Apple has today unveiled a new subscription analytics dashboard for Apple Podcasts, giving creators more insight into the performance of their paid podcast offerings.
The new dashboard, which is available from today, includes breakdowns of various performance metrics, including the number of users that have taken out free trials, the number of active paid subscriptions, and the income generated from subscribers.
Creators can see the percentage of their current subscribers who are on free, monthly and yearly plans, as well as the conversion rate for free trials. A separate trends tab will also allow them to drill down and see the performance of their subscriptions over time.
Alongside this new tool, the company has also announced a partnership with smart links platform Linkfire, which offers creators a way to direct fans to a range of different listening platforms via a single link. Similar in function to services such as PodLink or PodFollow, Linkfire has its roots in the music industry, but has today announced a new product, Linkfire for Podcasters.
The new platform allows podcasters to create customisable landing pages, including links to a range of different podcast listening platforms alongside video players, social accounts and email capture forms. Thanks to the partnership with Apple, the platform also includes subscription links for Apple Podcasts, as well as allowing creators to view Apple Podcasts analytics information within the Linkfire dashboard, which tracks user acquisition platforms with metrics including which social platform they’ve come from, and which podcast platform they clicked through to.
“As a podcaster, it can be difficult to know which - if any - of your marketing efforts deliver meaningful results,” Dan Misener, co-founder of podcast growth agency Bumper, told PodPod. “This is especially true of paid tune-in campaigns, where effectiveness has historically been measured in clicks and downloads.”
“While downloads may signal intent, they aren't a direct measure of playback or listening. I haven't tested Linkfire for Podcasts yet, but I'm keen to try it with Bumper's clients. I'm especially excited by the promise of getting beyond downloads to understand podcast marketing's impact on verified consumption and true audience growth.”
Linkfire for Podcasters will be available either as a free product with ads and limited functionality, or with full features and no ads for $9.99 per month. It’s set to launch globally in Autumn, but the company is launching a private beta with selected partners starting from today.
Finally, Apple has also announced that its Delegated Delivery service - which allows podcasters to publish bonus content for Apple Podcasts subscribers directly through their hosting provider, rather than through Apple Podcasts Connect - is adding five new partners. From today, Podspace, Transistor, Captivate, Podbean and Audiomeans will officially support Delegated Delivery, alongside Libsyn, Blubrry, Omny Studio and RSS.com.
