Libsyn restricts publishers from using some analytics

• Podcast host Libsyn is restricting its publishers from using some analytics companies. The company’s recent platform update to add “URL prepends” for companies like Podtrac and Blubrry does not allow publishers to add Podsights, a company that measures the effect of podcast advertising. Attempts fail with an error, saying that the prepend is not compliant with privacy legislation. Podsights, however, say in a statement to us that “Podsights is GDPR and CCPA compliant, and data privacy is core to our business.” Libsyn tells us: “We are taking these steps to help Libsyn, our customers and Libsyn partners better comply with CCPA and data privacy best practices globally, and because we feel it is necessary to protect listener privacy,” though their statement does not mention Podsights by name.

  • Libsyn also runs its own podcasting advertising business. It earnt $1.57m in 2017 from podcast advertising, but earnings fell to $1.26m in 2018, and in the first nine months of 2019, ad revenues slumped further to just $438,000. As we reported in October, their terms and conditions forbid podcasters on their platform to carry any advertising without written permission, and require Libsyn to also sell ads on behalf of publishers. Some who’ve contacted us suggest that the restriction of Podsights may be for reasons other than privacy.

• Podtrac have revised their US top 20 podcasts for November 2019, after our investigation yesterday discovered that numbers for some podcasts included Android users just visiting a website and never playing the podcast at all. Those titles have been removed. On the page, they say, in part:

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

  We looked at the incidence of this player version across all Podtrac measured podcasts, and other than this publisher, 0.1% of podcast downloads came from this same version of the player, and none of these came from the top 2,000 podcasts measured by Podtrac. Podtrac has added this version of the player to our blocklist and has notified the IAB Podcast Technical Working Group to do the same.

• On our story yesterday, Mike Kadin from RedCircle says, in a Twitter thread, that “measures of true engagement and influence will be far more important” than downloads. Lindsay Patterson from Tumblecast tweets “if these rankings are so fallible, what’s the point of publishing them?”

• Vox Media’s Zach Kahn has joined Apple Podcasts, in the clearest indication yet that Apple may be planning original content.

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• Steven Goldstein acknowledges that podcast listening on smart speakers is less than 1%, but says things are looking up. “Podcasters should consider spending brief but instructional effort on how to listen to podcasts on smart speakers and other devices”, he adds.

  
  This link is no longer available, as at Aug 19 2023

• We’re tipped off that Cuonda, the Spanish podcast network, auto-plays shows on their website - just click on any episode. Our correspondent wonders whether this is delivering accurate play counts to publishers.

• Barcelona-based iVoox is adding Smart Lists to its app, allowing users to produce automated playlists based on topic, language, or duration.

• In time for the holidays, Gretchen Rubin, host of the popular podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, has created The Gift of a Podcast. It’s described as a thoughtful gift that creates no cost, no clutter, no errands - just pure enjoyment. You can grab a free gift certificate over here. Tip to those considering getting this for the Podnews team: we already know how podcasts work, thanks.

• Google Podcasts has a new dark theme, according to 9to5Google.

  • 18 months after the launch of Google Podcasts, Google Play Music Podcasts - a competing podcast app from the company - is still available. Today, just to confuse people further, Business Insider have a full, new, article on how to use it.

• An event in Brussels, Belgium: the Belgian Podcast Festival. which will take place Feb 28 to Mar 1.

Tips and tricks - with Acast Open

• Oliver Needham writes a number of tips for church podcasts.

• Looking for a gift for the podcast-obsessed in your life? The Bello Collective has some for you.

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