Until now, it’s been hard to tell how many people are discovering your show for the first time. Sure, downloads and unique listeners give you a sense of reach, but what about growth? How many new people are tuning in that you’ve never reached before?
That’s where CoHost’s New Listener Metric comes in.
It’s the latest addition to our Show Analytics dashboard, designed to help you measure podcast growth beyond downloads and even unique listeners. Available on all hosting plans, the New Listener Metric is now live for all CoHost users.
In this blog, we’re going to dive into everything brands, agencies, and creators need to know about the New Listener Metric, including what it is and how they can use it.
What Is the New Listener Metric?
The New Listener Metric measures the number of unique listeners who tune in for the very first time, helping you track genuine audience growth and discovery.
CoHost can identify which listeners are brand new to your show. You can then view how many net new listeners discovered your podcast across custom timeframes, including weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Instead of just knowing how many people are listening, you’ll now see who’s new and how that number changes over time.
What this means for brands & podcasters
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – downloads alone don’t tell the full story. Unique listeners are a step closer to understanding reach, but they still blend new and returning audiences together.
With the New Listener Metric, CoHost makes it easier to:
- Compare audience growth over time: Benchmark your growth week-over-week, month-over-month, or quarter-over-quarter.
- Understand what drives discovery: Spot trends in listener growth following new promotion campaigns.
- Report ROI with confidence: Whether it’s a client, sponsor, or leadership team, you now have data that proves new growth.
CoHost Tip: Pair the New Listener Metric with CoHost’s other features — like Tracking Links, B2B Analytics, and Advanced Audience Demographics — to uncover where your new listeners came from and who they are.
Use Cases: How different users can leverage it
For Brands
With the New Listener Metric, marketing teams can see exactly how many people their show is introducing to the brand for the very first time. This helps connect podcast performance to top-of-funnel goals, making it easier to justify investment, optimize campaigns, and tie podcasting directly to business growth.
For Agencies
Agencies gain a stronger data story for clients. With the New Listener Metric, they can track audience growth over time and identify trends in new audience reach.
For Creators
For independent creators, growth often means community. The New Listener Metric helps you see how your audience is expanding. Whether you’re experimenting with social promotion, cross-promotion, or guest swaps, you can finally spot trends in listener growth.
Meet your new listeners
The New Listener Metric is now live across all CoHost hosting plans.
If you’re ready to move beyond downloads and see your show’s true growth story, now’s the time to dive in.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial (no credit card required) or book a demo to see CoHost in action.
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