Captivate Analytics Data Dictionary

In this article, we'll break down the exact data Captivate's analytics platform collects for podcasts and networks, and what they mean.

Datapoints at Podcast Level

Captivate measures downloads using certified data collection and analysis in line with the latest IAB podcast measurement guidelines.

• Download - we register that a file (in this case, a podcast episode) has been downloaded.
• Total bytes downloaded by the user - we use this to measure against IAB guidelines.
• IP address - per the IAB guidelines, used to determine the same user listening to multiple downloaded files (used in collaboration with their user agent)
• Show ID - in the case of a feed drop listen.
• Time of download - we track when specifically the download happens, so that we can show when episodes are listened to relative to their publication.
• Location of download- where in the world the download happens. With this data, we can show you where your audience is and where you're most popular, so you can use this data to inform decisions like publication time. We record city, country, country code, province.
• Device/browser/operating system - we collect information on the method of download. Usually, this will show as a podcast directory like Spotify or Apple podcasts, but it can also include browsers like Safari if users are listening directly in browser as opposed to on an app.
• User agent - the device/browser/operating system used to make the download and the IP address gives us a way to distinguish unique listeners. This means we can show you distinct people downloading your podcast as opposed to simply the amount of times it's been downloaded.
• Impression tracking - used to measure against ad markers.

Web Player

• % of file downloaded- for Captivate's embeddable player, we can also track how much of a podcast episode the user is downloading, and use this metric to inform listener dropoff and retention on a per-episode basis.

Datapoints at Network Level

We collect the same raw data at network level as at podcast level, but our network analytics dashboard allows us to collate and compare the download and listener numbers of podcasts in the network, and specific episodes in those podcasts, against each other. Of course, we also present location and time data as well for you to compare.

Updated on: 10/12/2025