Reader revenue mix planner

Enter your current monthly or annual revenue for each stream in the table. The optional Target column lets you model a future mix. The tool calculates your total revenue, each stream's share, and a diversification score based on how evenly revenue is spread. Every value is stored in the URL so you can share or revisit a scenario.

Share = stream revenue ÷ total revenue. Diversification score = 1 − HHI, where HHI is the sum of each stream's share squared. A score close to 0 means one stream dominates; a higher score means revenue is more evenly distributed.

For example, five equal streams each have a 20% share, so HHI = 5 × 0.2² = 0.2 and the diversification score is 0.8. A single stream gives HHI = 1 and a score of 0.

Publishers who rely on one or two revenue lines are exposed to sudden shocks. Advertising budgets move with the economy, platform algorithms and privacy changes. Events can be cancelled. Syndication deals can expire.

Reader revenue — subscriptions, memberships and direct contributions — is the line you own. It gives you predictable recurring income, a direct relationship with your audience, and pricing power. The most resilient publishers combine a strong reader-revenue base with complementary lines rather than betting everything on one source.

The score is a single number that summarises concentration risk. It is not good or bad on its own — a niche publisher may deliberately concentrate on subscriptions and score low, while a media group may deliberately spread across many lines and score high.

Use the score directionally. If it is low and your largest stream is advertising, ask whether you could grow subscriptions or memberships to reduce dependence. If it is moderate or high, check whether each stream is profitable and strategically important, not just present.

Publishers are increasingly diversifying beyond advertising and subscriptions into memberships, events, donations, syndication, licensing and commerce. The goal is not to chase every trend, but to build a mix where no single failure can destabilise the business.

• INMA — Global Media Trends
• Digital Content Next — Revenue Research
• Pugpig — Publisher Benchmarks

These sources are provided for context only. The tool does not compare your numbers against external benchmarks.