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How do I measure podcast success?

You've launched your podcast, promoted it and published your first episodes. Now, is it paying off?

Podcasts take real time and budget: planning, recording, editing, guests and promotion. But their value is often indirect. Most listeners tune in for useful insight, not a sales pitch, so a successful podcast may build trust, thought leadership and relationships long before it leads to new business.

That's why measuring success starts with knowing what you want the podcast to achieve, then tracking the numbers that show progress toward it.

Start with clear goals

Before looking at any numbers, decide what success means for your podcast. For example:

  • Awareness: reach more people in your target audience.
  • Thought leadership: be seen as an expert in your field.
  • Leads: get listeners to visit your website, subscribe or contact you.
  • Relationships: connect with industry leaders, partners and referral sources.

Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound), such as "Grow to 500 followers by year-end" or "Generate 10 consultation requests from the podcast this quarter."

1. Audience size and growth

What to track:

  • Downloads and plays per episode.
  • Followers or subscribers on each platform.
  • Growth over time.

Where to find it:

  • Apple Podcasts Connect: listeners, followers and plays for Apple Podcasts.
  • Spotify for Creators: streams, followers and listener demographics for Spotify.
  • YouTube Studio: views, watch time and subscribers, if you publish on YouTube.
  • Your podcast host (such as Buzzsprout, Libsyn or Transistor): total downloads across all platforms.

Keep it in perspective: bigger isn't always better. A niche podcast with a few hundred of the right listeners, such as decision-makers in your industry, can do more for your business than one with thousands of casual listeners.

2. Listener engagement

Engagement shows how invested your audience is and which topics resonate.

What to track:

  • Completion rate: how much of each episode people listen to. If many listeners drop off early, try a shorter intro or a stronger opening.
  • Top episodes: which topics and guests attract the most listens.
  • Ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
  • Comments and questions on YouTube, social media and email.
  • Email clicks: if you email your list about new episodes, track click-through rate rather than open rate. Open rates are no longer reliable because some email apps open messages automatically.

3. Social proof and reach

The more people share and talk about your podcast, the more credibility and new listeners it earns.

What to track:

  • Shares, likes, comments and reposts on social media.
  • Mentions by other people, companies or media.
  • Backlinks: other websites linking to your podcast or episodes.
  • Testimonials from listeners and guests.

4. Website traffic and leads

Your podcast should give listeners a reason to take the next step, such as visiting your website, downloading a resource or contacting you.

How to track it:

  • Know your baseline. Note your website traffic before launching, so you can measure the podcast's impact.
  • Use tracked links. Add a unique tracking link (UTM link) to each episode's show notes, and use HubSpot's tracking URL builder to create them.
  • Create a podcast landing page with a clear offer and a form, and mention it in every episode, for example yourwebsite.com/podcast.
  • Ask how people found you. Add a "How did you hear about us?" field to your contact forms, with Podcast as an option.
  • Report in HubSpot. Track visits, form submissions and new contacts from these sources to see how many leads the podcast generates.

5. Relationships and referrals

Guests and industry connections are often a podcast's most valuable result.

How to build and measure them:

  • Invite thought leaders and influencers in your field as guests. Their insight builds credibility, and their audience can discover your show.
  • Ask for referrals. After a guest appears, thank them and ask whether they know someone else who would be a great guest.
  • Track outcomes. Record new partnerships, referrals and opportunities that come from podcast relationships, for example as a property or note in HubSpot.

6. Repurposed content

Each episode can become blog posts, short video clips, social posts and email content. Track how this repurposed content performs. It extends your podcast's reach and shows which ideas your audience responds to most.

Keep reviewing

Review your numbers regularly, such as every month or quarter. Focus on trends over time rather than single episodes, and adjust your topics, guests and promotion based on what's working.

For financial firms: podcast episodes, show notes and social posts may need compliance review and recordkeeping, just like your other marketing materials. Check with your compliance team before publishing.

Need help with your podcast strategy or tracking? Contact the Gate 39 team through the Customer portal.

 

References
[1] Android Authority – Stitcher is shutting down (Jun 29, 2023)
[2] Digital Music News – SiriusXM shutting down Stitcher (Jun 28, 2023)
[3] The ATDB – Spotify for Podcasters (updated May 11, 2026)
[4] Spotify for Creators – Listener Support has been removed