If you’ve ever opened your podcast dashboard and felt a bit cross-eyed by all the numbers? You’re not alone. Stats like downloads, listeners, plays, followers… it can feel like a data jungle.
But you don’t have to track everything. In fact, trying to do that will probably just lead to analysis paralysis. You only need to focus on a few key stats to start making better decisions about your content, and one of the most important is your consumption rate.
So, what is consumption rate?
Your consumption rate is the percentage of an episode that people actually listen to. Apple Podcasts (via Apple Podcasts Connect) gives you this stat for each episode, which is really helpful for understanding what your audience is really into, and what they’re skipping.
Spotify shows something similar called consumption hours, but it’s not as detailed. It gives you a sense of how much total time people are spending listening to your episodes, but not broken down per episode.
If your Apple consumption rate is around 70% or higher, you’re doing well. If it’s consistently lower than that, it’s worth having a look at:
- Are your intros too long?
- Are you getting to the point quickly enough?
- Are you choosing topics your audience actually cares about?
Why downloads don’t mean engagement
Downloads get talked about a lot, especially when podcasters are pitching to sponsors or writing media kits. But downloads are a bit of a vanity metric.
A download just means someone listened for at least 60 seconds on a unique device. They might have switched off straight after the intro. It doesn’t tell you much about engagement or whether they got any value from the episode.
Real insight comes from listener behaviour: how long they stick around, what devices they’re using, and whether they hit “follow”.
Stats worth watching (and why)
Here are a few podcast stats that are genuinely useful:
1. Consumption rate (Apple)
Tells you how much of an episode people are listening to. Helps you improve your episode structure and content focus.
2. Engaged listeners (Apple)
These are people who listen to at least 20 minutes or 40% of an episode. Much more useful than total listeners.
3. Follower count (Spotify & Apple)
These are your loyal listeners. Tracking this over time helps you see if your audience is growing.
4. Device type (hosting platform)
Knowing if people listen on mobile, desktop, or smart speaker can shape how you share your links and where you put your calls to action.
5. Listener location (hosting platform)
Handy for running ads or planning in-person events. Some platforms let you track down to the city.
Practical tips to use your stats better
- Shorten your intro: If your drop-off is happening early, don’t waste time with long intros or waffle, hook your audience in quickly.
- Repeat your CTA: Especially if most people listen on mobile while multitasking. Say your call-to-action out loud and clearly, and repeat it near the end.
- Track what works: Look at which topics or guests get the most engagement and use that insight to plan your future episodes.
- Segment your data: Compare solo episodes with interviews, or short vs long episodes. Patterns will start to show up if you look month to month.
Want some help pulling all this together?
If you’re still not sure what your stats are saying, or just want an expert eye to go through it all—I can help.
My Podcast Growth Audits give you a clear snapshot of what’s working, what’s not, and where the growth opportunities are hiding. I’ll go through your Apple, Spotify and hosting data, put it into a clear, no-fluff report, and give you practical steps to grow a show that actually supports your business. Book yours here.
Want more info on podcast stats?
I break all of this down (plus more!) in Episode 45 of Podcasting for Business Owners. If you want to understand your stats better without the overwhelm, give it a listen. Listen here.