Episode 529 - Better Listener Data Beyond Your Podcast Hosting Site - Spotify For Creators

Spotify for Creators gives podcasters access to powerful first-party listener data and audience engagement tools that hosting platforms like Buzzsprout, Captivate, Libsyn, and Blubrry cannot provide. This guide highlights what you can see inside Spotify for Creators, what your hosting platform shows instead, and how to use both effectively.1. Audience DemographicsWhat Spotify for Creators Shows You (First-Party Data)

Spotify offers listener-level behavior insights based on how users actually consume your episodes inside the app.

• Age groups

• Gender breakdown

• Countries & cities

• Device types

(Hosting platforms cannot access demographic data.)

2. Listener Behavior & Engagement

Spotify tracks what listeners do, not just whether an episode was downloaded:

• Starts: When a listener presses play

• Streams: Listened for 60+ seconds

• Unique listeners

• Followers (Spotify-only)

• Completion rate per episode

• Retention graph showing second-by-second drop-offs

• Episode comparison tools

These metrics reveal how deeply listeners engage with your content.

3. Interactive Audience Tools

Spotify is the only platform where podcasters can engage directly inside the listening app:

• Episode comments

• Q&A features

• Polls

You can approve, hide, reply, or pin comments directly in the dashboard.

4. Spotify-Specific Performance Insights

• Top episodes on Spotify

• Listener trends across days, weeks, months

• Episode growth over time

• Traffic sources: Search, Browse, Your Audience, External

• Follower growth

What Your Hosting Platform Shows Instead

Your hosting platform measures downloads and distribution, not listener behavior.

Hosting dashboards typically show:

• Total downloads across all platforms

• Unique downloads

• Geolocation data (IP-based)

• Listening apps used (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, etc.)

• Episode performance across all platforms

• Download trends over time

Hosts cannot show retention graphs, listener demographics, Spotify follower counts, or Spotify engagement tools.

Use Both Together for a Complete PictureSpotify for Creators = HOW listeners engage

Behavior, drop-off points, demographics, and in-app interactions.

Total downloads, all-platform performance, distribution metrics.

Together, they provide full insight into your show’s health.

Your Hosting Platform = HOW MANY listeners you reachKey Metrics Podcasters Should MonitorFrom Spotify for Creators:

• Retention graph

• Completion rate

• New followers

• Streams vs. listeners

• Comments, polls, and Q&A activity

From Your Host:

• Total downloads

• Where people listen (apps)

• Geographic location

• All-platform episode performance

Where to Manage Listener Interactions

In Spotify for Creators:
Episodes → Select Episode → Interactions
From here you can:

• Reply to comments

• Approve or hide messages

• Pin comments

• Add or edit Q&A and polls

https://creators.spotify.com_____https://howtopodcast.ca/