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Podtrac Review

Depends

Should I use Podtrac?

Podcasters - podtrac.com

· 1 week ago

Buy if you run an established show or network and need IAB-certified download numbers plus industry rankings. The core measurement is free. Skip if you're a new or hobby podcaster; your host's built-in stats already cover what you need.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 14+ public sources; several snippets truncated, so some quotes are partial.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

Free

Publisher measurement

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Attribution & ad analyticsNot disclosed

Best for

  • Established publishers and networks
  • Shows selling ads needing certified numbers
  • Podcasters wanting industry rankings
  • Free second-layer analytics for any host

Not for

  • New or hobby podcasts, host stats suffice
  • Teams wanting growth, conversion, or attribution depth
  • Anyone needing listener-level marketing data
  • Privacy-strict setups, third-party tracker some listeners block

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Measurement is free, but ad attribution and premium publisher reports cost extra, check plans first.

medium

Measurement redirects your feed through Podtrac; migrating off later means rebuilding reporting elsewhere.

low

Ranking coverage can shift. Podtrac dropped reporting iHeart downloads in 2019.

low

.com appears on blocklists (pihole threads); listener blockers can affect counts.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, IAB-certified download measurement
  • Industry-standard rankings cited across podcast media
  • IAB Tech Lab v2.0 compliance seal since 2019
  • Trusted by big networks; PodcastOne publicizes its Podtrac rank
  • Works alongside any host; SoundCloud offers it as a stats option

Cons

  • Best value only for established publishers; thin for new shows
  • Focuses on downloads and rankings; weak growth and attribution data
  • Described as 'boring', reliable but basic feature set
  • 2019: chose not to report iHeart downloads, a credibility flare-up

Sources & method

- 10 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x5security x1news x2

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Core measurement free; paid extras optional
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Users bolt it onto existing hosts easily
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Deep downloads/demographics; shallow growth data
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 3/5. Publishes security page and privacy policies; no incidents
  • $0 Starting price Measurement free for publishers
  • Yes Free tier IAB-certified download stats
  • v2.0 seal IAB compliance Certified since Aug 2019
  • 2007 Track record Bloomberg profile of CEO Mark McCrery

Pricing

Publisher measurement

Free

  • IAB-certified downloads
  • Audience demographics
  • Industry ranker inclusion

Attribution & ad analytics

Not disclosed

  • Podcast ad attribution
  • Advertiser campaign reporting

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Users treat Podtrac as the standard, reliable download tracker and routinely pair it with their host's stats.

“Using Spreaker for hosting and Podtrac for analytics?”
Reddit, r/podcasting
“we use podtrac for our s…”
Reddit, r/podcasts
“Podtrac is the boring, r…”
Slice Media review

Alternatives

Compare Podtrac with each alternative.

  • OP3

    Free open-source analytics prefix; no lock-in

Companies that use it

  • PodcastOne⁷
  • Vox Media Podcast Network
Full analysis

Based on 14+ public sources; several snippets truncated, so some quotes are partial.

Free IAB-certified download measurement and rankings. Great for established publishers; hobby shows can skip it.

Methodology

Based on 14+ public sources; several snippets truncated, so some quotes are partial.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. Publisher Plans & Pricinganalytics.podtrac.com
    official
  2. Podtrac Is Free: IAB-Certified Podcast Download Statscontentmation.com
    review
  3. Podtrac review — best for established publisherstryslicemedia.com
    review
  4. Podstatus vs Podtrac: downloads are just one numberpodstatus.com
    review
  5. Using Spreaker for hosting and Podtrac for analytics?reddit.com
    review
  6. Podtrac vs Podsights: two different questionspodderapp.com
    review
  7. PodcastOne Hits Record #6 Podtrac Rankingfinance.yahoo.com
    news
  8. Podtrac's Decision to Not Report iHeart Downloadsacrnewsfeed.blogspot.com
    news
  9. Product security pagepodtrac.com
    security
  10. IAB Compliance Seal Announcementanalytics.podtrac.com
    official

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