Apple will finally show podcasters how many followers they have and other subscriber metrics such as time listened

Podcast producers will be pleased to learn about new Apple Podcasts metrics that will soon become available to them, such as follower count, time listened and so on.

Marketing image showcasing Apple Podcasts Subscriptions Service with multiple channels shown on iPhone
Image credit: Apple
  • Apple in 2021 launched a podcast subscription service with very limited sharing of audience engagement stats, making it difficult for podcast producers to measure subscriber metrics.
  • Apple is now promising to rectify the situation and allow podcast producers to access subscriber metrics in the Apple Podcast Connect service, including information about how many followers a show has, total time listened and so on.
  • As a bonus, Apple Podcasts now accepts MP3 audio files, in addition to WAV and FLAC. These changes are scheduled to go live in April 2022.

Apple Podcasts will soon show subscriber metrics

According to Apple’s announcement, creators using the company’s Podcasts Subscriptions service will gain access to various engagement metrics beginning June 2022. The stats will be served through the Apple Podcast Connect, Apple’s web service designed for podcast creators to upload and manage their shows on Apple Podcasts. Read: The best free apps for creating podcasts on your Mac

Shared metrics will include the following stats:

  • New follows in the last week, month, 60 days and lifetime
  • Graphs of followers
  • Followers per show
  • Time listened

Since launching podcast subscriptions in April 2021, Apple has provided very basic metrics in terms of engagement. This has made life difficult for creators looking to monetize their shows with ads because advertisers and sponsors want to take a peek at your engagement data before committing to an ad buy. Even with today’s announcement taken into account, Apple still provides relatively sparse engagement metrics versus rivals like Spotify. But better late than never, as they say, and surely Apple will bring more engagement metrics to podcast producers over time.

Getting guidance from Apple

Aside from sharing subscriber metrics with content owners, Apple has also made it easier for podcast producers to seek guidance from the Apple Podcasts team regarding the following topics:

  • Creating channels
  • Creating episodes
  • Submitting shows
  • Setting up show subscription
  • Learning about best practices for subscriptions
  • Understanding subscription reports

“Creators can also request support with transferring ownership of a podcast, creating an episode, and submitting a show,” Apple writes in the announcement post.