[audiometry]

I wonder how they count this? I use overcast app. It automatically downloads episodes of anything I’m subscribed to. But I migh not listen to it. Or I might listen to five minutes and delete. What level of truth do these podcast stats catch?

[bastawhiz]

The IAB publishes guidelines for how downloads are counted as listens. If you download but don't listen, it still counts as a listen. The relative changes to listenership matter a lot more than every one of the downloads being a real, legitimate listen.