Analytics FAQs

Get all the details on the sweet data available to you with Captivate Analytics!

Danny Brown avatar
Written by Danny Brown
Updated over a week ago

At Captivate, we have one goal - to help you grow your show. To do this, we've created some of the most robust podcast analytics on any podcast host. And because they're IAB Certified, you know they're going to be 100% accurate.

Questions about your podcast analytics and how we can help? We've got you covered!

What analytics do you offer?

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to understand how your show is being listened to, and where you have opportunities to grow even more. That's why we include:

  • Unique listeners

  • Downloads overview

  • Download averages

  • Today's trending episodes

  • Month to month

  • Listener behaviour

  • Daily trends

  • How they listen

  • Where they listen

  • Episode performance comparison

  • Episode overview

  • Promotional link analytics

  • Web player analytics (including listener drop off)

  • Web player listener coverage

You can view the full range of our analytics suite here.

How do I access my analytics?

When logged into your Captivate dashboard, you'll see a quick snapshot of your analytics with Unique Listeners, Downloads Overview, Download Averages, and Latest Episodes. To view your full analytics, simply click on the Analytics tab in the navigation menu to the left of your screen.

What's this IAB Certification you talk about?

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is the body that oversees podcast analytics standards for the industry. The IAB works with podcast hosting & analytics platforms like Captivate, to ensure that analytics are as accurate as possible and to make sure that every hosting platform “talks the same language” when it comes to podcast listener and download data. Read more about the IAB here.

What are Unique Listeners?

A Unique Listener is someone who's using the same device, from the same IP, and listening to your show within the reporting timeframe. Unique Listeners ensure 100% accuracy when it comes to your analytics, thanks to our IAB V2 Certification.

What's the difference between a download and a listen?

Because we are IAB Certified, a download is classed as any time someone presses play on a podcast app or web player, and listens for at least 60 seconds, or downloads enough data to their device to allow for at least 60 seconds playback afterward.

Listens, on the other hand, can account for multiple listens from the same download, since it's tracked by an IP address. So, for example:

  • Someone starts listening at home on their smart speaker (1st IP address, 1st listen)

  • They pause, because they want to go to the gym

  • They get ready, jump in their car, and then resume listening (2nd IP, 2nd listen)

  • They pause when they arrive at the gym car park, then resume inside the gym when they start working out (3rd IP, 3rd listen)

  • When they finish, they go to get groceries but don't listen to the podcast in the car. Instead, they wait until they get back home to resume (4th IP, 4th listen)

How up-to-date are my analytics?

Captivate refreshes our analytics every 15 minutes, and you can see the last time your analytics were updated in the top right hand corner of your Analytics dashboard. The various podcast hosts have different update periods, so the information may not change as frequently for analytics from these platforms/apps.

I'm moving from a different host to Captivate. Will my existing analytics transfer with me?

Unfortunately, no. This is because the industry at large has no agreed way of doing this and, whilst we believe that this should be possible, it's something that is still in development within the industry. So, your previous podcast host will be able to give you an export of your statistics up until the point that you start hosting your show(s) with Captivate and then from there, Captivate will provide all of your statistics.

Which platforms do you report on?

We pull analytics from all the main platform apps that provide analytic reporting. This includes Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Overcast, PodcastAddict, and more. You can also log in to your Podcast Connect dashboard for Apple Podcasts, and Spotify for Podcasters dashboard, to access extra analytics, like audience gender and demographics.

Do you support third party tracking code, like Chartable, Podtrac, etc?

Yes we do, and we make it super easy to do so! Check out our guide on using a third-party tracking code with your podcast.

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