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Swell Launches Audio Subscriptions for Podcasters and Audio Creators

Swell Launches Audio Subscriptions for Podcasters and Audio Creators

The Swell Audio Creator Program creates Monetization Opportunities through Voice based Content and Engagement.

August 23, 2023

At the Podcast Movement 2023 conference in Denver, Swell, a user-generated audio content platform, today announces the opening of the Swell Audio Creator Programme.

The programme stands out because it focuses solely on paid subscriptions and makes it simple for influencers and creators of audio to monetize their voice and content.

With the rise of audio content in the form of podcasts and videos with predominantly audio content, there has been a corresponding growth in audio creators and has been adopted by professionals and hobbyist creators alike. Thought leaders, life coaches, spiritual gurus, scientists, experts, journalists, analysts, teachers and many other professionals have found audio to be a convenient format to share their knowledge, opinions and advice with the world.

However, monetization has been harder to achieve for audio, resulting in abandoned podcasts and demotivated creators. With the Swell Audio Creator Program, Swell is empowering audio creators to directly offer paid subscriptions to their listeners and fans. They can start their own Swellcast for free using the Swell mobile app and can apply to the Swell Audio Creator Program if they are interested in offering a paid audio subscription to their content.

s part of the program, creators will be able to select from one of three pricing tiers for their premium Swellcast, $0.99/month, $1.99/month or $4.99/month. For international Swellcasts there is corresponding pricing in a few other currencies. Swell retains 20% of the subscription revenue and the creators receive the remainder after taxes and transaction fees. In order to maximize the creator share Swell is using quarterly billing to reduce transaction fees.

Swell is also working with early members of the program to help with marketing and promotions to help them acquire new subscribers. Swell has helpful features such as social-media friendly video clip exports of the audio content, making it easier for creators to spread the word to their existing followers and fans on other social platforms.

"By choosing a direct subscription model rather than an ad-driven model, Swell is changing the game for audio creators," said Sudha Varadarajan, co-founder and CEO of Swell. “Many audio creators are producing outstanding but niche content, so it is hard for them to generate meaningful ad-based revenue. For example, it can take a million podcast episode downloads to generate $50,000 in annual revenue. Whereas, a $1.99/month subscription can achieve that with only around 3,000 subscribers.”

"Podcasters and audio creators have long looked for a simple way to monetize their expertise, talents and voice. With the Swell Audio Creator Program, it's finally here," said Nina Gregory, Journalist (formerly NPR and Clubhouse).

“As a coach, I am really excited about audio subscriptions. I already enjoy Swellcasting as a very convenient way to share advice and tips with my listeners. Now, with a premium Swellcast, I will be able to offer more value and provide differentiated content to my paying subscribers,” said Christine Grimm, Coach.

To learn more and download Swell, visit https://swell.life

About Swell

Based in San Francisco, Swell was founded in 2020 by co-founders Sudha KV and Arish Ali, an experienced Silicon Valley team that previously founded Skava, a mobile commerce platform which they led to profitable growth and exit.

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