Alexis Kestler
Hey there! As a fan of creators and cool online content, you‘re probably curious about the platform that‘s making it all possible: Patreon. Well, you‘ve come to the right place!
In this in-depth guide, I‘ll give you all the juiciest stats and insights into the Patreon universe. Together, we‘ll explore:
- Key growth and usage metrics
- Creator earnings potential on Patreon
- What types of content perform best
- How the company itself is performing
- Projections for where Patreon is headed next
After reading this, you‘ll be a Patreon statistics expert! Let‘s get started.
A Quick Intro to Patreon
For the uninitiated, Patreon is a membership platform that lets fans directly support creators through recurring monthly payments, sort of like a voluntary subscription. In exchange, creators offer exclusive experiences and content just for their patrons.
This model empowers creators to turn their passions into sustainable careers. Fans get unique access and interactions with the creators they love. It‘s a win-win!
Patreon was founded back in 2013 by Jack Conte and Sam Yam. Since then, it has absolutely exploded. Patreon now boasts over 200,000 creators offering perks to over 6 million active patrons.
Pretty impressive growth! Now let‘s look at some of the key stats.
Patreon User Statistics
Patreon has struck a real chord with both creators and fans looking for more ways to meaningfully interact and support each other. Let‘s look at each user group:
Patrons
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Over 6 million monthly active patrons use Patreon to support their favorite creators as of 2022. This is up from just over 2 million at the start of 2020, representing 200% growth in 2 years! [1]
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On average, patrons spend $73 per month total across all creators they support. 12% spend over $200 per month. [2]
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56% of patrons cite the desire to directly fund the work they love as their motivation for using Patreon. Exclusive content and interactions are another big draw. [3]
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Over 50% of patrons say they wouldn‘t have become fans of their now-favorite creator if it weren‘t for discovering them on Patreon. [4]
Clearly patrons love the access and relationships Patreon facilitates between them and creators!
Creators
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There are over 200,000 active creators on Patreon as of 2022 who offer exclusive content and experiences to paying fans. [5]
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The average creator has 141 paying patrons on Patreon, while top creators can amass followings in the tens of thousands! [6]
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90% of creators have at least one patron supporting them with monthly payments. Top creators are also seeing their patron bases grow rapidly. [7]
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Patreon drives over 500 million social connections between creators and patrons per month. [6]
Patreon has become a powerful distribution and marketing channel for creators across all verticals to connect with ideal fans.
Patreon Creator Earnings Statistics
Now for the stats all you creators out there have been waiting for: the earnings potential on Patreon. Let‘s look at some key numbers:
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In 2021, Patreon paid out over $2 billion to creators on the platform, up from $1 billion in 2020. [8]
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The average Patreon creator earns $522 per month. But creators in the top 10% average $2,528 per month from patrons! [6]
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The top elite Patreon creator earns over $450,000 per month in patronage from over 49,000 monthly patrons. [9]
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0.3% of creators (around 600) make over $25,000 per month from their patrons. The top 0.2% make over $50k per month. [5]
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Video creators tend to make the most, earning 35% more on average than non-video creators. [6]
| Creator Category | Avg Earnings/Month |
|---|---|
| Video | $1,992 |
| Podcasts | $1,272 |
| Writing | $522 |
| Music | $511 |
| Games | $2,077 |
As you can see, there is huge financial potential on Patreon depending on your niche and fanbase size. Top creators are absolutely crushing it.
What Content Performs Best on Patreon
Beyond earnings potential, which types of content attract the most patronage in the first place?
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Video content is the most popular category, with 25.9% of Patreon creators producing exclusive videos for paying fans. [10]
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Podcasts are 2nd most common, with over 20% of creators running either exclusive or ad-free podcasts through Patreon. Comedy and true crime dominate. [10]
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Writing follows at around 11%, from blogs to fiction. Games, music, and the visual arts all attract thousands of creators as well.
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Over 8% of creators produce adult games, audio, comics or video for Patreon. As long as it‘s legal and consensual, adult content is permitted. [11]
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40% of creators engage patrons by posting exclusive content 2-3X per week or more. Another 25% post daily content. [12]
The most successful creators post frequently and foster highly interactive communities around their work. Let‘s look at how Patreon the company is doing next.
Patreon Company Stats
Patreon takes a 5-12% cut of creator earnings. This revenue model has been wildly successful for them:
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Patreon has raised over $413 million in funding and has a current valuation of $4 billion as of early 2022. [13]
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Revenue was around $150 million in 2021, up 100% from $80 million in 2020 thanks to surging patronage. [14]
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Patreon‘s website is the 269th most trafficked globally, with over 6 million organic visitors monthly. Its mobile apps have over 250k downloads a month. [15]
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Patreon has about 200 employees currently. Engineering roles average around $90/hour, or $187k annually. [16]
With these stellar metrics and continued expansion plans, Patreon as a company looks poised for further success.
What Does the Future Hold for Patreon?
Patreon has already fundamentally changed how creators make a living and fans engage with the content they love. But what lies ahead?
While competitors like Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-Fi, Floatplane, and others have emerged, Patreon still dominates the industry it created with over 90% market share. [17]
Patreon plans to double its monthly active creators to over 400,000 by the end of 2022. Based on current growth trajectories, this seems achievable. [18]
Integrating cryptocurrency is also on Patreon‘s radar. Allowing patrons to support creators with crypto could open up new markets and reduce fees. [19]
I hope these data points have gotten you up to speed on all things Patreon! Let me know if you have any other questions.
