Talk about shaking up the podcast industry. Apple just announced that they are finally going to unveil basic analytics for podcast creators and advertisers. Essentially, the tools that Apple will be rolling out later this year will:

1. Allow people who curate podcasts to learn what listeners enjoy and what they are ignoring
2. By providing real-time analytics, it may bring new advertisers to the arena that have yet to understand the power of a direct response podcast advertising campaign

Why this matters? 

• Apple has rarely if ever provided any data regarding podcast listening behavior – other than the fact that an individual has downloaded a specific episode.
• Advertisers have had no clue if someone listens to an ad while measurement has always been viewed as the wild-wild west
• With the exception of smart advertisers measuring ‘activations and touch-points’ via vanity url’s, tracking codes, and pixels on their websites, little or no post-sale analytics are ever delivered
• Listening behaviors of the audience can now be identified and optimized by both podcasters and advertisers

What’s next?

• The Podcast advertising business is just 1/3 of 1 percent of the overall digital spend: $250 million annual vs. approximately $65 to $70 Billion in 2016 – we only can go up as more analytics are available
• The Digital buying community (agencies) may come around once ‘basic analytics’ are introduced, providing a tangible statistic to assess…rather than just a download estimate (of which approximately 20% of downloaded episodes are never listened to)
• It’s another sign that Apple just might make huge innovative moves that might transform the industry

Here are a few Basic Screenshots pulled via Recode

Image 1

Image 2

#Onward & #Upward