Some people create podcasts out of passion. Often, they do this as a labor of love and free of charge.

But did you know that you can actually earn an income from podcasting? Many people are earning well from this and you, too, can be successful if you follow some of these tips here.

Podcasters can work with a network that will do the job of getting sponsors or advertisers for the podcasts they produce. These networks normally sell advertising through a CPM (cost per thousand) or CPA (cost per action) method and they equally divide the revenue with the podcaster. Some of these networks you can check out are Mevio, Podtrac and Wizzard Media.

Another option is to get your own sponsors while at the same time working with a network. Wizzard Media, for example, inserts ads to podcasts for a flat fee but also allows producers to get their own sponsors. This is what is known as a hybrid solution.

One way of attracting more audience to a podcast and earning from it is by offering a freebie. A strategy that some veteran podcasters do is offer additional content or bonus including videos and ebooks when they subscribe to podcasts for the first few months. Many started out producing podcasts at no cost and then eventually shifted to paid ones after gaining some audience. Be aware, however, that Apple does not allow paid podcasts within iTunes.

The partial-free, full-paid model is also an effective strategy. What this means is the podcast is free of charge for say, the first 20 minutes but listeners have to pay for a subscription fee to listen to the entire podcast. This is regardless whether your podcast is pure audio or includes a video.

A great tip from the experts as well is about building your brand to sell your services. Some started out with free podcasts and eventually charged for fees while the others continue to offer free podcasts but they benefit from it by gaining more clients who are regular listeners or who may have listened to some of their episodes.

You, too, can use any of these methods and enjoy a steady stream of income moving forward.

Photo via life123.com

Originally posted on November 18, 2012 @ 7:30 pm