This week, podcasters voiced concerns over Spotify’s new feature, the “Plays” metric, which will publicly display episode play counts. Announced on Tuesday, Spotify described the feature as a valuable tool for creators to optimize their content. However, podcasters, especially those with smaller audiences, worry it could discourage listeners and foster a “popularity contest” atmosphere. Adrienne Cruz, a podcast manager for several small shows, noted that podcasting has traditionally been a supportive space for niche creators.
Critics believe the new metric may deter experimentation and promote comparison, suggesting it undermines community growth. For instance, the “Psychology of your 20s” podcast, boasting 200,000 Instagram followers, articulated that public metrics could harm numerous podcasts. In contrast, some podcasters, like Dr. Mikhail “Mike” Varshavski of “The Checkup with Doctor Mike,” welcomed the feature as a way to gauge episode performance better, likening it to practices successful on platforms like YouTube.
Critics also raised concerns about the metric reflecting only Spotify plays, potentially misleading audiences and brand partners about a podcast’s true reach. Host Gibson Johns expressed the need for an opt-out option, fearing it might disadvantage smaller shows that have worked hard to build their audiences. Similarly, Janny Perez, host of “Latina Mom Legacy,” worried that brands might prioritize Spotify play counts over her broader audience reach.
Spotify plans to round play counts and display fewer than 1,000 plays as “<1K,” refreshing data every hour. The public response indicates a divide within the podcasting community regarding transparency and the potential economic impacts of this new feature. Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
