Podcast hosting, analytics, and marketing platform Captivate has announced the launch of two new monetisation tools for podcasters to support subscription and tipping.
Captivate was acquired by media and entertainment group Global from co-founders Mark Asquith and Kieran McKeefery in 2021, and integrated into the company’s audio platform Global Player. With the acquisition, podcasters were also able to benefit from monetisation opportunities with Global’s digital audio advertising platform DAX.
The first new feature is a subscription-based model that allows podcast creators complete creative control to make bonus content exclusively available to members via a private RSS link and grant them early access to episodes, and gives creators the freedom to set the subscription slots available per membership tier. Membership features are integrated within the Captivate hosting platform and episodes can be made exclusive by going to advanced options and excluding the episodes from the regular feed.
Additionally, Captivate has also integrated a new tipping feature on its platform that gives fans the opportunity to support podcasters with one-time contributions. All transactions are secured through the global payment platform Stripe Marketplace which ensures that all financial information is protected.
Podcasters can also use the newly-added ‘wallet’ feature available on the Captivate revenue dashboard to make withdrawals, manage income, and track their earnings. The feature can also be integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Captivate has launched a new comprehensive branded toolkit in addition to the new revenue tools, named Captivate Creator Suite. The toolkit combines the platform’s existing features, including its Audio Mastering & Integration Engine (AMIE), dynamic show notes, guest booking and interview management tools, research and planning tools, and more to be added later.
“We’re thrilled to launch these new monetisation tools for our podcasting community,” said Captivate global managing director Mark Asquith. “The subscription and tipping features provide podcasters with the financial support they need to continue producing high-quality content. We’re committed to helping serious podcasters to grow their audience and revenue in diverse and meaningful ways, and these new features are a significant step towards achieving that goal.”
Captivate’s hosting plans are currently priced across three monthly subscription tiers, from personal at £17 to professional at £87. With the lowest pricing option, podcasters can have a download limit of 30,000, host unlimited podcasts and have unlimited storage, and access other features like distributing the podcast across all major platforms, access IAB-certified analytics, create a podcast network, and more.
In November 2022, the co-founders released an announcement saying that they were increasing the download limits for each tier - the lowest going from 12,000 to 30,000 - to continue helping creators grow their audience and podcast without worrying about reaching the download limit before making any money.
“These innovative, fully integrated features open up so many new opportunities for podcast creators - from audience growth and engagement, through to monetisation and revenue,” said Global Player managing director James Hickman. “They also provide listeners with a chance to interact with their favourite shows and hosts and show their appreciation for the content. We’ll of course continue to use Captivate’s market-leading product to continue to grow our own portfolio of hit podcasts too.”
