The data Apple is providing only comes from people using its newest software: iOS 11 and iTunes 12.7.So this is a big move for the industry, which generates a lot of attention (among media types, at least) but a very modest amount of money so far. But the majority of podcast consumption happens on Apple’s software, and up until now it has been a black hole. And the data that Apple is offering now is still fairly crude.
Right now, many of them are doing a crude end run around this data void by asking listeners to use a show-specific code when they visit a site after hearing an ad. This also matters to podcast advertisers, who would like to know if people are listening to the ads they pay for.This matters to podcast creators because they are unable to tell how the stuff they make performs - at best, they can usually only tell if someone has downloaded an episode or started to stream it.Up until now there has been comically little data about podcast consumption, especially compared to other digital media.You can read more about why this matters in a post I wrote in June, when Apple first said the feature would be coming. My hunch is most podcasts show a much steeper decline: Here’s a mock-up featuring a nonexistent podcast, which actually appears to have pretty good engagement. From old-school trailblazers to brand new names, these are the 50 best podcasts to listen to right now.The people who make podcasts - and the people who advertise on podcasts - are about to learn a lot more about the way people consume podcasts.Īpple has turned on a long-promised analytics feature that gives podcast creators the ability to see basic information about the way people listen (or don’t listen) to shows on Apple’s Podcast app.įor instance, podcast creators can now see (aggregated and anonymized, not device- or user-specific) data about when listeners stopped listening to a particular episode. Together, they have the power to make you gasp, giggle, scratch your head and walk away feeling smarter. Among them, you’ll find enriching lessons in history and deep-dive nerdery, stories that hit close to home or transport you to faraway lands. They include true-crime opuses and whip-smart comedy. The best podcasts maximize the medium’s potential, incorporating interesting voices, immaculately curated topics and an ear for storytelling. That’s the beauty: Anyone with a mic and a hard drive can make a podcast. There are seemingly infinite podcasts out there, from influential squawk-boxes like Joe Rogan and Howard Stern to amateur shows produced in basements. Now we live in the time of peak podcast, an era where we can get a direct infusion of knowledge, comedy, music, opinion, intrigue and discourse while showering, working, running or just lazing about. The golden age of radio didn’t end – it evolved.