Em Rusciano fears her podcast may be cancelled after Spotify exit
Em Rusciano fears her podcast will be canceled after not attracting enough paying subscribers despite bringing in more than $15,000 a month
Em Rusciano has again urged her fans to subscribe to her podcast following her departure from Spotify.
The 44-year-old media personality previously had all of her production costs and wages covered by the streaming giant, but has now been forced to turn to crowdfunding after parting ways with the company.
She set her goal at 4,000 subscribers, with a monthly fee of $9.95 or an annual subscription fee of $89.95, but has only reached 1,900 subscribers to date.
Despite still making about $15,000 a month with 1900 subscribers, Em said it may not be enough to keep her Emsolation podcast going.
“I feel a little weird constantly mentioning the subscription and I’m sure it annoys a lot of you, but then I remember trying to build something myself,” she told her followers on Instagram on Wednesday.
Em Rusciano has again urged her fans to subscribe to her podcast following her departure from Spotify
“I don’t want to go to networks anymore and beg them and audition and ask them to give someone like me a chance… So I need all of you who enjoy my stuff to make that happen for me. ‘
The former 2Day FM star also said the money isn’t just for podcasting, she dreams of making “an album and a TV show.”
On an episode of Emsolation that came out last week, Em said she hoped her fans were “proud” of her for becoming completely independent with her new subscription-based business model.
Despite still making about $15,000 a month with 1900 subscribers, Em said it may not be enough to keep her Emsolation podcast going
“I literally won’t be able to do this if not enough of you decide to take the adventure,” she pleaded.
“My big fear is that I have to end Emsolation, and I think that’s why I was so worried about going out alone, because I’m endangering what I love most.”
She added, “I just want to make things and no TV station wants me and I can’t get other people to make the things I want so I just have to start making them myself.”
“I literally won’t be able to do this if not enough of you decide to go on the adventure,” she begged her fans.
Em admitted that she is “hurt” by the lack of subscribers so far
Em also explained her reason for leaving Spotify, stressing that she didn’t want a “big company controlling my content or brand.”
“For two years now, Spotify has been paying me to make the podcast for them and they’ve covered all my production costs, including staff wages, studio rent, all the things it takes to make Emsolation,” she explained.
“And now that I’m leaving them, I’m 100 percent solely responsible for funding this thing.”
The 44-year-old admitted last week that her business executives tried to dissuade her from leaving Spotify, but she was determined to follow her gut.
It seems to have backfired, however, with Em admitting on Friday that she hasn’t yet attracted enough subscribers to keep her show going.
“To be honest, I was a little upset about it, my feelings were hurt,” she said at the time.