Episode 531 - Better Listener Data Beyond Your Podcast Hosting Site - YouTube Podcasts

In this episode, Dave digs into the creator side of YouTube and explains why the platform offers some of the richest listener analytics available to podcasters today. After previously exploring Spotify for Creators and Apple Podcasts Connect, he turns his attention to YouTube, a platform many podcasters either fully embrace or fiercely avoid. Dave argues that YouTube now belongs among the essential trio for podcasters alongside Apple and Spotify. Whether you prefer audio, video or a hybrid approach, YouTube’s discovery engine and analytics suite make it too valuable to ignore.

Dave challenges the belief that podcasters must choose between YouTube and a traditional RSS feed. Instead, he encourages using both: YouTube for discoverability, search and granular audience insights, and the RSS feed for distribution across Apple, Spotify, Audible and other listening apps. He emphasizes that YouTube can easily ingest your existing RSS feed so episodes automatically appear without extra work. His own author-focused show provides proof that audio-only podcasts can thrive on YouTube, generating thousands of watch hours without a single frame of video.

The episode highlights YouTube Studio as the central hub for creators, where podcasters can manage episodes, access YouTube Music distribution and examine powerful first party data. Dave explains how YouTube’s analytics differ significantly from what podcast hosts like Buzzsprout, Captivate, Libsyn or Blubrry provide. Traditional hosting dashboards report downloads and basic trends, but YouTube offers retention curves, traffic sources, minute-by-minute drop-off data, subscriber actions, engagement behavior and real-time results. These insights allow creators to pinpoint what their audience is responding to and refine their intros, pacing and content choices more effectively.

Dave also underscores the importance of comment engagement. Unlike most podcast players, YouTube creates a real conversational space under each episode. Hosts and guests should reply to comments, pin meaningful questions and foster community. This interaction strengthens listener loyalty and signals to YouTube’s recommendation system that the episode is active and valuable.

Throughout the episode, Dave encourages podcasters to view YouTube as one piece of a four-part data ecosystem: their hosting site, Spotify for Creators, Apple Podcasts Connect and YouTube Studio. Together these platforms provide a holistic view of listener behavior that no single dashboard can offer. Making content decisions based only on hosting-site downloads leaves creators blind to how people actually consume their episodes.

He closes by reminding listeners that he’s available for one-on-one walkthroughs of the major dashboards and invites anyone curious about improving their analytics literacy to book time with him.

Key Takeaway:
YouTube offers unmatched insight into listener behavior, making it an essential tool for podcasters who want to understand, grow and better serve their audience. Combining YouTube analytics with data from Apple, Spotify and your hosting site provides the clearest picture of what’s truly working in your show.

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Episode 530 - Better Listener Data Beyond Your Podcast Hosting Site - Apple Podcasts

In this episode of the How to Podcast series, Dave opens up an often overlooked part of podcasting success. While most creators rely heavily on the stats inside their hosting platform, Dave explains why those numbers only tell part of the story. Hosting dashboards can show downloads and basic reach, but they cannot give the deeper, first party insights that come directly from the listening apps themselves.

After exploring Spotify for Creators in the previous episode, Dave now guides listeners into the world of Apple Podcasts Connect. Even as an Android user who does not personally live in the Apple ecosystem, he emphasizes that avoiding the platform means missing a significant portion of your audience. Apple remains one of the original foundations of podcast distribution, and its backend tools offer data that no hosting site can replicate.

Inside Apple Podcasts Connect, podcasters can claim their show, update their RSS feed, manage availability, organize channels, and set up subscriptions. But the real value lies in the analytics. Apple measures actual listening behavior rather than downloads. You can see followers, listeners, engaged listeners who consume at least twenty minutes or forty percent of an episode, average consumption, geographic breakdowns, time listened, and detailed performance by episode.

Dave explains how these metrics help identify what keeps listeners engaged, where they drop off, and which content formats work best. He also highlights the importance of comparing episodes over time, watching for consistent patterns in retention, and understanding that not every drop off is a reflection of your content. Sometimes people simply step off a treadmill or arrive at work.

Unlike Spotify, Apple does not offer comments within the app, so audience feedback still relies on social media or email. Even so, the listening trends within Apple can reveal what listeners would say if they had typed it out.

Toward the end of the episode, Dave invites listeners to connect with him directly for a conversation about their podcasting journey. He also shares a gentle reminder that podcasters often underestimate their own progress. Feedback and curiosity help creators improve, but stepping forward and publishing episodes already puts you ahead of most people who only dream of starting.

Key Takeaway: Your hosting platform shows reach, but Apple Podcasts Connect reveals true listener behavior. Understanding how people actually consume your episodes gives you the clarity you need to make smarter decisions and improve your show with confidence.

https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/

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Thanks for your support in 2025 - More great How To Podcast Episodes coming in 2026

In this warm, post-holiday stroll episode, the host reflects on a year of podcasting growth, connection, and the promise of 2026. The conversation uses a casual, intimate walk-and-talk vibe to invite listeners into the show’s community, celebrate milestones, and share upcoming plans.

The episode opens with a sense of gratitude for the year past and excitement for what lies ahead. The host notes tangible growth metrics, including growing audience and international connections fostered through meetups and collaborations. This personal touch reinforces the show’s commitment to community and practical support for fellow podcasters.

A central theme is the drive to evolve in 2026. The host discusses a challenge to create daily content across the year, prioritizing personal growth and learning over sheer output. This aspirational goal balances ambition with realism, acknowledging the mental and logistical hurdles while emphasizing the value of consistency and experimentation.

Two major upcoming initiatives anchor the year: a 24-hour podcasting challenge planned for February, and a broader invitation to listeners to engage more deeply with the community through newsletters, coffee donations, and meetups. These segments spotlight the show’s intent to push boundaries while staying grounded in accessibility and service to other creators.

Throughout the episode, the host invites listeners to participate in the journey, whether by following the show, joining meetups, or supporting the show via Buy Me a Coffee. The message centers on collective growth, practical guidance for starting or expanding a podcast, and the belief that small steps taken together yield meaningful momentum.

Key takeaway: Consistent, ambitious experimentation—paired with community support and transparent revenue reinvestment—drives growth for both the show and its listeners, turning a year of routine into a roadmap for meaningful progress in 2026.

If this show has helped you in 2025, please consider supporting our show so that we can support other podcasters, just like you!

https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca

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