What’s the difference between downloads and plays in podcasting?

This week I’m answering a question about podcast analytics... how do downloads work, what actually counts as a play, and how much of your audience data is real? Spoiler: It’s more complicated than it should be. 💡In this episode I cover… • What podcast downloads really mean • Whether you can tell how many people really listened to your podcast • What counts as a “stream” (and why it doesn’t exist) • How to get better data using Apple & Spotify dashboards • Why audience growth matters more than round numbers If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on behind the scenes of your podcast stats, this one’s for you. EPISODE CREDITS: Host: Rachel Corbett Editing Assistance: Josh Newth LINKS & OTHER IMPORTANT STUFF: Download my free podcasting guide (https://www.podschool.com.au/podcast-guide) Check out my online podcasting course, PodSchool (https://podschool.com.au/) Click here to submit a question to the show (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWepoep0HgIN1Fm5AZa5qyJ1NC5FDS0OVXNotbbdytSsHM1g/viewform?usp=sf_link) Email me: rachel@rachelcorbett.com.au Follow me: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/_rachelcorbett/) , Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RachCorbett) , X (https://www.twitter.com/RachelCorbett) , LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/rachelcorbett1) , YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/UCgUsLDEldBkYVF3mimdLsIw) , TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@rachelcorbettpodschool) or check out my blog (https://rachelcorbett.com.au/blog/) or the PodSchool website (https://podschool.com.au/) . This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people, of the Eora Nation. I pay my respects to Elders past and present.