Spotify launches “plays” podcast metric and expanded analytics for creators

Spotify has introduced plays, a new podcast metric that allows users to see which episodes are most popular directly within the app. This addition helps both fans and creators easily identify which content is capturing the most attention on the platform. For podcasters, plays now appears as a central metric on the home dashboard, show overview, and individual episode analytics, providing near-immediate feedback on audience engagement.

The new metric tracks engagement across both audio and video podcast content. Starting this week, plays are visible not just in the main Spotify app, but also on the Spotify for Creators and Megaphone dashboards. In a further boost for podcast creators, Spotify is also making consumption hour metrics — showing total listening or viewing time — available to all creators in Spotify for Creators, no matter their hosting provider. Existing monetization eligibility and payout calculations for creators and publishers remain unchanged with these analytics updates.