A new tide to lift all podcasts.
Contact for more info or interview: hi@lenny.fm, Instagram DM
Your favourite podcasts are reliable companions, even more so with Lenny.fm.
Your podcasts walk with you, talk with you, shown up for you in the podcast app — they do the show for you.
Lenny.fm is a new way to support the people you spend so much time with. And to help them spend more time with you.
It’s built for the podcast ecosystem, for podcast fans and podcast creators.
To Listeners: Support the great work of the podcasts you enjoy listening to. A little makes a lot of difference.
To Podcast Creators: If you want to monetize, Lenny.fm is one of many great options. Why not have more than one?
Courtney Carthy, part of the founding team, says the concept came from his experience running a podcast production company and working in the music industry.
“We want to get creators to get rewarded for their work by people who value it, and help drive an overall increase in listeners supporting podcast creators, no matter which platform they choose to use.
“Lenny.fm works for almost any podcast, and works best for podcasts that are ongoing that have a constant presence with their audience.”
“It’s incredibly meaningful as a creator when you find out someone has financially contributed to your work.
“Often monetizing original podcasts means a lot more work, creating more content in addition to the podcast episodes (which is what the audience appreciated in the first place).”
“Working in the music industry I saw artists immediately turn on revenue streams — merch, touring, sales, licensing — because it works. Many podcasts might have one revenue stream or live in hope that something will come along.
“Lenny.fm can be a rising tide that lifts all podcasts.”
How Lenny.fm works
- Listeners choose 4 or more podcasts to support in order of preference
- Listeners contribute US$4 a month, which is split between top 4 podcasts they chose.
- If a podcast in their top 4 doesn’t publish an episode that month, the preferences reorder to 4 that have.
- The podcast can choose how best to reward listeners supporting them via Lenny.fm, if they choose to.
Lenny.fm was created by an experienced podcast producer and senior software developers.
We’re at v1.0. We have many ideas for the future features.
We can talk about some of the technical specifications if you’re interested.
It’s simple on the surface with some purposeful, equitable and financially meaningful features underneath.
Features that make Lenny.fm unique
- Unique bundle with a limit of 4. This is so the money received by podcast creators from the audience is meaningful.
- Podcasts that have published and episode in the past month receive supporter funds. If a podcast in a supporter’s top 4 doesn’t publish then the preferences reorganize to those who have.
- The preferences are good for listeners (so they’re not paying for a podcast that is not publishing) and for podcast that publish in series. Their second season can rely on future revenue from listeners who chose to preference their show.
- Podcast Creators can turn it on just by saying, “support our podcast on Lenny.fm”
- It’s structured to grow. When a Podcast Creator gets a new supporter via Lenny.fm, three other podcasts are also getting support from that person.
Why go to the effort of making Lenny.fm?
- After years of trying to monetize podcasts we found a way that’s efficient and simple.
- Money is significant to everyone involved, even if the amount isn’t in the scheme of things. It can show decision, commitment and value beyond its amount. If more podcast creators have more money because they’ve been supported by their audience that’s great.
- Having to make more content outside the core/best content (the podcast that started it all) to get some money back is exhausting.
Links
- Lenny.fm is for listeners who want to contribute to the podcasts they appreciate.
- Creators.Lenny.fm is the portal for podcast creators to check their balance, share appreciation with supporters and make the most from Lenny.fm.
- FAQs—Listeners
- FAQs — Creators
- Introduction to Lenny.fm
Contact Courtney Carthy (+10GMT)
Happy to chat.
