For rapper turned podcaster Joe Budden, podcasting is a lucrative business!
Budden, who runs the Joe Budden Network, which includes his own eponymous music podcast, opened up about his company’s finances in an article published by The New York Times on Tuesday, July 22.
According to the Joe Budden Network’s chief executive, Ian Schwartzman, Budden’s podcasting empire is forecast to make more than $20 million in 2025.
According to the New York Times report, the Joe Budden Network, an independent company not affiliated with major podcasting production or distribution companies, earns around $1.04 million from Patreon, where it releases content directly to fans. The company reportedly has around 70,000 paid subscribers, with subscriptions ranging from $5 to $50 a month. Rounded up, Budden’s Patreon revenue should exceed $12 million for 2025.
Schwartzman said that the company also makes several millions of dollars from selling its own ads on its podcasts, rather than working with larger distributors, merchandise and content licensing.
Budden, 44, first made waves with his hit 2003 song “Pump It Up,” but by 2015, he transitioned from rapping to podcasting, launching “The Joe Budden Podcast.” The show’s success led to the New York Times labeling him the “Howard Stern of hip-hop” in 2018.
Budden joins the celebrities including Jason and Travis Kelce and “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper as some of the biggest earners in podcasting.
In August 2024, Cooper, 30, signed with SiriusXM for distribution and advertising rights to her podcast in a deal worth a reported $125 million over three years.
The same month, the Kelce brothers signed a reported nine-figure deal with podcast studio Wondery for the rights to their “New Heights” podcast. The deal includes distribution and ad sales, as well as past episodes and the right to launch international versions of the show.
“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” Travis, 35, and Jason Kelce, 37, said in a statement at the time. “We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights!’ We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership. We are thrilled to start Season 3 – see you soon, 92%ers!”
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