Anchor's donation option lets podcast fans support their favorite shows

Anchor, the audio broadcast-turned-podcasting platform, has launched a new Listener Support feature that lets podcasters collect money from their fans for their efforts. Creators of any size or experience level can add a Listener Support button to their public Anchor profile, which followers can click to make a regular monthly donation of $0.99, $4.99 or $9.99. Adding the button also puts a link in the podcast notes on every app or website where it's available, so listeners can support their favorite shows from anywhere.

Podcasters can cash out whenever they want, although they will be subject to a few fees. Anchor takes 4.5%, payment processing platform Stripe takes 5% plus a $0.10 processing fee per payment, and there's a $0.25 pay out fee. This will obviously sting for creators with smaller audiences, but it's cold hard cash nonetheless -- and this kind of model has already proven popular with Twitch, as well as other types of creators that use Patreon. Plus, Anchor has made it easy for fans to cough up -- donations can be made by entering payment information the usual way, as well as via Apple Pay and Google Pay.