Patreon can be a great way for artists, musicians, writers, and other creatives to make a living through subscriptions from fans or “patrons.” It was started by co-founders Jack Conte and Sam Yam in 2013 and after only a year of operations, the platform had already helped creators earn $1 million. More recently, according to a 2021 post on Patreon’s blog, there are more than 200,000 creators who earn a total value of more than $100 million per month from over seven million patrons/fans/subscribers across the world.
Some creators on Patreon have become quite successful. For example, DankPods is one of the top Patreon creators, with just over 34,000 patrons and earning over $35,000 per month as of March 2022. There’s also the popular YouTube musician, Peter Hollens, has over 4,000 patrons and earns over $25,000 per month. However, it is essential to keep in mind that most creators on Patreon are not earning these kinds of numbers. The average Patreon creator earns $258 per month, with only 2% of creators making over $1,000 per month.
Overall, Patreon can be a realistic way for creators to earn money by connecting directly with their fans. While some creators are earning significant amounts of money, most are earning modest amounts that help them maintain their creative endeavors.
Note: Most Patreon Creators Work Solo — Of the 13,000 creators who responded to the first Patreon Creator Census, four out of five indicated that they work alone. Those who produce podcasts are more likely to work in teams with about 39% of them indicating that they are part of a team.
“I first launched my Patreon page as a way to fund the content that we were putting out on a weekly basis. Now, we use Patreon as a membership program to not only fund content, but to hold local events and give supporters exclusive perks.”
Issa Rae
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