Apple Podcasts grew podcast listening most in 2019

• In Libsyn’s The Feed, Rob Walch shared growth stats for Libsyn-hosted podcasts in Jan-Oct 2019. Listening on Apple Podcasts increased by 13.1%; but since Apple Podcasts accounts for 58% of all podcast listens, that growth accounts for 44.5% of total podcast growth in 2019. Listening to podcasts on Spotify doubled in 2019, accounting for 39.5% of total podcast growth. We reported on Libsyn’s overall podcast app market share numbers in late November; Walch also clarified that almost all Libsyn shows are now on Spotify.

• Stitcher has a new, easier, podcast submission process, and useful statistics showing downloads and listening time. We’ve updated our list of where to add your podcast.

  
  Aug 19 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.

• The BBC says that there was a record amount of podcast listening on BBC Sounds, the Corporation’s audio app, in 2019. The Global News Podcast was downloaded or played more than 145m times in the UK and around the world this year.

• A Dutch true-crime podcast from the Netherlands Police has resulted in fifteen new leads.

• Podchaser are keen for more integrations with other services, and are asking for votes for which tools to integrate with next. (We’re on the list - and are up for any integration!)

  
  Aug 19 2023: This broken link now points to the Internet Archive.
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• Eric Nuzum says, in a prediction piece, that “creating knockoffs is the wrong approach, and there’s a ton of it happening now. It’s riding the momentum of the podcast boom without actually contributing much to it.”

Feedback

Ratings and reviews don’t affect rankings in Apple Podcasts, we reported yesterday. Here are some of the responses we had:

Nobody has ever claimed that the total number of reviews has an impact on the charts. Rather, just like everything else on Apple Podcasts (subscribes, plays, views), the theory (strongly encouraged by vague comments from Apple employees) goes that it’s the rate of reviews, in a short / given time frame. Part of why new shows do better in the charts, relatively speaking (unless you’re a blockbuster show). That having been said, I would love to see a study that looks at that (rate of reviews, as opposed to total amount) to either debunk or confirm it.

Podchaser adds:

This is not true for Podchaser. Ask for reviews on Podchaser to move up our charts (they’ll also show up in The Feed for everyone to see and discover).

Podcast News - with Spreaker Prime

Spreaker Prime: **Switch, Pivot and Quit is a podcast that lets you sit in with your girlfriends and chat all things career changes and challenges. These influential women often find themselves iTunes’ curated list of “Inspiring Women.” They’re using Spreaker Prime to earn money and cut their hosting costs.

My Favorite Murder gets a review by Podcast Review. “I’m not the only person who’s found something deeply moving, and even comforting, in My Favorite Murder’s irreverent approach to crime,” says Claudia McCarron. (Exactly Right / ART19)