Australia’s podcast landscape is witnessing a significant shift, with local audio network Shameless Media projected to generate approximately $10 million in revenue for the fiscal year 2025. According to the industry body Commercial Radio and Audio, this figure represents about 10 percent of the domestic podcast market, highlighting the network’s rapid growth and influence.
Founded in 2019 by Zara Andrews and Michelle McDonald, Shameless Media began with its flagship podcast, Shameless. The network has since expanded to include popular shows like Style-ish, Inherited, and Everybody Has a Secret. With a team of 21 staff members, Shameless Media also offers newsletters that boast more than 100,000 free subscribers and merchandise targeting its predominantly Gen Z female audience. Starting next year, Shameless will increase its episodes to three times a week, incorporating more video content into its offerings.
“We built Shameless to be as big as it could possibly be, and we worked to diversify after that,” McDonald stated. “We had full faith we could build other shows. We set our own value.” Over the past two years, Shameless Media has achieved a remarkable 61 percent growth in revenue. Major brands such as Disney, Lululemon, and Swisse have partnered with the network for advertising, allowing it to thrive without relying solely on traditional sponsorship models.
Unlike many podcasts that follow a cost-per-mille (CPM) payment system, where advertisers pay based on the number of listeners, Andrews and McDonald have developed a unique approach. They bundle social media mentions with newsletter and audio advertisements, reflecting the engagement and reach of their audience. Although advertising remains the primary revenue source, the recent introduction of a subscription service called Shamemore, priced at $5.99 per month, is now contributing nearly 10 percent to their overall income.
The duo acknowledges the current surge in podcast popularity, particularly highlighted during the 2024 US presidential election, where prominent figures like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris appeared on major podcasts. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also leveraged this medium during his election campaign, further underscoring its growing influence.
While Shameless Media does not engage in political discourse, it has successfully capitalized on the rising popularity of podcasts to broaden its offerings. “The idea was to make it more than just Zara and myself,” Andrews explained. “To know that we have been able to build on Shameless and make the other podcasts and parts of the business profitable is a weight off our shoulders.”
The impact of young female podcasters has become increasingly evident, with McDonald emphasizing that “we are not nearly at the ceiling yet.” As Shameless Media positions itself as a leader in the Australian podcasting space, it currently ranks as the country’s third-largest commercial podcast. Although Shameless still accounts for 40 percent of the business’s revenue, this is a decrease from 70 percent the previous year, indicating the strength of its expanding podcast portfolio, particularly with Style-ish.
“We knew there was a gaping hole left by traditional magazines,” Andrews noted, reflecting on Style-ish’s success. “To see how much it contributes to our revenue shows we are on the right track.” According to IAB Australia, advertising revenue in the podcast sector surged by 16 percent in the last fiscal year, with the overall commercial podcast market estimated to be worth $100 million annually. Podcasts now represent 40 percent of total online audio spending.
Shameless Media remains entirely owned by Andrews and McDonald. “If we knew more when we started, we might have sought out investment,” McDonald admitted. “We didn’t know much about the space, so we bootstrapped – and now I am really glad we did. We are a profitable independent media company in a market that is pretty hard to crack.”
At their recent upfront campaigns, the co-founders announced plans for a spinoff of Inherited called Love Stories, and they will also enter the parenting content space following Andrews’ recent motherhood. “Nobody is putting out the content that I want to consume as a new mother,” she expressed. “We have a way of tackling different topics, like pop culture, fashion, beauty, and personal stories in our own way, the Shameless Media way.”
As Shameless Media looks to the future, it is clear that the network is not only reshaping the podcast landscape but also setting a precedent for what independent media can achieve in an increasingly competitive environment.
