In May 2025, Spotify introduced "Plays," an addition to their existing metrics that offers a more comprehensive view of the scale of all episodes on their platform. By now, you might notice different listens data between Spotify Analytics and Acast Insights. Understanding these differences is crucial to get a complete picture of how your podcast is doing.
Spotify counts Plays, where a play is counted every time a Spotify user actively views or listens to your episode. Spotify also provides data on impressions - when somebody sees your show or episode on Spotify, it counts as an impression.
Acast, adhering to IAB 2.1 standards, counts Downloads that pass filtering to provide more accurate podcast data. While initiated by an episode request (for download or streaming), a download is only counted if:
At least 60 seconds of the episode is downloaded.
The request comes from a valid user agent (the type of software being used to access the podcast, excluding bots).
The request originates from a valid IP address (the unique internet address of the device, excluding known spam sources).
Only one download per unique user (identified by IP and user agent) per episode is counted within a 24-hour window.
Key Differences and What They Mean for You
The fundamental difference lies in what each platform measures:
Spotify measures confirmed active listens (Plays) within their specific platform, without the filtering applied by Acast.
Acast measures filtered download requests (Downloads) that are designed to provide the most accurate data across various podcast players, adhering to industry standards.
Understanding these distinct approaches is crucial when analyzing your podcast's performance. By considering the unique metrics provided by each, you can gain a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of your podcast's overall impact and get a complete picture of how your podcast is doing.