Apple is introducing several new behind-the-scenes features for podcast creators to rival Spotify. Here’s the latest.
One of the biggest new features is the ability for creators to see subscription analytics in the Apple Podcasts Connect platform. Creators can use the overview tab to see how many listeners started a free trial, the percentage that converted to a paid subscription, and the estimated proceeds generated from paid subscriptions.
Creators can further drill down into the data to see breakdowns of subscriptions by county, region, and the breakdown between monthly and annual subscriptions. Modules can also be filtered to display real-time analytics or provide specific time periods such as the past 30 days or the previous month.
The Trends tab will help creators leverage insight into their subscription performance using filters. One example Apple provides is breaking down subscribers into those who are in the first year of their subscription vs. those who have subscribed longer. Other trends that can be highlighted include activations, cancellations, renewals, and sales.
Apple says 50% of the new subscription episodes on its platform are delivered through its Delegated Delivery feature. That makes it possible for creators to publish subscriber-only episodes from partner hosting providers like Libsyn, Blubrry, and more. New Delegated Delivery hosting providers include:
- Audiomeans
- Captivate
- Podbean
- Podspace
- Transistor
Apple is also partnering with Linkfire to give creators a new way to generate smart links for landing pages. “These pages, which are easy to set up and work across devices, are designed to connect listeners to shows and subscriptions on Apple Podcasts. Creators can also link to their shows on other apps and feature related products, such as social channels, newsletters, merch stores, and live events.”
Linkfire allows creators to measure real-time user engagement with these smart links, including anonymized visits and click-through rates. Creators can view whether a listener as played an episode or followed the show on Apple Podcasts through these link insights.
“Linkfire for Podcasts is an absolute game-changer for podcast marketing,” adds Jeppe Faurfelt, Linkfire Co-Founder and CCO. “Through our exclusive partnership with Apple Podcasts, the world’s leading podcast platform, Linkfire for Podcasts delivers all-new engagement insights that unlock new marketing capabilities for creators while respecting listener privacy. We’re excited to see the creative ways podcasters promote their shows using this innovative toolkit.”
Linkfire integration will be available to all Apple Podcasts creators and shows for free this fall. Additional features will be available with a subscription to Linkfire for Podcasts, which starts at $9.99 a month.