Beehiiv moves into podcasting to compete with Patreon

Newsletter platform Beehiiv is entering the podcasting space by introducing native podcast hosting, allowing creators to manage, distribute, and monetise their podcasts directly on the platform.

With this new capability, creators can publish podcast episodes, deliver them to subscribers, and access performance analytics without needing external tools. The move reflects Beehiiv’s broader strategy of becoming an all-in-one solution for content creators.

“Podcasting was an obvious move,” said co-founder and CEO Tyler Denk. “Newsletters and podcasts share a lot in common. Both are long-form, episodic content formats distributed to owned audiences and monetised through sponsorships. Our roadmap is shaped heavily by customer demand, and podcasting has been one of the most consistently requested features.”

Denk noted that thousands of Beehiiv users already host podcasts on other platforms, which made it a natural step to bring podcasting capabilities in-house. The addition signals the company’s continued push to evolve into a comprehensive creator platform, competing more directly with services like Patreon and Substack, both of which have long supported podcast content.

This expansion builds on Beehiiv’s recent rollout of tools designed for creators, including website-building features, advanced analytics, and monetisation options. At the same time, competing platforms are also broadening their offerings. Substack has been actively targeting video and podcast creators, while Patreon has introduced new features aimed at newsletter publishers.

One of Beehiiv’s key differentiators is its revenue model. The company does not take a percentage of creators’ earnings, allowing users to retain 100% of their revenue. In contrast, Substack takes a 10% cut from paid podcast subscriptions, while Patreon takes around 8%.

Creators using Beehiiv can bundle podcast content with existing newsletter subscriptions, offering private feeds to paying subscribers. They can also provide premium features such as exclusive episodes, early access, or additional perks. Alternatively, creators can choose to make their podcasts freely available.

Beehiiv is also planning to expand its advertising network beyond newsletters by enabling dynamic ad placement within podcasts. As part of this effort, the company is hiring a dedicated head of podcasts to lead development and growth in this area.

At launch, several podcasts have already joined the platform, including Genshe with Avni Barman, 505 podcast with Brayden Figueroa and Kostas Garcia, The Rebooting Show with Brian Morrissey, Sweat Equity by Alex Garcia and Brian Blum, The Most Important Question from Quinn Emmett, and Lunch with Jamie by Jamie Patricof. The company expects additional well-known podcasts to launch on Beehiiv in the coming weeks.

Denk emphasised that integrating newsletters and podcasts can provide mutual growth benefits for creators. He explained that newsletters help drive podcast downloads, while podcasts encourage newsletter subscriptions, creating a reinforcing cycle that strengthens audience engagement.

“We believe a newsletter should be a core piece of infrastructure for any podcast,” Denk said. “It allows creators to own their audience, expand distribution, and create more opportunities for advertisers. Right now, creators manage these functions across multiple tools. We’re bringing everything into one place.”

The platform enables creators to upload podcast files directly, which are then distributed to major podcast directories such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and Castro. Beehiiv supports formats including MP3, M4A, and WAV, and includes automatic audio normalisation to maintain consistent sound quality. A full transcript also accompanies each episode to improve discoverability across search engines and AI-driven systems.

Each podcast episode has its own SEO-optimised web page in Beehiiv. This approach allows the platform to retain listeners on its own site rather than directing them to external platforms, while still offering users the option to choose their preferred listening app.

Beehiiv’s analytics tools adhere to IAB standards and provide detailed insights into listener behaviour, including breakdowns by country, device, operating system, and listening platform. Creators also gain access to real-time performance data and episode-level download metrics.

Founded in 2021, Beehiiv raised $33 million in a Series B funding round in April 2024, backed by investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and NEA. According to Denk, the company recorded its strongest quarter in Q1 2026, adding $4.5 million in annual recurring revenue, sending over 10 billion emails, and surpassing 50,000 active users on the platform.