AMP Task Force Introduces Cross-Platform Alternative to the Podcast "Download"

Today, the Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP), a task force dedicated to future-proofing podcasting amid a growing measurement crisis, announces the first unified impression framework for audio and video podcasting. Its ambition is to give advertisers and publishers a single consumption-based currency that lets them compare audio and video podcast inventory on common terms for the first time, while preserving the “download” as a delivery signal where it remains useful.

The download is the currency podcasting was built on. From the medium’s beginning, it has been the unit by which shows are ranked, ad inventory is sold, and value is assigned. But as new podcasting platforms arose and the medium expanded to video, the gap between how each major platform measured impressions grew. Apple counts downloads. Spotify counts streams. YouTube counts views. None of those definitions describes the same human behavior, and none allows a chief marketing officer to compare audio and video podcast inventory on the same line of a media plan. That structural mismatch has eroded advertiser trust and spending, holding the medium back from its next phase of brand investment.

To address this, the AMP Task Force ratified a new framework with four exposure definitions, with no dissenting votes, bringing cross-platform consumption-based standards to podcasting for the first time:

• Podcast Play: 30 seconds of content played, audio or video, once per user per session.
• Podcast Audience: The number of unique users who had a Podcast Play.
• Ad Impression: A commercial begins playing for the user.
• Ad Audience: The number of users exposed to an Ad Impression.

Not only is this new standard consumption-based rather than delivery-based, it works the same way across audio and video, is applicable to listening or viewing on all platforms, and is enhanced by growing adoption of HLS standards. It also functions as a supplementary layer of measurement rather than a sudden currency replacement, allowing cross-platform comparison without forcing any single platform to abandon their existing systems. 

Beyond these exposure definitions, AMP seeks to develop a universal definition of “podcast,” which impacts industry sizing, buying and selling processes, and measurement, as well as a comprehensive cross-platform attribution proposal. The task force will reveal its full guidance along with an implementation guide at Oxford Road’s CAO Summit on July 23, 2026 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

AMP comprises major industry leaders across platforms, advertisers, publishers and creators. This includes individuals from leading platforms where the vast majority of audio and video podcast content is consumed, hosting and monetization companies, top advertisers, leading talent, and independent measurement providers.

Select AMP members include:

• Oxford Road, CEO, Dan Granger and EVP of Strategy, Giles Martin
• Spotify, Head of Podcast Agency & Show Specialist Sales, Anna Hartman and Head of Content Partnerships, Jordan Newman
• BetterHelp, Senior Director of Growth Marketing, Brittany Clevenger
• DraftKings, Senior Manager, Growth Marketing, Mike Janigian
• United Talent Agency, Creators Agent, Rebecca Steinberg and Partner & Co-Head, UTA Creators, Oren Rosenbaum
• Libsyn, Executive Vice President of Sales, Anthony Savelli
• Podscribe, CEO & Founder, Pete Birsinger

“For years, the buy side and the sell side have argued about whether a ‘download’ equals a ‘listen,’ and how YouTube ‘views’ should be counted alongside podcast downloads. The AMP exposure framework finally gives the industry the answer it has needed: a single, consumption-based metric that can work across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and everywhere else,” said Pete Birsinger, CEO and Founder of Podscribe.

“Selling apples, oranges and bananas at the same price and calling it a tomato may have worked for a while, but it makes for a lousy bloody mary. The time has come to harmonize the way we calculate and price audience exposure, no matter where someone played a podcast. This removes a major bottleneck that has undermined trust and clarity, and held back the growth of audiences and advertising dollars. Moving beyond the download as a measure of listening has been a long time coming, and gives the industry fresh momentum it’s needed for the better part of a decade,” said Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road. 

For more information, visit: ampaccords.com