Spotify just made a change that I think could mark a really unfortunate turning point for podcasting…
They’ve announced that they’ll now be showing play counts publicly on episodes.
Think YouTube-style visibility… but for your show.
At first, it might seem like a fun new feature. But let’s take a closer look.
This signals more than just a UI update. It’s part of Spotify’s bigger push toward video podcasting, monetization, and YouTube-like strategies built around ad revenue and algorithmic growth.
And I think they may have just ruined one of the best parts of what makes podcasting so powerful… its intimacy, authenticity, and connection.
Because now? Social proof just walked into the room. And with it… comparison, judgment, and pressure.
It happened with music (and videos… and posts): 🎵 “This artist must be better because they have more plays.” Now it’s… 🎧 “Oh, why do you listen to THAT podcast? It only has X number of plays.”
It subtly (or not-so-subtly) shifts podcasting from a space of depth, community, and trust into one of popularity contests and vanity metrics.
It’s no longer just about what resonates, what matters, or what serves. It’s about what performs.
As creators, this puts unnecessary weight and judgment on episodes that may mean the most… but now matter less if they don’t “rank.” And now there’s that public-facing concern about “the numbers.”
The data itself may be helpful (I know… some creators are data nerds and can leverage the information to improve what they’re doing)… so then just make this data private to the creator.
And guess what’s going to happen next? The same thing that happened with YouTube and social – people becoming obsessed with the numbers, and taking to unscrupulous methods to artificially inflate them – e.g. buying downloads, etc.
And as listeners, it invites snap decisions based on numbers, not content or connection. I also think that a catch-all metric is rarely effective in measuring “quality.”
Showing play counts might take away the magic of discovering something unexpectedly great. If an episode has low numbers… would you still hit play?
This change will likely do nothing but boost already big-name and major network shows while labeling smaller ones as “unsuccessful” – turning off the curious, casual listeners we want to attract.
I’ll be honest… I think this is a (huge) step backward. Podcasting isn’t about volume – it’s about value. 💙
And here’s the real caution: ⚠️ Don’t let this push you into chasing plays or reshaping your content to please an algorithm!
Podcasting is clearly evolving (with not just videos now being considered “podcasts”), but you don’t have to chase trends to stay relevant. Stay rooted in why you started.
But I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts. What do you think? Are you concerned? Is it more helpful? Or just another number to chase? Do you think this is helpful, harmful, or something else entirely?
👇 Let’s talk about it.