In its battle for podcast supremacy, Spotify is adding a new data point to give deeper insight into episode performance. The company is rolling out “Plays,” a publicly visible metric that shows how often a podcast episode has been actively listened to or viewed.
The feature offers near-instant visibility into engagement at both the show and episode levels and mirrors YouTube’s “Views,” which has been a core metric for the platform since before it rocketed into the podcast platform playing field.
Spotify says that unlike streams, which remain tied to monetization eligibility, “Plays” will now be visible across the Spotify app, Spotify for Creators, and Megaphone dashboards. The goal, according to Spotify, is to provide creators with a broader picture of their content’s reach and resonance with audiences.
While monetization rules based on the existing 60-second listening threshold will remain unchanged, “Plays” will act as an additional measurement of popularity and listener interest.
Podcasters using Spotify for Creators, regardless of their hosting platform, will now also gain access to consumption hour metrics.
Spotify says the feature will help fans quickly identify the most popular episodes within the app while allowing creators to refine and adapt their strategies based on real-time audience interaction.
