You can publish your course on Udemy without any upfront costs, but you cannot "sell" it and retain 100% of the revenue, as Udemy takes a portion of each sale. However, you do have options to offer your course to students for free.
Publishing Your Course: No Upfront Costs
One common interpretation of "selling for free" is about the cost an instructor incurs to get their course online and available for sale. In this regard, the answer is yes, there are no upfront costs to publish your course on Udemy. This means you don't pay any fees to create an instructor account, upload your course content, or list it on their marketplace. This lowers the barrier to entry for many aspiring educators and content creators.
Understanding Udemy's Revenue Share Model
While listing your course is free, "selling" it for free (meaning keeping all the revenue from a paid sale) is not possible. Udemy operates on a revenue-share model. When a student purchases your course, the earnings are split between you and Udemy.
Udemy takes a significant cut of your course sales, which can be as high as 50% or more. The exact percentage depends largely on how the student discovers and purchases your course.
How Revenue Share Varies
The portion of revenue you receive as an instructor varies based on the source of the sale:
- Instructor Promotion: If a student purchases your course using your unique coupon code or referral link, you receive the largest share of the revenue. This encourages instructors to actively market their courses.
- Organic Udemy Sales: If a student finds your course through Udemy's marketplace, organic search, or non-promotional browsing, the revenue is typically split between you and Udemy.
- Udemy's Promotional Programs: If a student enrolls in your course through Udemy's paid advertisements (e.g., Google ads, affiliate marketing) or discount programs, Udemy takes a larger percentage of the revenue, often significantly higher than 50%, to cover their marketing costs.
Here's a general overview of how the revenue might be distributed:
| Student Origin | Instructor Revenue Share | Udemy Revenue Share |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor's Own Marketing/Link | Higher percentage | Smaller percentage |
| Organic Search on Udemy | Often 50% | Often 50% |
| Udemy's Promotional Programs | Smaller percentage | Majority (>50% or more) |
Offering Your Course for Free to Students
Another interpretation of "Can I sell my course on Udemy for free?" could mean offering the course itself for a price of $0 to students. In this sense, yes, you can offer your course for free to students under certain conditions.
Why Offer a Free Course?
Instructors often choose to offer free courses for strategic reasons:
- Lead Generation: Free courses can act as an introductory module, attracting potential students to your other paid courses.
- Building an Audience: They help new instructors gain visibility, build a student base, and establish credibility.
- Gathering Reviews: Free enrollments can lead to more student reviews, which are crucial for improving your course's ranking and appeal on the platform.
- Testing Content: You can use a free course to test new content ideas or teaching styles before investing in a full paid course.
Limitations of Free Courses
While beneficial, offering a free course has limitations:
- No Direct Revenue: Naturally, you won't earn any money directly from free enrollments.
- Content Restrictions: Udemy may have specific guidelines or restrictions on the length or type of content allowed for free courses.
- Reduced Features: Free courses may not have access to all the features available to paid courses, such as certain promotional tools.
Key Considerations for Udemy Instructors
When planning to sell your course on Udemy, keep these points in mind:
- Understand the Revenue Model: Familiarize yourself with how Udemy's revenue share works for different sales channels. This will help you strategize your pricing and marketing efforts.
- Focus on High-Quality Content: Regardless of the price, a well-produced and valuable course is key to attracting students and generating positive reviews.
- Actively Promote Your Course: Relying solely on Udemy's organic traffic might yield a 50% split. By actively promoting your course through your own channels, you can significantly increase your share of the revenue.
- Strategically Use Free Options: Leverage free courses or promotional coupons to build your brand, gather feedback, and create a funnel to your paid offerings.
