Local media & publishing
Books and taxes for local podcast networks.
Dynamic ad payouts that lag two months behind an episode, revenue share owed to individual hosts, Patreon support per show, and gear you bought once but use every week. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
February came in at $7,500. The ad payout that landed was actually for episodes that aired back in December, so I logged it against that month, not this one.
- AdvertiseCast payout, Dec episodesDynamic ad revenue
- Patreon payout, three showsListener support
- Host revenue share, city politics showHost revenue share
- Riverside.fm subscriptionRecording and editing tools
- Shure microphone, new host kitRecording equipment
Why your books are different
A podcast network's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a deposit from an ad network and a subscription bill. Your network gets paid on a delay tied to downloads, owes a cut of that money back out to the host who made the episode, and collects listener support per show through Patreon. Miss any of that and the wrong month looks like the good one.
-
1
Ad payouts lag two months behind the episode
Dynamic ad insertion pays based on downloads counted over thirty to sixty days, so an episode that aired in December might not pay out until February, and if the payout gets booked to whichever month it arrives, the trend looks random.
What we doTraces a delayed ad payout back to the episode and month it actually covers, so the revenue lines up with the work that earned it. -
2
Revenue share owed to the host who made the show
The network takes a cut of ad revenue and owes the rest to the host who hosts and produces that specific show, and booking the whole payout as network income before the host's share goes out overstates what the network actually keeps.
What we doSplits an ad payout into the network's fee and the host's share the moment it lands, so the books show what the business really earned. -
3
Patreon support gets lumped across shows
A network running four shows on one Patreon account can see support for all of them arrive in a single payout, so nobody can tell which show is actually building an audience willing to pay.
What we doSplits a combined Patreon payout by show where the numbers allow it, so listener support reads honestly for each one. -
4
A gear buy looks like a normal month's expense
A new mixer, a set of microphones, or a portable recorder for a new host can cost as much as several months of hosting fees, and booked as a plain expense it can make one ordinary month look like a loss.
What we doFlags equipment buys as their own kind of cost, logged as equipment rather than folded into monthly production expenses.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a podcast network.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Dynamic ad revenueDownload-based ad payouts through AdvertiseCast, Podcorn, or Megaphone.
- Host-read sponsorshipsA single sponsor paying a host directly to read an ad live.
- Listener supportPatreon or a direct membership tier, tracked per show where possible.
- Network sponsorship packagesOne sponsor buying a spot across several shows in the network at once.
Money out
- Host revenue shareThe cut of ad and sponsorship money owed back out to each show's host.
- Recording and editing toolsRiverside, Descript, or a similar tool used to record and edit episodes.
- Podcast hosting feesLibsyn, Transistor, or Megaphone hosting for every show's feed.
- Recording equipmentMicrophones, mixers, and portable recorders for hosts and guests.
- Studio or office rentA shared recording space if the network keeps one.
- Producer and editor payAnyone paid to edit or produce episodes, kept apart from host revenue share.
What we watch for you
- Payout lag
How far behind an ad payout runs from the episode it covers, so a late deposit is not mistaken for a slow month.
- Network fee retained
What the network actually keeps after host revenue share, the real measure of what the business earns.
- Support per show
Which shows actually pull their weight in listener support, once a combined payout is split apart.
- Production cost per episode
What editing, hosting, and tools cost per episode, against what each show brings in.
Ask Gus
Things podcast network owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Yes, and I traced it back. I booked it against the month the episodes aired, so your trend reflects when the work happened, not when the check cleared.
I split the payout into the network's fee and each host's share the day it lands, so the books show what the network actually kept.
No. I logged it as equipment, not a production expense, so a normal month does not look like it lost money on gear.
The tax side
The tax side of a podcast network.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A payout booked to the wrong month, a host's share mixed with the network's own income, and a set-aside started too late.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Host payments, 1099 or payrollA host who is a genuine independent contractor running their own show gets a 1099-NEC once paid $2,000 or more in 2026. A host who works like an employee, on the network's schedule and using only its tools, may not qualify, and Gus flags it for the accountant.
- Recording equipment write-offsMicrophones, mixers, and recorders bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionDynamic ad revenue, host-read sponsorships, and network sponsorship packages all count toward the up to 20 percent of business profit most owner-operated networks can deduct from their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.
- Self-employment taxA solo owner not paid through payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, whether the profit came from a strong sponsorship quarter or steady listener support, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
Deductions local podcast networks miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Microphones and mixers
- Podcast hosting fees
- Recording and editing software
- Producer and editor pay
- Studio or office rent
- Host revenue share
- Portable recorders and cables
- Business liability insurance
- Website hosting and domain
- Mileage to record on location
- Show artwork and design fees
- Transcription service fees
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A podcast network's year, kept every month.
Ad payouts arrive on their own delayed schedule all year long, and taxes do not wait for them to catch up. The books close every month, whichever ones the payouts actually land in. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the network year
Last year's return gets started, every host's 1099 is finalized, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed while payouts catch up
Your return is filed and signed even while ad payouts are still catching up to the episodes that earned them, with no surprise bill because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Midyear payout check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether ad payouts are catching up to the episodes that earned them.
- October
Before the fall ad push
Sponsors often book ahead of the holidays. Gus flags equipment worth buying before a new host launches and anything to do before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for local podcast networks. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions podcast network owners ask first.
Why does an ad payout show up months after the episode aired?
Dynamic ad insertion pays based on downloads counted over thirty to sixty days, so payouts run behind the episode. Gus traces each one back to the month it actually covers.
How does Gus handle what we owe our hosts out of a shared payout?
He splits the payout into the network's fee and each host's share the day it lands, so the books show what the network actually kept, not the full amount before anyone got paid.
We run four shows on one Patreon account. Can that get split by show?
Where the numbers allow it, yes. Gus splits a combined payout so listener support reads honestly for each show instead of one blended number.
Is one of our hosts an employee or a contractor?
It depends on how much control the network has over their schedule and tools. Gus flags anyone who looks employee-shaped and has the accountant weigh in before it becomes a habit.
We haven't reconciled the network's books in months, and every show pays out on its own schedule. Is that a problem?
No. Send whatever bank statements and payout reports you have. Gus works through the backlog, traces each payout to the episode it belongs to, and the accountant checks it before anything is final.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever