As an industry, we talk a lot about how we can improve podcast discovery. But making your podcast visible to new listeners is only half the battle. You still have to convince listeners to hit the play button, too.
In our Podcast Discovery Survey this year, we asked a load of podcast listeners what does and doesn’t help them decide whether to hit the play button on a new show.
We then ran a survey with podcast creators to see what they believe is the most important factor in converting new listeners.
And here’s what was interesting. There was a bit of a perception gap between what creators think listeners want and what listeners actually look for.
Here’s what the survey data tells us, and what you might do to capitalise on these listener insights.
What makes a listener hit play?
We asked survey respondents to rate the following 11 factors between 0-5 (5 being most important, 0 being not at all).
Here’s how the results worked out for podcast listeners:
And here’s how podcast creators rated the factors in terms of what they think is important to listeners:
Disclaimer: You’ll notice there are only 10 points in the podcaster survey but 11 when we asked listeners. This is just because ‘Know what the host looks like’ didn’t make the cut in the creator version. We figured no one would choose this option when thinking about themselves as a host.
For similar reasons, you’ll notice the answers aren’t always identical. For example, ‘Know who the host is’ for listeners was changed to ‘My reputation’ when speaking to creators. We adjusted them slightly because of the different audiences, but you get the jist!
So now onto the juicy bit. What do these results tell us about our podcasts, and what we can do to get more plays?
Podcast descriptions carry the most weight
Like a blurb on the back of a book, podcast descriptions are clearly crucial for pushing new listeners to hit that play button.
Which does make sense. When was the last time you read a book without at least scanning the back of it first? Or watched a movie you know nothing about without seeing the trailer?
Podcast descriptions and episode descriptions aren’t just important tools for making your podcast more discoverable in listening app searches, but pushing listeners over the line, too.
So it’s worth asking yourself: How much time do you actually spend on writing your descriptions? And is there anything you can do to make them that bit more convincing for listeners?
AI tools for podcasters can be a big help with writing episode descriptions, but it’s important not to just let them do all the work. Studies have shown that 1 in 2 readers can detect AI content at a glance, and not all listeners are happy about us using AI.
Lots of great tips in here about how to write podcast descriptions that get listeners tuning in.
Your podcast name isn’t as important as you think
One of the biggest disparities we found in the survey between what creators and listeners think is how important the name of a podcast is. While creators ranked this as the second most important factor in convincing someone to listen to their podcast, listeners rated it pretty low, at just #7.
There were comments from creators like, “A well-informed, memorable title alone can be a game changer“. And “It has to start with name. You don’t even get past first base if that’s wrong.”
But if the survey results are anything to go by, this is not entirely true.
While a good podcast name is definitely important, it’s not the dealbreaker creators think it is. Before the Spotify and Apple Podcast search functions got more sophisticated, podcast names were important for ensuring your show appeared in topic searches. This could be why they’re considered more important to creators than listeners.
Whatever the reasons are for this disparity, the lesson here is not to worry too much if you’ve fallen out of love with your podcast name and are considering a rebrand. This survey data suggests there are more important factors to think about.
And another thing that’s not worth worrying about…
Listeners care less about video than we are told
We know that video platforms like YouTube and Spotify are playing a substantial new role in podcast discovery. Studies have shown that these platforms are becoming an essential part of how people consume audio as well as video content.
This was reflected in the creator survey. Having a video component was listed as the 4th most important factor for attracting new listeners. On the other hand, the listener survey listed this option at the bottom of the list. It was ranked as the least important factor of them all.
As you can see from the graph, a massive 65% of those we surveyed said having a video component didn’t matter at all to them. Less than 1% said it was ‘very important’. Only 6% of listeners rated this option 3 or above, suggesting it mattered to them somewhat.
Of course, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t make a video podcast. It just means that not having a video component won’t impact a listener’s decision to hit play on your show.
There’s a lot of pressure out there that says podcasters need to be doing video to survive in the industry right now. These survey results suggest this simply isn’t true.
As we recently discovered, a lot of podcasters are taking advantage of the benefits of YouTube as a listening platform without creating video.
Good guests can be your secret weapon
Something else interesting arose from the survey. While most listeners said that having heard of the host and knowing what the host looked like didn’t really matter to them, it was a different story for guests.
Knowing who an interview guest was was cited as the 5th most important factor to listeners when considering a new show. Recognising the host only came in 8th.
So what can we take from this? Well, people are open to being introduced to new hosts. They don’t need the presenter of a new show to be a known celebrity or figure to give it a shot.
But do interview guests matter more because people don’t want to spend time with ‘experts’ they can’t trust?
There were also a couple of comments about the vital role interview guests play in podcast discovery that I wanted to highlight:
“I have found several podcasts by searching for some interviewee, liked the show and then subscribed.”
“I tend to find new ones when existing pods have guests I like that then get my interest and I’ll go looking for their pods.”
This isn’t exactly news to the podcasting community, but it’s worth a reminder. Inviting interesting and/or well-respected guests can do wonders for your show. And likewise, guesting on other people’s podcasts can earn you a whole new audience, too.
Your artwork could be letting you down
I’ll admit – of all of the insights we gathered from this segment of the survey, this is the one that surprised me the most.
But first, let’s start with what didn’t surprise me. Creators ranked podcast artwork as one of the least important factors for influencing listeners – it came 9th on the list.
But listeners? They ranked it 5th — above the podcast name, knowing who the host is and whether it has a video component.
One listener said there were two factors that would convince them to hit play:
“I’ll make a decision to listen based on the description & picture (description more so)“
And there was a comment from a podcaster that supports this too:
“Many listeners comment that they discovered my show (Dupont Investigations) because they liked the artwork. “
— Marc B. Langston @ Nocturnehall Podcasts
So, the good news for indiepodders? You don’t need to be a celebrity or create expensive video content to give listeners what they want.
Focus instead on delivering quality content and publishing descriptions that do your hard work justice. If this survey is anything to go by, these elements are far more likely to convert a potential listener into your next loyal fan.
Finally, if you’ve enjoyed dipping into this data, you can read our 2024 Podcast Discovery report in full, right here!
