So you've started a podcast. Congratulations! But how do you know if anyone is listening? It's not like there's a meter running or anything. Fear not, dear podcaster - there are several ways to get an idea of your audience size. Sometimes it can be hard to track the progress of a podcast listenership, but it's still important to have a sense of how popular a show is. After all, knowing your audience size is essential for understanding whether your podcast is successful or not.
This article will show you how to see how many listeners a podcast has by using three different services: Spotify, Apple (aka Apple Podcasts Connect), and Google Analytics. Each service has custom features, so read on to find out which will work best for you.
Why Would You Be Tracking Podcast Stats?
The reasons why someone would need to research podcast listenership statistics vary depending on their role within the industry.
Independent podcasters who don't have sponsors may be interested in audience data to support collaboration with potential advertisers. Tracking progress and popularity will help them determine the value of ad placements.
In some cases, podcast guests may be interested in the number of listeners of a show they're about to appear on. This is especially common among entrepreneurs looking for exposure for their products and services. Also, podcast networks and directories use audience data to determine the show's popularity and where it should rank on its listings.
But even if you're not planning to use your podcast for commercial purposes, it can be satisfying to see how many people are tuning in to hear what you have to say! Whatever the reason for wanting to track podcast listenership statistics, the process is relatively simple.
How to Tell How Popular a Podcast is?
Generally speaking, there are different ways to figure out a podcast's popularity and its audience size, including:
1) Podcast Directories: Start by looking at popular podcast directories and platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and others. These platforms often display metrics like the number of subscribers, reviews, and ratings. You can get a rough idea of a podcast's popularity by looking at these numbers.
2) Social Media: Check the podcast's social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The number of followers and engagement (likes, comments, shares) can provide some insight into the podcast's audience size, popularity and reach.
3) Listener Reviews and Ratings: Read the podcast's reviews and ratings on platforms like Apple Podcasts. Higher ratings and positive reviews typically indicate a more popular podcast. Keep in mind that some newer podcasts may not have many reviews yet.
4) Website and Blog: Visit the podcast's website or blog if they have one. This can provide additional information about the podcast's content and its hosts. A professional-looking website can be a sign of a more established podcast.
5) Podcast Hosting Platforms: Some podcast hosting platforms provide podcasters with statistics and analytics. If the podcast owner has shared these statistics publicly or if they're willing to provide you with information, you can get a more detailed understanding of the podcast's performance, including download numbers, listener demographics, and geographic distribution.
How to See How Many Listeners Your Podcast Has
There are several ways to track audience size, and we’re going to list the most common methods here.
1) Podcast Listener Metrics on Spotify
Spotify has grown into a major audio content streaming platform in recent years with over 615 million monthly active users and 6 million podcast titles.
Spotify offers a comprehensive set of podcasting tools for both podcasters and listeners. It includes an analytics dashboard with detailed information concerning user interaction and listening behavior. Thus, knowing how to see how many listeners a podcast has on Spotify is probably the most reliable way to track podcast listenership statistics, because it comes straight from the source.
Now let’s understand how you, as a podcaster, could find the detailed information about their podcast's Spotify performance. The first thing to do is visit the Spotify for Podcasters website and log in with their credentials. After logging in, you will be redirected to the main dashboard page.
Clicking on the podcast banner, you can access detailed analytics for your show, including:
- Starts and Streams: Starts represent new listener sessions, while Streams count total plays including replays.
- Total Listeners and Followers: Listeners are unique users who played an episode, Followers subscribe to get updates.
Spotify listeners are individual users who have played a podcast episode at least once. This number is different from the total number of streams because the latter metric includes people who have played the same episode multiple times.
Nevertheless, Spotify isn't the only platform that lets you track your podcast's progress. Here are some more popular ways to see how many listeners a podcast has
2) How to See Apple Podcast Stats
Apple Podcasts, also known as iTunes Podcast, is another major podcast streaming platform with over 2.6 million valid podcasts and 94 million episodes. The platform offers tools that help podcasters measure the progress and popularity of their shows.
To see how many listeners a podcast has on Apple, a podcaster needs to create an Apple Podcasts Connect account. The platform allows podcasters to track a wide range of statistics, including:
- The number of times people have played each episode
- The number of people subscribed to the show
- Listener demographics
- Whether or not listeners skip over the intro or the second mid-roll
Apple podcast listener analytics focuses on providing data concerning each episode. Meanwhile, listenership data originates from unique devices that have played an episode at least once.
iTunes is a powerful podcast streaming platform with a rich toolset for accurate progress tracking.
3) Google Analytics for Podcasts
One of the most popular website traffic analysis tools - Google Analytics - is also a go-to option for viewing performance data. Besides having access to the number of unique listens, podcasters can also track metrics like plays and minutes played.
The average human attention span has shrunk from 12 to about 8 seconds, leaving marketers and content creators with a smaller window to deliver their message. That's why it's essential to understand how long people listen to a particular episode and where they drop off.
Podcast plays indicate the number of times a user has clicked the play button and listened to the show for at least 5 seconds on a particular day. However, the minutes show the total time people spend listening to an episode. Google Analytics is a great way to track this behavior and optimize content accordingly.
How to Get More Podcast Listeners
As a podcaster, it is important to be able to track your success. Still, quality over quantity is the key to a sustainable and successful career in podcasting. Here are some tips that will help you foster a loyal audience of engaged listeners:
Tip #1 Use professional podcast recording and editing products to enhance the quality of your show. Investing in high-quality software like Podcastle is any podcaster's ace in the hole. Our AI-trained silence remover helps thousands of creators produce clear and crisp audio files. Why not give it a try and make your podcast sound like a million bucks?
Tip #2 Also, don't forget to add transcripts of your episodes to your website or social media pages. This will make your content more accessible and help you rank higher on search engines.
Tip #3 Finally, don't give up! Seeing your show reach the top of the charts takes time and dedication. Keep producing quality and engaging content. The results will not take long to appear.
By knowing how many listeners you have and how they respond to your podcasts, you can adjust and improve your podcast content to better engage with your audience.
Pro Tip: It's Not Just About the Numbers
We dug a little deeper in the above video. Because, let's be real, tracking podcast listenership numbers can get tantalizing. But if you get too hung up on just the raw data, you're missing a massive opportunity. The true gold is in what those metrics can tell you about your audience.
Start digging into the demographics. Who are these loyal listeners? Where are they tuning in from around the world? How do they engage with each podcast episode? Having these deeper insights allows you to really tailor your content to what resonates.
At the end of the day, the metrics do provide direction, but taking a nuanced approach and digging into listener preferences allows you to keep levelling up your podcast game!
Publish a Podcast with Podcastle's Hosting Hub
There are so many platforms that want to host your amazing work and showcase it to the world. And publishing to each one manually can be a hassle. Well, it's never been easier than with Podcastle's Hosting Hub. With just one RSS link, you can easily publish your podcast across all major networks like Apple and Spotify, as well as get a dedicated show page on Podcastle's website.
Hopefully, this article has shown you the different ways you can measure your podcast's reach. Have you tried any of these methods? If not, now is the time!
FAQs
What if you're not a podcaster yourself, but you're interested in finding out how many listeners other podcasts have? Well, we've got you covered! Here's some hints and tips on figuring out how much of an audience different shows have.
Can You See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has?
Unless a podcast chooses to release their listener figures, there's no definitive way to know how many people are streaming or downloading the show. You can use websites like Rephonic, Chartable, or Listen Notes to get estimate of audience figures and popularity or look at official rankings like Spotify Charts to see how different shows stack up.
How to See How Many Followers a Podcast has on Spotify?
It's not possible to see how many followers a podcast has on Spotify, you can use various third-party tools to get an estimate or look at ratings, social media followers or rankings to judge for yourself.
How Many Listeners do you Need to Make Money on a Podcast?
The honest answer is - it depends entirely on your niche, what you're selling, and your audience. A hyper-engaged audience of a few thousand could be profitable for some, while others may need tens of thousands of listeners. The key is understanding your specific audience, testing monetization strategies, and providing value. Don't just chase numbers, go for engagement!
