Podcast analytics: 30 or 60 seconds? Does it matter?

• With a new definition of a podcast “play” being “at least 30 seconds of content consumed”, we wondered what would happen if the definition of a “download” also changed to “at least 30 seconds of content downloaded”. Below in the “Tech Stuff”, we ask one of the world’s biggest podcast hosts whether they could recalculate their stats to see how much of a difference it makes.

• In Australia, The Infinite Dial 2026 was released by Edison Research at SSRS and Commmercial Radio & Audio. 55% of Australians consumed a podcast in the last month (the US figure is 58%); 45% in the last week (on par with the US).

  • In news that will please Apple: 27% of video podcast consumers say they consumed a video podcast on Apple Podcasts in the past month. The fieldwork for this study was done April 12-28: starting less than three weeks after the feature publicly launched. That figure is 37% for Netflix, 47% for Spotify, and 89% for YouTube.
  • The ACMA, the media regulator, also released data. How we watch and listen to content says that 52% of Australians listened to podcasts in 2025. Spotify was the most popular for audio.

• Spotify recently launched a verification badge for some podcast creators. That’s good, says Eric Johnson, writing for Podnews - but, he argues, Spotify can and should do more.

• Book summary service Blinkist has announced it is to stop using AI narrators. Thomas Anderson announced the decision, adding “I recognize the error we made in experimenting with AI-narration, but I am pleased we were able to correct it.”

• Casper hasn’t advertised on podcasts for over two years; but they’re back. So says a new service: Podcast Advertiser Radar checks podcast episode notes for sponsors, to give quick actionable information to salespeople.

• AI Audio Enhancer has been launched by Podsqueeze. The tool corrects echo, audio with irregular volume, or background noise. It starts at $9.99/month.

• PodGround announced the winners of its second creator micro-grant. Two podcast creators will each receive $500 to invest in the growth and sustainability of their podcasts.

• The winners of the 2026 Sheffield DocFest Awards were announced. Among the awards were The Whickers Podcast Pitch. The first prize (£15,000) went to The many gendered mothers of my heart, presented by David Green, and the development prize (£5,000) went to The Riverbank, presented by Jane Ray and Lieven Heeremans.

• Wanting unique, ambient tracks? Reverie is a new and fascinating tool for Windows or Mac. You give it a piece of music, and it’ll make a unique ambient music bed from it - up to thirty minutes long, if you want it to. We’ve used a bit in the Podnews Daily podcast today, based on our ow n custom music from TM Studios - Reverie is particularly useful for true crime shows, game developers, or anyone else that wants copyright-free ambient tracks. It has a free tier; but the pro tier is just a one-off €19 (US $22ish).

• Audacity 4 has just entered a public beta. The audio editing company was exhibiting at The Podcast Show in London (though whenever your Editor went to try and speak with them, they were talking to others). It’s had a visual makeover, properly supports plugins, and should be backwards-compatible with v3. (A few features won’t make it though - tempo tracks, LADSPA plugins and Vamp analyzers.)

• Kaye Adams and Marc Jennings have been announced as hosts of the Scottish Podcast Awards later this month. The event is on June 25.

• If your studio equipment is looking a little grubby, we found this cleaning video to help inspire you.

The Tech Stuff - with RSS.com

The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting, AMP, is proposing a definition of a “play” which is 30 seconds of content played - one that Spotify has already implemented. But, the IAB’s existing Podcast Measurement Guidelines defines a valid download as where enough content to play for 60 seconds has been downloaded - a duration that’s twice as long as AMP’s 30 second figure.

A play is different to a download - a download may not result in a play, after all. But, harmonising the thresholds might make things easier for everyone. So - what would happen if we recalculated download data to the same 30 second threshold?

We asked our sponsors RSS.com whether they would be able to take a week’s worth of data, and calculate total downloads using a 30 second threshold rather than a 60 threshold. They did - and reported back: “across those 7 days, the difference between counting a download at 30 vs 60 seconds ranged from +0.90% to +1.06% in favour of the 30-second threshold”.

In other words, a change to a 30 second threshold results in around a 1% increase in downloads. That’s no real change at all.

If Spotify, and (as seems likely) YouTube both agree on a thirty-second threshold for play counts, then that thirty-second threshold may also make sense to use for downloads. And now we know that it makes no difference to the numbers.

Tips and tricks

• Plays, streams, downloads, views, listens… what does it all mean? We can help, with our guide to understanding podcast stats.

Podcast News - with Airwave

With Airwave: A History of the World in Spy Objects The Enigma Machine. The B2 stealth bomber. The poisoned-tipped umbrella. Napoleon’s Briefcase of Secrets. As long as there has been conflict, there have been spies, and as long as there have been spies, there have been incredible gadgets and iconic objects.

PodBiz this week talk to N’Jeri Eaton, CEO and co-founder of Type C Studios. She suggests that some networks are offering 25% of the money a narrative podcast needs to be produced - “hoping that people are desperate enough to say yes. That’s been really disheartening to see”.

Caloroga Shark Media has dropped a bonus episode of their hit Crown and Controversy - King Charles following the King’s pivotal United States visit from April. From a historic address to Congress to moments of quiet connection in New York, this episode explores how decades of preparation, scrutiny, and patience culminated in a performance that reshaped global perceptions of Charles.

The Bad Therapist Show, hosted by therapist business coach and former six-figure private practice owner, Felicia Keller Boyle, LMFT, today announces a full rebrand. It speaks directly to established solo and group practice owners about how successful therapists can keep growing without sacrificing the lives they’re working so hard to build.

Millions have connected with Dhar Mann’s inspirational stories through fiction. Now, those lessons come to life through real people sharing their journeys firsthand in What Happens Next. Moments of loss, failure, fear, or uncertainty - this podcast offers perspective for anyone navigating a difficult chapter of their own. When everything feels uncertain, only one question matters: what happens next?

Wondered about the top 5 toilet cubicle related social norms? Dive into the wonderfully weird world of the unwritten rules that guide our behaviour in different settings. Not Your Nanna’s Norms makes sociology fun, accessible, and a little bit cheeky — something anyone can enjoy, not just the lucky few who’ve taken a sociology class.

When people around the globe started killing themselves with an obscure substance a few years ago, grieving families and investigative journalists discovered an online forum and a salesman in Canada: Kenneth Law. Police believe he sent more than 1,200 shipments to 41 countries, and may be connected to more than 130 deaths. On Hunting the Suicide Salesman, Daemon Fairless takes us inside a dark corner of the internet: the online world helping people take their own lives.

In Wrestling with the Inner Man this week, encores of three significant Father related episodes (today, Wednesday and Friday) and a new Father’s Day show on Sunday, June 21st. The Father’s Day Show features a new nationwide program for dads to disciple their children over a three year period called the Aion Path starting at age 13 and ending with a special rite of passage ceremony at age 16. Matt Hanson, President of the National Rite of Passage Council talks about the organization launching this program and describes what they hope to achieve for fathers, families, and the future of those children who complete it.