Joe Budden’s The Joe Budden Podcast is making over $1 million a month on Patreon.
Joe Budden Reveals Revenue Numbers
On Tuesday (July 22), The New York Times published an article where they explored the ex-rapper’s podcast empire. According to inside numbers shared by Joe with the newspaper, he is earning $1.04 million a month on the crowdfunding subscription service Patreon. He is expected to pull in over $12 million on Patreon this year alone, making him the top earner on the platform.
By the end of the year, the Joe Budden Network is on a pace to rake in over $20 million in 2025, including advertising revenue, according to JBN chief executive Ian Schwartzman.
How Joe Budden’s Podcast Makes Over $1 Million on Patreon
The Joe Budden Podcast has around 70,000 paying subscribers. Subscription tiers range from $5 to $50 per month. Subscribers get access to episodes early in addition to more episodes and spin-off shows.
Additional Income
In addition to Patreon, the Joe Budden Podcast makes millions of dollars in ad revenue. Budden’s company sells its own ads instead of dealing with larger networks and therefore eliminates a middleman. Merch and licensing revenue also contribute to the show’s bottom line.
How Did Joe Budden Become a Podcast Mogul?
Joe Budden has been in the hip-hop podcast game for over a decade. He began in 2015 with I’ll Name This Podcast Later before starting The Joe Budden Podcast in 2016. In 2018, he inked an exclusive deal with Spotify, which paid the show less than $2 million per year, according to Schwartzman.
After the deal ended in 2020, Joe launched the Joe Budden Network. In 2021, he partnered with Patreon, which included equity in the company and advisory roles for Budden and Schwartzman.
“Joe is in a league of his own,” said Jack Conte, chief executive of Patreon. “It is not common for people to make a million dollars a month on Patreon.”
Joe’s current cohosts include Queenzflip, Marc Lamont Hill, Melyssa Ford, Parks Vallely, Ish and Ice.