Splits are a unique and powerful feature that would not be possible without programmable money. With splits, podcasters can share income from their show or individual episodes with anyone they choose - for example, a regular contributor, a guest on their show or a good cause. When a supporter sends a stream or boost payment to a podcast, the money gets divided and distributed to all the splits. This means everybody who is involved in creating value for listeners gets rewarded.
Splits are a game changer for listeners - now you can reach out to hosts and guests as you are listening to thank them and ask a question. Once a Fountain user has been added as a split they will see the payments and messages in their Fountain wallet and can respond to the sender. If you are running your own Lightning Node you can also be added as a split.
How do I check the splits?From the player
Press Stream or Boost and you will see a button for Splits in the pop up.
From a show or episode page
Press the Lightning icon to open the pop up and press Splits.
Who should I add as a split to my podcast?Co-hosts and regular contributors
If you have co-hosts or a wider team that are involved in making podcast, you should add them to your show splits so that they automatically get a share from every episode you publish.
Guests
Listeners love interviews with interesting guests and get a lot of value from hearing what they have to say. When listeners know they can send a Boost to the person they are listening to (and that they will see it), they are much more compelled to support and join the conversation. Also, when your guests are earning money when your listeners support that episode, they are incentivised to let their audience know. This is why the podcasters adding their guests as splits typically see stronger engagement.
Listeners
Increasingly with Value for Value, podcast audiences are able to be more actively involved in the show itself in ways that actually create value for others. Adding one of your listeners as a split is a great way to reward your biggest fans and incentivise your community to participate. For example, Kevin Rooke (host of The Kevin Rooke Show), asks his listeners send in questions for upcoming guests before he records with them. Ask a great question and you will be added to the episode splits when it gets published!
Good causes
Many podcasters aren’t in it for the profits and some are choosing to give away the money their podcast generates to support a cause that they are passionate about. For example, Matt Odell (host of Citadel Dispatch) donates a share of his podcast income with open-source Bitcoin projects.
How do I add a split for a show or episode?
Once you have claimed your podcast in Fountain you can manage your splits in the app. You can set the default splits for your show as well as customise the splits for each episode:
For your show
Go to your Wallet, click on your show under Podcast Income. Press the Lightning icon on your show page to open the pop up and press Splits. You will see the option to Manage Show Splits.
For an episode of your show
Follow the same steps as above but press the Lightning icon on the episode page add splits for a specific episode.
You have two ways of adding split a split:
Add any Fountain user
You can search for any Fountain user and share earnings from your podcast with them! After you've added them, a card will appear in their Wallet so they can see their earnings and any Boost messages.
Add Lightning Node Pubkey
Send your earnings to directly any public Lightning Node. Setting up splits this way means the recipient won't see the same data as they would in Fountain. This is a great way to support a good cause, such as an open source project. For example, you can support OpenSats by adding their node as a split.
Once you have added a split, press the edit icon next to the split to adjust the percentage. If the percentages of your splits add up to more than 100%, the sats will still be distributed proportionately to the total. Click Update Show Splits when you're finished making changes
How many splits can I add?
You are able to add as many splits as you like. Listeners must send at least 1 sat to every split and they must pay a small fee for each split, so it is best not to add too many.
Should I tell my listeners about my splits?
This is always a good idea. Not only does it let your supporters know where they money is going, it also gives them a compelling reason to support the show.
