience growth. Guests include leaders from Acast, Captivate, Crooked Media, Buzzsprout, True Native Media, Podfest, and more.

Learn more: njbmedia.co | thepodhouseproductions.com

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