Spotify announced changes to its recently introduced podcast play count feature following criticism from creators. The streaming platform initially launched public play counts on all podcasts in early May as a way to “help attract new audiences,” but has now revised the approach after podcasters expressed concerns.

Under the new implementation, play counts will only appear on episodes that have reached at least 50,000 plays. Rather than displaying exact numbers, the feature will now show milestone markers that update incrementally at specific thresholds like 50K, 100K, and beyond.

“This update reflects our evolving efforts to provide the best insights for creators and a clear experience for their fans,” Spotify stated in a blog post. The company plans to roll out this modified version over the coming week.

Creator Concerns and Platform Response

Podcasters, particularly those with smaller audiences, voiced opposition to the original implementation. Their primary concern was that publicly displaying low play counts might deter potential new listeners, creating disadvantages for niche shows. Critics also noted that Spotify-only metrics would represent just a fraction of a podcast’s total audience.

While revising the public-facing feature, Spotify maintains that exact play counts will remain visible to creators and publishers in their analytics dashboards on Spotify for Creators and Megaphone platforms, regardless of audience size.

The controversy highlights ongoing discussions about standardized metrics in podcasting. Spotify defines “plays” as the number of times “people actively tried” content, differentiating it from “streams” and “downloads,” which only count after 60 seconds of engagement.

According to TechCrunch, this definition diverges from standards established by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), which works with podcast platforms to create consistency for advertisers and creators. According to reports, Spotify and YouTube’s definition of a “play” differs from the IAB standard.

Spotify emphasizes that monetization will continue to operate on a streams and download basis to remain consistent with broader podcast advertising standards.