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, iTunes (aka Apple Podcasts Connect), and Google Analytics. Each service has custom features, so read on to find out which will work best for you.
Compelling Reasons to Track Podcast Performance Metrics
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.
Tips You Probably Didn't Know: How to See How Many Listeners a Podcast Has
Now that we have looked at a few reasons someone might want to track their podcast's listenership, it's time to get into the practical part.
There are several ways to track audience size, and we’re going to list the most common methods here.
Method 1. Podcast Listener Metrics on Spotify
Spotify has grown into a major audio content streaming platform in recent years. Over 406 million monthly active users used the platform during Q4 2021.
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
- Total Listeners and Followers
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.
Here's a more detailed explanation of ways to interpret the data provided by Spotify for Podcasters.
Easy, isn't it? Spotify is a great platform with many useful features for podcast creators and listeners.
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
Method 2. Podcast Listeners Metrics on iTunes
iTunes is another major podcast streaming platform with over 525,000 shows and 18.5 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 iTunes, 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
iTunes 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.
Method 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 8.25 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.
Tips to Help you Grow Into a Pro
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.
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!
