In early May of 2020, Google announced that it redesigned Google podcasts and introduced Google Podcasts Manager. Those who are much more focused on Apple Podcasts than on Google Podcasts may have missed this information.

With Podcasts Manager, you can make sure your show is available to millions of Google Podcasts listeners through a simple verification process. Within the tool you can access metrics to understand how engagement with your show evolves over time and see activity for recent episodes. This includes retention analytics which help you better understand where people tune in – and when they drop off – along with listening duration, minutes played and more. And you can export the data and plug it into your own analysis tools if you prefer.

In addition, Google’s Podcast Manager also provides anonymized device analytics that show what percentage of your audience listens on phones, tablets, desktop computers and smart speakers. Google says this data can help podcasters better understand and respond to changing listening behavior.

An example given by Google is: “For example, you might discover that the majority of your listeners access your show on a smart speaker. This might mean you add shorter form content for listening on-the-go, or develop more family-friendly options for consumption in an open space.”