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How we count downloads
Last updated 14 October 2026
Download numbers are only useful if they are counted strictly, because advertisers and other hosts count that way. Podmaniac follows the IAB Tech Lab Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines v2.3. Our counting follows those guidelines; it is not certified by the IAB, which is a separate paid audit.
The rules
- Counted at delivery. A download is counted on our servers when the audio file is actually served, never from player scripts or estimates.
- One per listener per episode per day. The same listener (the same device and app) downloading an episode several times in a day counts once; seeking and resuming count as the same download.
- At least 1 MB served. A request that fetches less than about a minute of audio, such as an app checking the file, does not count.
- Bots and crawlers excluded. Known crawlers, including the directories' own catalogue checks, are filtered out.
What the Stats screen shows
Downloads per day, per episode, by country and by app, over the last 7, 30 or 90 days, plus an all time figure. If you loaded history from a previous host, the all time figure includes it and says so; that history was counted by your old host, not measured here, so quote the measured windows to advertisers rather than the all time total.
Why numbers can look lower than at your previous host
Hosts differ in how strictly they count. A host that counts every request, including partial ones and bots, shows higher figures for the same audience. Strict counting is the figure advertisers trust.
Common questions
Is Podmaniac IAB certified?
No. Our counting follows the IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines v2.3; certification is a separate paid audit by the IAB, which we have not undertaken.
Why are my numbers lower than at my previous host?
Hosts differ in how strictly they count. Counting every request, including partial fetches and bots, gives higher figures for the same audience. Strict counting is the figure advertisers trust.
Does a listener who plays an episode twice count twice?
Not on the same day. The same device and app downloading an episode several times in one day counts once; seeking and resuming are the same download.
Are imported numbers mixed with measured ones?
No. History loaded from a previous host sits in the all time figure and is labelled as imported; the 7, 30 and 90 day windows show only what was measured here.