Spotify Addresses Backlash Over Public Podcast Stats

Spotify Adjusts Podcast Play Count Rollout Following Creator Feedback

Last week, Spotify initially announced the implementation of public play counts for all podcasts, citing a desire to facilitate audience growth. However, this proposition quickly encountered resistance from podcasters.

The primary concern voiced was that displaying play counts would disproportionately benefit established podcasts with large listener bases, potentially diminishing the discoverability of smaller shows.

Revised Implementation

Following the feedback, Spotify modified its approach on Friday. The company will now only showcase play counts for podcasts exceeding 50,000 plays.

Instead of displaying precise numbers, the play count will be updated incrementally at predetermined milestones, such as 100,000 or 1 million plays.

“This revised version of play counts will be deployed in the coming week,” Spotify communicated in a blog post. “This change demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing valuable insights for creators and a transparent experience for listeners.”

The Appeal of Podcast Discoverability

For many years, podcast platforms have generally refrained from publicly revealing detailed metrics of a show’s popularity. While Apple Podcasts offers reviews and charts, determining a show’s precise audience size – whether in the tens or tens of thousands – has been difficult.

Spotify argues that this lack of transparency is a disadvantage, but many creators have been attracted to podcasting precisely because it differs from other online media formats.

Unlike platforms like YouTube, where viewers are aware of video views and channel subscriber counts before engaging, podcasting offers a more level playing field for creators focusing on niche topics.

Defining a “Play” Across Platforms

Podcasters have also highlighted the inconsistency in defining what constitutes a “play” or “stream” across different platforms.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) collaborates with podcast platforms to establish a standardized metric for plays, aiming to improve consistency in negotiations between podcasters and advertisers.

However, according to Podnews, Spotify and YouTube currently employ definitions of a “play” that diverge from the IAB standard.

Spotify clarified that its play counts will reflect instances where users “actively tried” the content, while streams and downloads are only registered after 60 seconds of listener engagement.

This distinction underscores the ongoing effort to establish clear and consistent metrics within the podcasting landscape.