Spotify's New 'Plays' Feature: A Double-Edged Sword for Podcasters

Spotify's Bold Move in Podcasting

Spotify is making significant strides in the podcast industry by introducing a new feature called "Plays," designed to allow both creators and listeners to access the number of times each podcast episode has been played. This innovative change, which integrates into the Spotify app along with the Spotify for Creators and Megaphone dashboards, aims to reshape the interaction between creators and their audience, while also transforming content discovery on the platform.

Understanding the 'Plays' Metric

The "Plays" feature provides a tangible gauge of episode popularity by counting plays across audio and video formats. For creators, this information is crucial, offering an avenue to assess audience engagement and make informed, data-driven decisions about future content. Listeners, in turn, can utilize this feature to discover trending podcasts, potentially enhancing their listening experience and connecting them with topical dialogues.

Potential Pitfalls for Smaller Creators

Despite its potential benefits, the "Plays" metric has fueled concerns among podcasters, especially those operating with smaller followings. Critics argue that public play counts could deepen the divide between mainstream shows and niche podcasts. Smaller creators may find themselves at a disadvantage as their play counts, often significantly lower than those of established shows, become public knowledge, leading to unfavorable comparisons.

• Social Media Comparison: The emergence of public metrics may evoke a sense of competition similar to social media platforms, making it difficult for newer or lesser-known podcasts to gain traction.
• Content Exploration: The visibility of high play counts could discourage listeners from exploring diverse or unconventional content, potentially leading to a homogenized podcast ecosystem focused solely on popularity.
• Engagement Farming: Concerns have also arisen regarding creators shifting focus toward increasing play counts rather than prioritizing quality content that resonates with their audience.

Spotify's Response to Concerns

In light of the backlash, Spotify has acknowledged the feedback from creators and plans to refine the "Plays" feature to better support all podcasters. Notably, episodes with fewer than 1,000 plays will be indicated as "<1K," aiming to mitigate the impact of low play counts. Furthermore, the company recognizes that the play counts only reflect Spotify's internal data, which could mislead listeners and advertisers by omitting data from other platforms.

Following intense criticism, Spotify has revised its original plan. Now, play counts will only be visible for podcasts that achieve at least 50,000 plays, and exact numbers will be replaced with rounded milestones, such as 100,000 or 1 million plays. This adjustment is intended to create a more level playing field for creators while maintaining transparency with audiences.

The Ongoing Debate over Transparency

The inconsistency in how different platforms define and count "plays" or streams complicates matters further. While there are established guidelines from organizations like the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), adherence varies across platforms. As Spotify strives for clarity, podcasters and advertisers alike continue to seek fair and standardized measures to assess audience engagement.

Looking Ahead

While Spotify's implementation of the "Plays" feature could enhance discoverability for mainstream content, it raises critical questions about the platform's commitment to supporting smaller creators. The challenge lies in balancing the algorithmic promotion of popular episodes with the nurturing of unique, innovative voices in podcasting. If managed properly, this new metric could catalyze more robust engagement and facilitate fresh discoveries within Spotify's podcasting ecosystem.