How to Turn Your Podcast Into Passive Income (With Tools I Actually Use)

Welcome to this episode of the School of Podcasting! I’m Dave Jackson, and today I’m pulling back the curtain on the precise tools and strategies I personally use for affiliate marketing on my podcast. Whether you’re brand new to monetizing, or just looking to add another income stream, you’ll find this episode packed with actionable advice and real-world numbers.

What I Cover in This Episode

• How affiliate marketing works and why you don’t need a massive audience to benefit
• Real comparisons between ad revenue and affiliate commissions—including how I made $51 per 1,000 downloads promoting Chronometer
• Why finding the right product for your specific audience trumps audience size every time
• How I save time, track, and update my affiliate links with tools like Switchy, Genius Link, and TextExpander
• The nightmare that is Amazon’s terms of service (and how to avoid getting banned)
• A quick walkthrough of getting approved for affiliate programs, even with a smaller show
• How to place and talk about affiliate links for maximum return

Tools, Companies & Resources I Mentioned

Here’s a list of all companies, tools, and platforms I talked about in this episode, along with URLs where applicable:

• School of Podcasting
• schoolofpodcasting.com
• Chronometer (the calorie tracking app)
• Switchy – My go-to for creating, tracking, and managing affiliate links (Available on AppSumo as one-time purchase)
• Genius Link – For multi-storefront affiliate management, especially for Amazon and international sales
• TextExpander – Saves time by expanding keystrokes into text and links
• 1Password – My recommended password management tool for affiliate accounts
• Amazon Associates – Amazon’s Affiliate Program
• Sweetwater – For gear links; includes an affiliate program
• Podpage – For website and link management (and affiliate program info), and where I work as Head of Podcasting
• Ask the Podcast Coach – My live Q&A show
• Captivate – Podcast hosting (with affiliate program)
• Blubrry – Podcast hosting (with affiliate program)
• Buzzsprout – Podcast hosting (with affiliate program)
• Transistor – Podcast hosting (with affiliate program)
• RSS.com – Podcast hosting (with affiliate program)

Affiliate Marketplaces I Use and Mentioned:

• Awin (formerly Shareasale): awin.com
• CJ (Commission Junction): cj.com
• Rakuten: rakuten.com
• Partnerstack: partnerstack.com

Other Resources

• Profit From Your Podcast Book – My book on podcast monetization (Amazon and audio options).
• School of Podcasting Free Resources – Where you can find my full list of affiliate links.
• Jesse Lakes on Profit From Your Podcast
• 9 Reasons Affiliates Get Banned from Amazon (How to Avoid)

Final Takeaways

• Affiliate marketing isn’t “get-rich-quick,” but it’s a valuable stream—even if it just covers your hosting bill and some extras!
• Use tools like Switchy or Genius Link to keep your links organized, tracked, and up-to-date.
• Always disclose your affiliate relationships up front, per FTC guidelines.
• If you mention a company on your podcast or in your show notes, tag them on social—sometimes they’ll amplify your reach!

If you’ve got an idea for an episode or want to leave feedback, head to schoolofpodcasting.com/voicemail.

Thanks for tuning in! If this helped you, please share the episode or link a friend to schoolofpodcasting.com/1031.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Question of the Month: The Smallest Amount of Downloads

We all want a bigger audience. We all put a lot of work into our shows. With this in mind, what is the smallest amount of downloads you would do the show for? If it drops below a number would you stop, or put effort into finding out why? Does the size of your audience matter? Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/question by August 28th (and don't forget to say a little bit about your show and your website address so I can link to it in the notes)

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Live Appearances

I love to meet people when I'm on the road. I'm going to be at Empowered Podcasting Conference in Charlotte NC Podcast Movement in NYC Podindy in Indianapolis In. For more information and links, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/where To have me speak at your event, reach out at schoolofpodcasting.com/contacnt

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