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: Join the Podcast Education Site - The School of Podcasting Adam Curry is the co-founder of Podcasting (and the co-host of the No Agenda Show). When asked about learning how to podcast Adam said, "The place to go with the guy who has taught more people how to podcast than anybody I know - Dave Jackson, School of Podcasting.com" School of Podcasting Question of the Month: Favorite Remote Recording Tool So many podcasters us tools to do remote recording (guests, etc). It seems like people often go through a few before finding one they like. What is your current remote recording tool, and what tools have you used in the past (and why did you leave)? Also be sure to tell us a little bit about your podcast, and your website address so we can link to it in the show notes. Question of the Month Give Your Podcast A Home When you look at our podcasting pieces, your media host is the engine. But your website is the home. It’s where your audience learns who you are, explores your episodes, and decides to

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How to Turn Your Podcast Into Passive Income (With Tools I Actually Use) is an episode from School of Podcasting - Learn to Plan, Start, and Grow Your Podcast by Dave Jackson.

This episode is 45:04 long.

This episode was published on Apr 13, 2026.

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