The Chartable podcast era is coming to an end. With its official closure in December 2024, many podcasters are left wondering where to turn for their analytics and growth tools 📉
Chartable was known for offering essential insights into audience behavior, podcast rankings, and attribution features, making it a popular choice for podcasters worldwide. But don’t worry! There are several strong alternatives to Chartable that provide similar and even more advanced features, from podcast analytics to audience growth strategies 📊
Whether you’re looking to track your downloads, optimize your marketing efforts, or gain deeper insights into your audience, now is the time to explore the best tools on the market 🚀
What Was Chartable?
Chartable was one of the most widely used podcast analytics platforms, designed to help podcasters, networks, and marketers grow their audience through data-driven insights. Founded in 2018, Chartable quickly became popular for its ability to track and measure key podcast metrics, giving creators a clearer view of how their content performed 📈
Key Features of Chartable:
- Trackable Analytics Prefix: This feature allowed podcasters to gather valuable data about their audience, such as download numbers, device information, and geographic location. It gave creators insights into their listeners’ behavior without collecting personal information, helping to refine podcast strategies and grow audiences 🌍
- Podcast Rankings: Chartable stood out for its ability to track a podcast’s ranking within its category on Apple Podcasts. These rankings were crucial for boosting visibility, attracting more listeners, and opening doors to sponsorship opportunities. 💼
- SmartLinks: Chartable’s SmartLinks feature was a game-changer for marketing campaigns, allowing podcasters to track the effectiveness of their promotional efforts. By using one single link for all platforms, podcasters could measure which campaigns drove the most downloads and optimize their marketing spend accordingly 🚀
- Audience Demographics: With insights into listener demographics such as age, gender, and location, Chartable helped podcasters tailor their content to better engage their target audience. It even offered US household demographics in partnership with Epsilon, providing deeper data to brands and marketers interested in audience segmentation 👥
With its closure, podcasters have lost a powerful tool for understanding audience behavior and tracking podcast growth. However, there are several strong alternatives to Chartable that can help podcasters regain these capabilities and continue to grow their shows 🚀
Why Podcast Analytics and Growth Tools Matter
In the competitive world of podcasting, understanding your audience is key to standing out and achieving growth. Podcast analytics offer crucial insights into who your listeners are, where they come from, and how they engage with your content. By diving into this data, you can better tailor your episodes to match your audience’s preferences, increasing engagement and ensuring that your podcast resonates with them on a deeper level 🎯
Beyond knowing your audience, analytics help you refine your content strategy by showing which episodes or topics perform best, allowing you to focus on what works and adjust what doesn’t. This data-driven approach ensures continuous improvement and keeps your content fresh and relevant for your listeners 📈
Additionally, growth tools help you optimize your marketing efforts. Knowing which platforms or campaigns are driving the most traffic allows you to focus your energy and resources on channels that deliver real results, making your podcast marketing more efficient and impactful 💡
Moreover, sponsors are drawn to podcasts that can demonstrate strong engagement through concrete data. Being able to showcase audience retention, download numbers, and other metrics makes your show more attractive to advertisers, opening up new opportunities for monetization and long-term success 💸
In short, podcast analytics and growth tools are essential for understanding your audience, optimizing your strategy, and turning your podcast into a thriving venture 🎙️
Top 10 Alternatives to Chartable Podcast
With Chartable podcast tools shutting down, podcasters need new platforms to fill the gap for podcast analytics and growth. Below are the top alternatives, each with its own unique strengths to help you succeed 🎙️
1. Ausha: All-in-One Podcast Marketing and Analytics
Ausha is a powerful hosting and podcast marketing platform that gives podcasters the tools they need to boost their show and reach new audiences. With an integrated AI-driven approach, Ausha helps automate and optimize marketing efforts, making it easier for podcasters to grow their listenership 📊
Pros:
- Advanced Analytics: Like Chartable, Ausha offers detailed analytics on downloads, listener demographics, audience location, and episode performance. With IAB-certified data, Ausha ensures that podcasters can track their audience with reliable and precise metrics.
- Smartlink: Ausha’s Smartlink are powerful tools for cross-platform promotion, similar to Chartable’s SmartLinks. These allow podcasters to share one link that leads listeners to all platforms, track the link’s performance, and even embed an audio player directly into the link for seamless playback, increasing conversion rates
- Podcast Rankings: Ausha also provides the ability to track podcast rankings on Apple Podcasts, allowing podcasters to monitor their position within their category.
- AI-Powered SEO Optimization: Through Ausha Intelligence and the PSO Control Panel, Ausha automates the creation of PSO-friendly episode descriptions, titles, and metadata, helping podcasters rank higher in search results and improve their visibility. This AI-driven approach is a significant upgrade from Chartable’s manual metadata management
- IAB-Certified Data: Ausha provides IAB-certified analytics, ensuring podcasters have access to reliable data for attracting sponsors. Like Chartable, this certification gives podcasters the confidence they need to monetize their shows effectively
- Other Marketing Tools: With the Social Media Manager, Newsletters, and the ability to generate promotional content like video clips, Ausha provides podcasters with a full marketing toolkit. These tools help podcasters save time while maximizing their promotional reach across multiple channels
- Monetization Tools: Ausha offers two options: manual ad insertion (pre-roll, post-roll, or host-read) via its interface, or automatic monetization through external ad networks managing pre-roll and post-roll ads for you.
Cons
- No Trackable Prefix Yet: Ausha currently does not offer a Trackable Prefix feature like Chartable’s, which allows for granular download tracking from any podcast player. However, this feature is in development.
2. CoHost: Advanced Audience Demographics and B2B Analytics
CoHost excels in providing detailed audience demographics and B2B data insights, allowing podcasters to verify whether they’re reaching their target audience. It offers valuable insights into listeners’ age, income, lifestyle, and even the companies they work for, making it ideal for business-oriented podcasts seeking sponsorship opportunities. CoHost integrates seamlessly with existing hosting platforms, giving podcasters flexibility without needing to switch hosts 🔍
Pros:
- Trackable Prefix: Enables detailed audience data collection for better insights.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Ensures reliable and standardized data for advertisers.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Lacks a single link to direct listeners to all platforms.
- No Analytics by Region/City: Does not provide geographic insights.
- Limited Monetization Tools : Missing advanced features like dynamic ad insertion.
3. Buzzsprout: Simple Analytics for Beginners
Buzzsprout offers basic podcast analytics, focusing on download counts, listener locations, and device usage. While it lacks the advanced capabilities of Chartable, it’s ideal for beginner podcasters seeking simple insights into their podcast’s performance. Additionally, Buzzsprout includes SEO-enhancing transcriptions, helping boost discoverability.
Pros:
- Analytics by Region/City: Provides geographic insights to better understand your audience.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Delivers reliable data for attracting sponsors.
- Monetization Tools: Offers features to help generate revenue from your podcast.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Missing a single link to direct listeners to all platforms.
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks granular audience tracking capabilities.
4. Simplecast: Advanced Analytics and Sharing Features
Simplecast provides advanced analytics and social media tools like Recast™, allowing podcasters to share clips of their episodes easily. It offers metrics on listener engagement, retention, and consumption trends, making it a strong alternative to Chartable for those who need deeper audience insights.
Pros:
- Smartlink: Includes a single link to direct listeners to all platforms.
- Analytics by Region/City: Provides detailed geographic insights.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Offers reliable and standardized data.
- Monetization Tools: Supports features like dynamic ad insertion.
Cons:
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks advanced audience tracking for granular insights.
5. Megaphone: Dynamic Ad Insertion and Monetization
Megaphone is known for its dynamic ad insertion and precise ad attribution metrics, making it a great alternative to Chartable for podcasters focused on monetization. It also provides audience targeting powered by Nielsen data, enabling podcasters to maximize their ad revenue.
Pros:
- Trackable Prefix: Enables detailed audience tracking for granular insights.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Provides reliable and standardized data.
- Monetization Tools: Includes dynamic ad insertion and revenue optimization features.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Lacks a single link to direct listeners to all platforms.
- No Analytics by Region/City: Does not provide geographic audience insights.
6. Libsyn: Comprehensive Hosting and Monetization
Libsyn is a long-standing podcast platform offering IAB-certified analytics and a variety of monetization options. Podcasters can track audience engagement and episode rankings, which provides insights similar to Chartable’s performance tracking.
Pros:
- Analytics by Region/City: Provides detailed geographic insights.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Offers reliable and standardized data.
- Monetization Tools: Includes robust options like premium subscriptions and sponsorships.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Does not provide a universal link for listener redirection.
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks tools for granular audience tracking.
7. Omny Studio: Enterprise-Level Analytics
Omny Studio is designed for large-scale networks and radio broadcasters, offering detailed analytics similar to Chartable’s Trackable Prefix feature. It provides insights on audience engagement, making it suitable for enterprise-level podcasting needs.
Pros:
- Trackable Prefix: Enables detailed audience tracking for granular insights.
- Analytics by Region/City: Provides precise geographic insights.
- IAB Certified Analytics: Delivers reliable and standardized data.
- Monetization Tools: Includes advanced features like dynamic ad insertion.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Missing a universal link for seamless listener redirection and platform access.
8. Castos: Private Podcasting and Audience Insights
Castos offers a mix of private podcasting features and advanced audience insights, making it a good alternative to Chartable for podcasters who need detailed analytics and exclusive content options. It also enhances SEO with built-in transcriptions.
Pros:
- Analytics by Region/City: Offers geographic insights for better audience understanding.
- Monetization Tools: Supports features like private podcasting and premium content distribution.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Does not provide a universal link for directing listeners to all platforms.
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks advanced audience tracking for granular insights.
- No IAB Certification: Metrics may not meet advertiser standards for reliability.
9. Podbean: Monetization and Basic Analytics
Podbean focuses on monetization with features like crowdfunding and sponsorship matching, while offering basic podcast analytics. Though it doesn’t provide the detailed insights of Chartable, it’s ideal for podcasters looking to grow their community and monetize their content.
Pros:
- Analytics by Region/City: Provides geographic insights to help understand your audience.
- Monetization Tools: Includes features like crowdfunding and sponsorship matching.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Missing a universal link to guide listeners to all platforms.
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks tools for granular audience tracking.
- No IAB Certification: Metrics may not meet the standards required by advertisers.
10. Transistor: Multi-Show Hosting and Audience Analytics
Transistor is ideal for podcasters managing multiple shows, offering audience analytics similar to Chartable’s audience segmentation. It also allows for the creation of custom websites for each show, enhancing discoverability.
Pros:
- Analytics by Region/City: Offers geographic insights to better understand your audience.
- Monetization Tools: Supports features like multiple podcast hosting and premium subscription options.
Cons:
- No Smartlink: Does not provide a universal link for seamless listener redirection.
- No Trackable Prefix: Lacks advanced audience tracking for granular insights.
- No IAB Certification: Metrics may not meet advertiser standards for reliability.
How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Podcast
Focus on Actionable Data, Not Just Numbers
When it comes to analytics, more isn’t always better. Look for tools that offer insights you can act on, not just data you can see. The goal is to help you interpret the numbers and turn them into concrete steps to improve your podcast. Whether it’s understanding why certain episodes perform better or identifying audience engagement patterns, the right tool should help you optimize your podcast strategy based on clear, actionable insights.
Make Data-Driven Marketing Possible
The best podcast analytics platforms are those that integrate marketing tools. Opt for a solution that provides tracking links, campaign effectiveness data, and insights into where your listeners are coming from. By understanding which promotional efforts (social media, email, collaborations, etc.) are driving the most traffic, you can refine your marketing strategy. This kind of data-driven marketing helps ensure that you’re investing in the right channels to grow your audience efficiently.
Future-Proof Your Choice
The podcasting industry is constantly evolving, and you want a tool that can keep up with new trends and technologies. Make sure that the platform you choose offers regular updates, innovations, and support for emerging formats (like video podcasts or live streaming). This future-proofing ensures your podcast stays ahead of the curve as the medium evolves.
Look for Intuitive, Actionable Dashboards
Complex data is only useful if it’s easy to interpret. The right tool should provide clear, actionable dashboards that allow you to make data-driven decisions quickly. Whether it’s a spike in listeners from a specific region or a high drop-off rate on certain episodes, the tool should highlight what matters most in an intuitive way. This makes it easier for you to focus on improving your podcast rather than getting bogged down by confusing stats.
Conclusion
With the closure of Chartable, Ausha emerges as a powerful all-in-one alternative for podcasters looking to grow their audience and optimize their content 🎧
With AI-powered marketing tools, advanced analytics, and IAB-certified data, Ausha not only replaces Chartable’s key features but enhances them, helping podcasters automate tasks and improve visibility 🚀 Get Started for free
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