Newsletter platform beehiiv has introduced native podcast hosting, allowing creators to host, distribute, and monetize podcasts directly on the platform with zero fees. 

According to the announcement, creators can upload episodes directly to beehiiv, which then distributes them to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Castro, and other major platforms. The platform supports MP3, M4A, and WAV files and automatically normalizes audio. Each episode includes a full transcript and receives its own SEO-optimized webpage. Podcast analytics meet IAB standards, providing breakdowns by country, listening app, device, and operating system, along with episode-level downloads and real-time data.

Creators can bundle a podcast with an existing subscription to offer paying subscribers a private feed, including exclusive episodes and early access.

Podcast hosting is included on every beehiiv plan, with no download-based pricing, per-episode fees, or storage caps. Plan tiers range from a free Launch plan, which allows one episode per month and one show, to Enterprise, which offers unlimited episodes and shows.

“Fundamentally, newsletters and podcasts have massive overlap,” beehiiv co-founder and CEO Tyler Denk told TechCrunch. “Both are typically episodic, long-form content, distributed to an owned audience, monetized via sponsorship.” He added that the company also plans to expand its advertising network to dynamically serve ads in podcasts and is hiring a head of Podcasts. 

The launch positions beehiiv against Patreon and Substack, both of which support podcasts and take a percentage of creators’ revenue. 

Denk reported that Q1 2026 was the company’s best quarter, adding $4.5 million in ARR, sending more than 10 billion emails, and surpassing 50,000 active users.