It’s not though! I’ve done 500 episodes of my own podcast and we never charged for a single episode or ran a single ad. Not one single time. We have a Patreon, and it’s optional.

And yes, I’m willing to pay for podcasts if I think they’re worth paying for. I’ve donated to shows I enjoy and paid for others before. I see no issue with people getting paid for their work.

I’m looking to avoid doing that and avoid ad-driven shows in general, hence the original question. I have a few that I tolerate it on, but largely looking to avoid it where possible.