Spotify has introduced a new feature that displays the number of “plays” for each podcast episode, giving both listeners and creators greater visibility into podcast engagement.
Highlights
This marks the first time the platform has made episode-level play counts publicly available, reflecting an effort to improve podcast discoverability and provide more transparent performance metrics.
The play count will appear across various parts of the Spotify app, including episode pages, show listings, and the home screen.
It will also be integrated into Spotify for Podcasters and Megaphone, offering creators and publishers more detailed analytics. The feature applies to both audio and video formats, ensuring consistent measurement across content types.
A Tool for Discovery and Insight
For listeners, visible play counts serve as a potential guide to identifying popular or trending episodes.
Higher play numbers may encourage exploration of widely engaged content. For creators, the metric can help assess which episodes are resonating with audiences and compare performance within podcast categories.
Spotify defines a “play” as a stream or download lasting at least 60 seconds. This threshold is intended to filter out accidental or brief plays, providing a more accurate reflection of meaningful engagement.
Expanded Analytics for Creators
The rollout enhances the analytics available through Spotify for Podcasters and Megaphone, giving creators insight into where listeners discover their content—such as the Spotify home page, search tools, or user libraries—and how those sources contribute to episode performance.
With this data, podcasters can better understand user behavior and refine their content strategies accordingly.
Integration with Existing Podcast Rankings
Spotify’s play counts are expected to complement its existing podcast charts, which rank shows based on daily unique streams.
Displaying individual episode play counts alongside these rankings may offer listeners a more informed view of what’s popular or gaining momentum, potentially increasing the visibility of up-and-coming podcasts.
Potential Impact on Monetization and Advertising
For creators and advertisers, the transparency introduced by public play counts could influence how podcast ad campaigns are designed and evaluated.
Advertisers often consider engagement and audience size when determining spend, and a visible, standardized play count could support more targeted sponsorship decisions.
This development may help creators with larger or more engaged audiences secure more favorable advertising opportunities.
Strategic Context and Platform Growth
The new feature arrives shortly after Spotify’s Q1 earnings report, where the company announced the addition of 5 million new premium subscribers—its largest first-quarter increase since 2020.
The total now stands at 268 million. The “plays” count initiative appears to align with Spotify’s broader strategy to deepen user engagement and expand its influence in the podcasting ecosystem.
By introducing this metric, Spotify is positioning itself as a more transparent and analytics-driven platform for podcast consumption. As the medium continues to grow, features like public play counts may influence how users choose episodes and how creators measure success.
