Bitcoin, or better, the lightning network on top of bitcoin, simply allows micropayments at a large scale for (almost) free. Breez is a podcast app that also happens to be a bitcoin lightning wallet, but there are others (like Fountain.FM [2]).

The Value 4 Value initiative [1] incentives podcasters by paying an x amount for every second that you listed to a podcast. You can also donate an arbitrary extra amount if you wish.

[1] https://podcastindex.org/podcast/value4value

[2] https://www.fountain.fm/

Good god, take me back to the RSS days and let this postmodern capitalist meme be finished already...