This lines up with what a lot of outside data points show about Medium in 2024-2025: the payout pool is still 100% membership‑funded, but distribution is tilting toward fully paywalled, highly curated content, not broadly accessible posts with free‑read escape hatches. Independent earnings breakdowns over the last 18 months show big drops in effective RPM for average writers alongside a smaller group whose per‑read payouts rose after the Friend of Medium tier and curation/boost changes, which supports your point that profitability is being chased via stricter recs, tighter boosts, and less generosity toward non‑members rather than an across‑the‑board 'we paid writers more' approach.
What would be fascinating now is a simple A/B test on your side: 10 posts with the free‑read/external link high in the intro versus 10 where it’s removed, tracked for 30 days by member reads, non‑member reads, and earnings per 1k views... does the cash‑positive via no free link hypothesis show up in hard numbers for you too?
Not for everyone. I’m making more. (Not that it was ever a high amount to begin with..I have a few hundred followers) In both June and so far in July I have been making “more per read” than I was. I find Medium so difficult to navigate when it comes to how it’s all calculated. And I have to admit, it’s a bit frustrating
If you're doing this you also have to think about exporting your posts. If you export them there will always be this link and CTA.
Do you want this? Because it's nice to earn on Medium and build and audience but you also want to think LONG TERM. Long term you want to own all your content and offer it for free to your readers.
How do you so this?
You repurpose it on your own blog to drive traffic.
I'm building mine and based on my blog am already at 10,000 views.
I think that's something I recommend anyone!
At some point you will want to grow beyond Medium (as you do with Substack and repurposing your make money stories).
The best place for this is ONE HUB you own = your site.
Every piece should be good for your LONG TERM goal.
From what I've heard they are closer than ever to being profitable, between the huge cuts in cloud computer costs they did earlier this year, the FoM membership, and having more paying members than ever before.
I’d say this would be a wise decision. I’m not sure about the management’s vision though. From what I’ve seen so far I can tell there’s not much business orientation. Most of them are just publishers and journalists.
This lines up with what a lot of outside data points show about Medium in 2024-2025: the payout pool is still 100% membership‑funded, but distribution is tilting toward fully paywalled, highly curated content, not broadly accessible posts with free‑read escape hatches. Independent earnings breakdowns over the last 18 months show big drops in effective RPM for average writers alongside a smaller group whose per‑read payouts rose after the Friend of Medium tier and curation/boost changes, which supports your point that profitability is being chased via stricter recs, tighter boosts, and less generosity toward non‑members rather than an across‑the‑board 'we paid writers more' approach.
What would be fascinating now is a simple A/B test on your side: 10 posts with the free‑read/external link high in the intro versus 10 where it’s removed, tracked for 30 days by member reads, non‑member reads, and earnings per 1k views... does the cash‑positive via no free link hypothesis show up in hard numbers for you too?
Hi, not really, I stopped using Medium for earnings long time ago. It’s still a great place for distribution
Not for everyone. I’m making more. (Not that it was ever a high amount to begin with..I have a few hundred followers) In both June and so far in July I have been making “more per read” than I was. I find Medium so difficult to navigate when it comes to how it’s all calculated. And I have to admit, it’s a bit frustrating
These announcement posts are useless. On any platform.
What does it mean that they pay writers more?
Are there more writers getting at least one dollar?
Has the average payout increased?
Has the median payout increased?
Exactly! It’s juts one announcement taken out of context. Writers earn less. That’s the reality.
If you're doing this you also have to think about exporting your posts. If you export them there will always be this link and CTA.
Do you want this? Because it's nice to earn on Medium and build and audience but you also want to think LONG TERM. Long term you want to own all your content and offer it for free to your readers.
How do you so this?
You repurpose it on your own blog to drive traffic.
I'm building mine and based on my blog am already at 10,000 views.
I think that's something I recommend anyone!
At some point you will want to grow beyond Medium (as you do with Substack and repurposing your make money stories).
The best place for this is ONE HUB you own = your site.
Every piece should be good for your LONG TERM goal.
Hope this helps.
I wouldn't use the link trick.
Interesting analysis. Do you think Medium will introduce ads at some point?
I wish they would, but the current CEO has told me they wouldn’t, I guess time (and money) will tell.
I supposed so...then we wait to see how he is going to make this company profitable. I'm curious, so far it's not successful...
From what I've heard they are closer than ever to being profitable, between the huge cuts in cloud computer costs they did earlier this year, the FoM membership, and having more paying members than ever before.
Hope so.
I’d say this would be a wise decision. I’m not sure about the management’s vision though. From what I’ve seen so far I can tell there’s not much business orientation. Most of them are just publishers and journalists.