Joe Budden and his business partner, Ian Schwartzman, have created a business empire with The Joe Budden Podcast. Following a lucrative deal with Spotify, the two decided to take the podcast to Patreon, where fans can pay for bonus content. Some episodes are locked behind Patreon, meaning you will have to pay to listen.
Overall, the fanbase has had mixed reactions to the Patreon model. Some fans don't mind supporting a podcast they love. Meanwhile, others feel as though it is a slap in the face, especially when you consider Budden's anti-industry stances from back in the day.
Throughout the Patreon era, there has been an increase in what you would call "clippers." These are accounts on X, Instagram, and TikTok that post clips from the podcast. Oftentimes, these clips come from episodes or videos-on-demand that are locked behind a Patreon paywall. This allows fans who are not subscribed to Patreon to consume the podcast.
For Budden, this is a problem. Profit is being left on the table, and the clip accounts are making money off his show. Now, he is looking to flip the script. As of today, he will be charging clippers $500 per month to license his content. If you don't pay the $500 per month, you can expect your clip account to get taken down with some copyright claims.
Joe Budden Changes His Business Plan
Overall, this is a bold strategy, and it has sparked an intense debate on social media. On one hand, these clip accounts provide Budden with free advertising. Consequently, Budden is then able to earn more Patreon subscriptions, thanks to more people consuming the podcast. However, the counterargument is that his intellectual property is being infringed upon, and people outside of his network are profiting as a result.
Clip accounts are nothing new in the world of content aggregation. Every single podcast with a following has them, although some are bigger than others. While some podcasts pay to have their shows clipped, it's clear Budden has gone in the opposite direction.
Social Media Reacts
Subsequently, X appears to be divided on the issue. Once again, there are some who see this practice as a complete betrayal of the community. Meanwhile, there are some fans who believe this is a stroke of genius from Budden and Schwartzman.
The consequences of this decision will only be known in a few months from now. By then, we will have a clearer picture of just how many clip accounts actually paid the $500. Furthermore, we will also see if Budden's podcast remains a prominent fixture on social media platforms or if it becomes insular to Patreon. Lastly, one has to wonder just how strongly Joe will be enforcing copyright claims against clip channels.
In the meantime, you can see how people feel about all of this below.
