The Shift to Subscription Podcasting with Sam Sethi

How do you make money from podcasting when listeners are skipping ads?

Sam Sethi has spent his career at the intersection of tech and media, from Microsoft and Netscape to co-founding TechCrunch. Now, as CEO of True Fans and co-host of Podcast Weekly Review, he’s focused on one thing: building direct relationships between creators and audiences.

For Sam, the future of podcasting isn’t built on ads. It’s built on fans.

“The word of the year is parasocial… it’s a one way deep relationship that fans have with creators.”

In this episode, Sam breaks down why subscription models are gaining momentum, why downloads are no longer a reliable metric, and how podcasting is shifting toward direct monetization through community, access, and multi-platform experiences.

In this episode:

• Why subscription models are overtaking ad-based podcast revenue
• The “death of the download” and what should replace it
• How parasocial relationships translate into monetization
• Why listeners are actively avoiding ads
• The shift from platform dependency to creator-owned ecosystems
• How real-time consumption data changes measurement
• Why micropayments haven’t scaled yet but still matter
• The role of curiosity in building long-term success

Episode Moments:

(01:46) Where the money in podcasting is shifting

(03:17) Subscription vs advertising models

(06:13) Why listeners skip ads

(10:02) The role of trust in host-read ads

(17:20) From radio to podcast workflows

(19:27) How top shows identify high-performing clips

(24:37) The “death of the download”

(32:22) Building True Fans and creator ecosystems

(34:12) Real-time listening data explained

(43:39) Micropayments and creator monetization

(45:12) Curiosity as a competitive advantage

(59:29) What’s next for podcasting

About Sam Sethi

Sam Sethi is the CEO of True Fans, a platform focused on direct-to-fan podcast monetization and engagement. He is also co-host of Podcast Weekly Review alongside James Cridland. With a background spanning Microsoft, Netscape, and TechCrunch, Sam brings a product and infrastructure perspective to the future of podcasting, focused on subscriptions, data, and creator-led revenue models.

Find Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsethi

Some Additional PodBiz Buzz

“Complexity is fail. Simplicity is scale.”

“You just need a thousand true fans… and you have a business.”

“I think people have switched from wanting advertising driven podcasting… to accepting subscription paid, ad free platforms.” 

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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.