Guide for podcasters · 6 min read
40 bonus episode ideas for your podcast members
Not sure what to give the listeners who support you? Here are 40 ideas, sorted by how much work they take, plus ideas for your kind of show.
The short version
- Start with something you can keep up on a busy week, not your best week.
- Several of the best perks need no extra recording at all.
- One reliable bonus a month beats four that fizzle out.
- Let members vote on what comes next. It gives them a reason to stay.
No extra recording
Work you already do, made special for members.
- No extra recording
Early access
Members hear each episode a few days before everyone else. Same episode, no extra work.
- No extra recording
Ad-free versions
Export a second copy without the ad reads. Listeners who skip ads anyway will happily pay to never hear them.
- No extra recording
The uncut episode
Post the full recording before the edit: the tangents, the long stories, the bits you trimmed for time.
- No extra recording
Bloopers and outtakes
Save the laughs, the mic drops and the false starts as you edit. A few minutes a month adds up.
- No extra recording
The pre-show chat
Most hosts talk for a few minutes before they hit record. Hit record earlier and keep it for members.
- No extra recording
The vault
Retired series, old seasons or episodes you took down, gathered in one place for members.
- No extra recording
Raw guest interviews
The full conversation with a guest, before you cut it down to fit the episode.
- No extra recording
Show notes and links
A members-only page with everything mentioned in the episode: gear, books, recipes, maps.
- No extra recording
Their name in the credits
A thank-you on air or in the show notes. It costs nothing and members love hearing it.
- No extra recording
Episode transcripts
A downloadable transcript of each episode, handy for fans who like to read along or look things up.
Quick add-ons
About 30 minutes or less, on top of a normal episode.
- Quick add-ons
The after-show
Keep recording for ten more minutes after the episode ends. Loose, funny, and easy.
- Quick add-ons
Members mailbag
Answer members’ questions by name. It rewards them for joining and gives you topics for free.
- Quick add-ons
Hot takes between episodes
When news breaks in your world, record a short reaction the same day for members.
- Quick add-ons
What we’re into
A short monthly roundup of what the hosts are reading, watching, using or loving.
- Quick add-ons
The monthly update
Plans for the show, what’s coming, what you’re working on. Members like being in the loop.
- Quick add-ons
Voice memo diaries
Quick recordings from the road, the trip, the workshop or the training run, as they happen.
- Quick add-ons
Rank it
Rank your own episodes, guests, or the topic of the week. Easy to record and easy to argue about.
- Quick add-ons
Spoiler episodes
For shows that cover books, TV or games: a no-holds-barred spoiler talk, members only.
- Quick add-ons
Listener stories
Read and react to stories members send in about the show’s topic.
- Quick add-ons
Ask a guest one more thing
Save one extra question for after the interview and release the answer to members.
Bigger projects
Once a month or once a season, for your biggest fans.
- Bigger projects
A members-only mini-series
Three to five episodes on one topic you’ve always wanted to go deep on.
- Bigger projects
Director’s commentary
Re-listen to an old episode together and talk over it: what you’d change, what you got right.
- Bigger projects
Deep-dive research episodes
The rabbit hole that’s too long or too niche for the main feed.
- Bigger projects
How we make the show
Your gear, your editing, booking guests, what you’ve learned. Great for listeners who podcast too.
- Bigger projects
A season recap
Your favorite moments, the episodes members loved most, and what’s next.
- Bigger projects
A live recording
Record an episode live with members watching and chatting, then post the recording.
- Bigger projects
A members-only guest
Book one guest a season just for members.
- Bigger projects
A printable extra
A checklist, a map, a recipe card, a training plan or a reading list that goes with the show.
- Bigger projects
The year-end special
A longer holiday or anniversary episode to thank members for the year.
- Bigger projects
Answer the big questions
Collect members’ toughest or most-asked questions and answer them all in one long episode.
Bring members closer
Make members feel like part of the show.
- Bring members closer
Members pick the topic
Run a poll and let members choose the next bonus episode, guest or deep dive.
- Bring members closer
Live Q&A
Go live once a month and answer questions in real time.
- Bring members closer
One-on-one calls
Offer a short video call to your biggest supporters. It’s personal and it fills up fast.
- Bring members closer
A members chat
A private Discord or Telegram group where members talk with you and each other between episodes.
- Bring members closer
Shout-outs
Birthday or milestone shout-outs for members, read on the show.
- Bring members closer
Member of the month
Feature a member: their story, their question, or how they found the show.
- Bring members closer
Early tickets
If you do live shows or meetups, members hear about them and get tickets first.
- Bring members closer
Behind-the-scenes posts
Photos and short notes from recording days, trips and guests, between episodes.
- Bring members closer
Guess or predict
Members make predictions (the game, the season, the next book) and you read the winners on air.
- Bring members closer
A thank-you discount
A members-only code for your merch or your other work.
Ideas for your kind of show
The best bonuses feel like they could only come from your show.
- Outdoors, fishing and hunting
- Trip reports from the water or the woods, gear breakdowns, season-opener predictions, and the stories too long for the main show.
- Sports and fitness
- Instant reactions after big games, training plans as a download, race-day Q&As, and members’ picks and predictions.
- Books, TV, film and anime
- Spoiler episodes, members vote on the next pick, and re-watches or re-reads with commentary.
- Food and drink
- Tasting notes, blind tastings, recipes as printable cards, and “what’s in my glass” mini-episodes.
- Music and songwriting
- Song breakdowns, demos and works in progress, and how a song came together.
- Comedy and conversation
- The uncut episode, bloopers, the after-show, and members-only rankings and debates.
- Business and education
- Templates and checklists, longer how-to episodes, and live Q&As on members’ own questions.
How to pick your first bonus
- 1
Start with one
Pick the idea from the first two groups that fits how you already work. You can always add more later.
- 2
Make a promise you can keep
Say exactly what members get and how often, like “one bonus episode a month and early access every week.” Keep it to what you can do on a busy week.
- 3
Have two ready before you launch
Record a couple of bonuses before you announce, so the first people to join get something right away.
- 4
Ask members what they want next
After a month, run a poll. Members tell you what to make, and feel heard while you do it.
Starting from scratch? Read how to start a paid podcast subscription for pricing and launch steps, and try the free starter kit to get an on-air announcement written for your show.
Questions podcasters ask
How often should I post bonus episodes?
Whatever you can keep up. Once a month is plenty for most shows, especially if it comes with something easy every week, like early access or ad-free episodes. It’s better to promise less and deliver every time.
How long should a bonus episode be?
As long as it needs to be. A ten-minute after-show is a real bonus. Members care more about getting something regularly than about the length.
What if I run out of ideas?
Ask your members. A quick poll or a mailbag episode turns their questions into your next bonus.
Do I need a separate app for members-only episodes?
No. With a private feed, each member gets their own podcast link for the app they already use, and bonus episodes show up there like any other episode. On ByUs, members add their feed to Apple Podcasts and most other apps in a tap.
Can members-only episodes become free later?
Yes, and it’s a good way to show everyone else what members get. On ByUs, you can make a members-only post go public on a date you pick, so members hear it first and everyone hears it later.
Give your biggest listeners more
On ByUs, members get your bonus episodes in a private feed for their podcast app, plus early access, polls, lives and more. Free to start, card processing included, and you keep 87–91% of what members pay. Evan, the founder, will help you set it up for free.