Captivate calls it “the gold standard for podcast analytics measurement.” Megaphone refers to “the highest industry standards around accuracy and transparency in podcast measurement.”
The two companies appear to be leading the way to certification in the IAB’s latest iteration of podcast measurement standards, formally called “Download Podcast Measurement Guidelines Version 2.2.” (See the IAB’s description HERE.)
Captivate leverages the landmark announcement to describe the company’s two new features for podcast publishers:
- Self-Auditing, Spike Detection System: This cool tool automatically spots any spikes in your podcast metrics and helps you figure out what caused them. No more guesswork!
- IPv6 Support: We’re future-proofing your podcast with support for IPv6, using the first 64 bits of the address. This means better connectivity and readiness as internet tech continues to improve.
The IAB articulates the value of cutting-edge measurement standards:
“Podcasts offer advertisers hyper-focused audiences that remain attentive even during ads. Podcast listeners have been shown to be the most loyal and engaged audience of any digital medium.”
That’s all well and good, but measuring podcast consumption is unique in challenge and methodology, as the IAB notes:
“Measuring performance in podcast advertising is unique in the market of digital advertising. Podcast episodes are downloaded for consumption and measurement is based on server logs. This is in contrast to other digital mediums that typically maintain an open connection between a consumer’s device and the content server. This nuance produces different metrics in podcast advertising.”
“The challenge for podcast producers and distributors is to offer buyers a set of metrics that is consistently defined and measured equally across the podcast medium.”
