Lenny
Lenny (Lenny.fm) is a podcast-native listener support platform that lets independent podcast creators receive recurring monthly subscriptions from their audiences, taking a 10% platform fee on creator payouts processed via Stripe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Lenny does
Lenny (Lenny.fm) is a podcast listener support platform operated by Nearly Media Pty Ltd, an Australian private company based in Melbourne. The platform enables independent podcast creators to receive recurring monthly financial support directly from their listeners, replacing or supplementing ad-based monetization with subscription revenue from the audience. Listeners subscribe at $4 per month at the entry tier, with newer tiers at $8, $12, and $24, and creators receive the bulk of those payments minus a 10% platform fee processed through Stripe. Lenny was founded by Courtney Carthy alongside three developers (Andrew, Dan, and Adam), and the company operates with a team of four people.
The product is purpose-built for podcast monetization, positioning itself as a domain-specific alternative to general creator-economy platforms such as Patreon. Functionally, Lenny handles the payment infrastructure, subscription management, and privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA, POPI) required to convert listener loyalty into recurring revenue across multiple jurisdictions. Named customers and endorsements include Climactic, The Junkees, Ingredipedia, Nearly Media's own podcast network (with roughly 120,000 downloads per month), and Slate's Mia Lobel, indicating traction within independent and niche podcast networks rather than enterprise media.
The business model is a take-rate model: Lenny retains 10% of creator payouts and passes the remainder to creators. The company is bootstrapped with no external funding, which constrains marketing investment and growth velocity but preserves founder control and equity. No revenue figures, creator counts, or ARR are publicly disclosed. As of mid-2025, the team remains small at four people, with active product development focused on pricing tiers and platform features rather than AI-driven functionality.
Lenny firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lenny
- Legal name
- Nearly Media Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://creators.lenny.fm
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lenny (Lenny.fm) is a podcast-native listener support platform that lets independent podcast creators receive recurring monthly subscriptions from their audiences, taking a 10% platform fee on creator payouts processed via Stripe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lenny industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Podcast Monetization Platform
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms (MPACADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Podcast Measurement, Attribution & Audience Insights (MPACADAI), Podcast Hosting Platforms (RSS, Analytics, Distribution) (MPACADAA)
Keywords
Where Lenny is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lenny business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Platform Transaction Fee: Lenny charges a 10% fee when podcast creators withdraw accumulated listener support funds. Listeners pay $4/month which is split between their top 1-4 chosen podcasts. Creators receive no new app or algorithm requirements.
- Payment Processing: Payment processing fees charged by Stripe and passed through to creators. Lenny uses Stripe for secure payment handling.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Listener subscription: $4/month split among 1-4 podcasts |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Creator Portal: Free to join |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels11 records
Lenny product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lenny operates a two-sided podcast monetization platform where listeners subscribe for $4 per month and split contributions equally across their top 1-4 chosen podcasts. Independent podcast creators opt into the Creator Portal to accumulate listener support funds, which they can withdraw on demand with Lenny retaining a 10% platform fee. The platform does not require listeners to install a new app or creators to produce bonus content, integrating with existing podcast hosting and listening workflows via RSS.
Product overview
Lenny is a dual-sided podcast monetization platform consisting of two interconnected products: the Lenny.fm listener web application and the Creator Portal. Listeners use Lenny.fm to subscribe and contribute $4 per month (with new tiers of $8, $12, $24) split between their top 1-4 chosen podcasts. The Creator Portal enables podcast creators to opt-in, accumulate funds, and receive payouts via Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer. The platform charges a 10% fee on withdrawals, positioning itself as more equitable than ad agencies (~50% cut) or other subscription platforms (8-30%). The system works alongside existing podcast hosting and listening apps without requiring additional content creation from creators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Lenny.fm Listener Platform Web application that lets podcast listeners subscribe monthly ($4 default tier, with $8/$12/$24 tiers) and split contributions equally across their top 1-4 chosen podcasts, without needing a new listening app.
- Creator Portal Free dashboard for podcast creators to opt into receiving listener support, accumulate funds, and request payouts. Creators can see which other podcasts their supporters also listen to for collaboration opportunities.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100 supporters = approximately $90/month for a podcast
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lenny
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lenny technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Lenny partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- StripecoreStripe is the primary payment processor handling all financial transactions on Lenny.fm. Used for secure payment processing, subscriber management, and creator payouts.
- AIR (Association of Independents in Radio)coreLenny founder Courtney Carthy presented to AIR Members about the platform. Lenny offered free 3-month AIR membership to Creator Portal members. AIR is a community of independent audio professionals.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Lenny competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Buy Me a Coffee: Lightweight creator tipping/membership platform referenced by Lenny's positioning; serves a similar small-dollar recurring support use case for creators.
- Supporting Cast: Podcast-native membership platform built by Relay FM; directly comparable offering for listener-supported independent podcasts.
- Glow: Listener-funded podcast platform that distributes a share of subscription revenue to member shows; overlaps with Lenny's bundle-and-distribute monetization concept.
- Patreon: Largest subscription-based creator support platform; Lenny explicitly positions against Patreon's fee structure and bonus-content model as a podcast-specialized alternative.
- Supercast: Podcast-first paid membership platform offering private RSS feeds and listener subscriptions; directly competes for the same independent podcaster customer.
- Memberful: Membership and subscription infrastructure for creators and podcasts; competes in the same recurring-support category with similar opt-in mechanics.
Broad incumbents
- Spotify for Podcasters: Spotify's podcast hosting, monetization, and subscriptions product; a much larger incumbent that controls distribution and listener access at scale.
- Apple Podcasts Subscriptions: Native Apple subscription product for podcast channels; competes with Lenny for paid podcast support but bundled into the dominant Apple Podcasts app.
- Substack: Subscription platform primarily for writers but increasingly used by podcasters for paid newsletters and shows; competes for the same creator-economy wallet.
Others
- Stripe: Lenny's core payments infrastructure partner; not a competitor but an enabling platform whose pricing and product changes directly affect Lenny's unit economics.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Lenny social profiles
Digital presenceLenny compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Lenny financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lenny leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Lenny funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lenny M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lenny
What does Lenny do?
Lenny operates a two-sided podcast monetization platform where listeners subscribe for $4 per month and split contributions equally across their top 1-4 chosen podcasts. Independent podcast creators opt into the Creator Portal to accumulate listener support funds, which they can withdraw on demand with Lenny retaining a 10% platform fee. The platform does not require listeners to install a new app or creators to produce bonus content, integrating with existing podcast hosting and listening workflows via RSS.
Is Lenny a public or private company?
Lenny is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lenny founded?
Lenny was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lenny based?
Lenny is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Lenny make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Platform Transaction Fee is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing.
Who are Lenny's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Buy Me a Coffee, Supporting Cast, Glow, Patreon, Supercast and Memberful. Broad incumbents are Spotify for Podcasters, Apple Podcasts Subscriptions and Substack. Stripe is listed as an others.
Does Lenny have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lenny.
What industry is Lenny in?
Lenny's product category is Podcast Monetization Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAD, Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms, with a secondary code of MPACADAI, Podcast Measurement, Attribution & Audience Insights. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 4832.