The low down on downloads: podcast stats explained
Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on Unsplash
No matter what content you are creating you want to make sure it’s working for you. Podcasting takes a lot of time, effort and motivation so it’s important to be able to understand how your show is doing.
Data is great. It can tell us what’s working and what isn’t. It can provide the next content idea and ensure episodes are packed full of exactly what your ideal listener wants to hear.
Data is confusing - or is it? I would suggest it’s the platforms that are confusing. Each podcast host platform will offer different stats and then different again depending which paid tier you sign up for. Listens, downloads, location, devices - all great info, but all presented differently depending where you are looking. Is it aggregating all the plays from across the services your show is on? What timeline are you looking at? And is 18 downloads good? or should that say 1,118?
As with most industries, podcasters are generally loathe to give away their stats. because of that it can be hard to know how well your show is doing. That makes it difficult to keep going and motivate yourself because 18 is a relatively little number generally… or is it? And do you really need a bigger audience or do you need more engaged listeners (there is a difference).
It’s important to know what podcast success looks like for you. Without knowing your desired outcome, the data won’t make any sense regardless of what platform you are on. Consider each data point, as specific to what you are aiming for and suddenly it doesn’t seem so bamboozling. You may even find some data available to you isn’t worth your time right now, because it just isn’t telling you what you need to know.
Key data points to focus on
So what should you be looking at to know how your show is doing? Well, that depends on what you want to know…
Downloads - This is the number of times your episodes have been downloaded. This gives you an idea of how many people are interested in your podcast.
Streams - This is the number of times your episodes have been played, whether they were downloaded or streamed online. This gives you an idea of how many people are listening to your podcast.
Listens - This is the number of times your episodes have been listened to for at least 0 seconds. This gives you an idea of how engaged your listeners are.
It's important to note that there is a difference between downloads and streams. A download is when an episode is saved to a device, while a stream is when an episode is played online.
It’s most likely you’ll be checking your podcast host when looking at these stats. The host platform is the one you upload your audio to; Podbean, BuzzSprout, Simplecast, Libsyn, Acast, Spreaker or one of the many, many others. From this host you will likely be distributing your podcast to a number of different places; Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, iHeart etc. You can expect that the data shown in your podcast host is an amalgamation of all the data from these other places. It should be a one-stop for you as the podcast owner to be able to see an overview of how your episodes and show overall are doing.
It’s also a good idea to check in on the main players directly every once in a while. Particularly as the data they collect is different again!
Apple Podcasts (via Apple Podcasts Connect):
Followers: The number of people who have hit ‘follow’ on the show page on Apple Podcasts.
Listeners: The number of unique devices used to listen to an episode of your podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Engaged Listeners: The number of unique devices used to play at least 20 minutes of an episode in one session (pausing and stopping does not impact this)
Plays: The number of times an episode of your podcast has been played on a unique device via Apple Podcasts.
Apple Podcasts also shows where your listeners are located, what devices they're using, and what apps they're using to listen to your show.
Spotify for Podcasters:
Streams: The number of times an episode of your podcast has been played on Spotify.
Starts: The number of times an episode of your podcast has been played on Spotify “for 0 seconds or more.”
Listeners: The number of unique listeners who have listened to an episode of your podcast on Spotify.
Spotify also shows where your listeners are located, what devices they're using, and what time of day they're listening to your show.
Is my podcast doing well?
The true answer to this question really depends on your reasons for podcasting, your goals and what success looks like for you. However, many podcasters want to know how their downloads are sizing up against others and this resource from Buzzsprout goes someway to giving an idea of that.
The number of downloads cited here relate to the first seven days after release of a new episode. So if your podcast host shows you have hit 32+ downloads in the seven days after release of a new episode then you can consider it as being in the top 50% of all podcasts….
more than 32 downloads, you’re in the top 50% of podcasts.
more than 112 downloads, you’re in the top 25% of podcasts.
more than 443 downloads, you’re in the top 10% of podcasts.
more than 1,083 downloads, you’re in the top 5% of podcasts.
more than 5,097 downloads, you’re in the top 1% of podcasts.
*As of June 2023
Devil in the data
Podcast analytics can be a valuable tool for understanding how well your show is performing. If you are tracking the right data points for your goals, then you can identify what's working and what's not and make changes to improve your show.
While the stats can be fun to dig into, it can be all too easy to get lost in them and totally hung up on them. Remember, the most important thing is to create great content that your listeners will love.
