You Only Need 27 Downloads To Be In The Top 50% of Podcasts – Here’s Why

In a world where people tend to talk about social media engagement numbers in 10s of thousands, it’s easy to scoff at the idea of celebrating 27 podcast downloads. 

But podcasting isn’t social media. Podcast hosting giant Buzzsprout recently reported that if your episode gets 27 downloads in its first 7 days, you’re already in the top 50% of all podcasts.

Our own survey of over 500 independent podcasters backs up Buzzsprout’s data. 50% of those we spoke to said their new episodes get fewer than 50 downloads in the first week.

The full report will be released in the coming weeks – sign up to the Perspectives newsletter to get a copy to your inbox!

Average podcast download data has been published by platforms like Buzzsprout and Libsyn for years, so this is no big revelation to the industry.

But what about its impact on creators themselves?

When we polled independent podcasters to find out how Buzzsprout’s findings made them feel about their own show, here’s what they said: 

The majority (70%) of creators who took the poll said they felt encouraged by Buzzsprout’s findings because it made success feel more achievable than they thought.

And here’s why 27 downloads shouldn’t be dismissed: 27 people who have chosen to spend real time with your podcast is worth a whole lot more than thousands of passive views.

And that’s why podcasting success feels different – and arguably, more meaningful too.

Why These Numbers Feel Low 

There are three main culprits that dupe us into thinking the 27 downloads mark is too low to indicate success.

1. Social media

Most early-stage creators have been conditioned to prioritise volume over value, but those metrics are often shallow. Podcasting isn’t social media, where big numbers often come fast, but they don’t mean much. 

For example, if you’ve ever uploaded a YouTube Short before – even on a channel with no prior traction or subscriber base – you might see it hit anywhere between 500 and 1500 views out of the blue.

Or, if you ran a Twitter account back in the day and had a “follow back” strategy, you might’ve seen “audience” numbers in the high hundreds or low thousands for simply posting the odd rant about your bins not getting emptied.

So it’s likely that those 5.5% of the creators we polled who said they felt ‘underwhelmed’ by Buzzsprout’s 27-download benchmark felt so because they’re approaching podcasting with a social media mindset. But as a longer-form medium, podcasting works in a very different way.

2. Advertisers

Social media isn’t the only thing to blame for creators thinking they need viral numbers to be successful. The monetisation world doesn’t make it easy either.

Many of the benchmarks advertisers and sponsors use are higher than they should be, and can make you feel like you’re under-performing.

But in reality, we know that 27 engaged listeners is far more valuable (to them as well as us!) than 2,700 fake podcast downloads paid for through gaming apps. 

3. The news

Many podcasting studies and media stories fail to include data from independent podcasters. They tend to focus on shows signed to major networks.

While this is a perfectly standard practice, it can give independents a skewed perception of the numbers they should benchmark and what success looks like. 

These shows have entire marketing and production teams behind them, so naturally, they’re going to tot up viral download numbers. Attempting to achieve anything close to these numbers is only going to result in you feeling totally deflated and burnt out.

Why Podcasting Isn’t A Numbers Game

Let’s just take a minute to talk about why it’s so important to remember podcasting isn’t a numbers game. 

Unlike with social media, where audiences are bombarded with content (often that they’ve not even asked to see), podcasting is entirely opt-in. Your listeners have chosen to spend time with your show, and they’re there to give you 20+ minutes of their attention, not a split second. This is why comparing podcast downloads to social media metrics is like comparing apples to oranges.

Growing your podcast audience is a slow process, but it’s intentional and it’s about creating listeners who come back time and again. This sort of number-building is a strategy that’s often underappreciated — especially in the early stages. Retention, not virality, is the game.

When someone listens to your podcast, they’re more likely to follow, subscribe, share, and trust you. This is long-term value that social metrics rarely deliver.

So to refer back to our quick poll: 70% of creators felt “encouraged” by the 27-download benchmark. This is because they intuitively understand that they’re building a real audience with their content. 

What Can Podcasters Take From This?

There are a few essential takeaways to keep in mind when reviewing your podcast numbers moving forward.

• Don’t be discouraged by big viral numbers. Remember, a small, highly-engaged audience is way more valuable than hundreds of disengaged listeners (and the industry is slowly starting to recognise this).
• Focus on your own numbers rather than industry numbers when measuring growth. If you’re creating a pitch deck for your podcast, talk about percentage growth that shows growth in the right context. Don’t compare your numbers to industry averages.
• Track depth, not just downloads. Downloads aren’t everything. What about subscribers, audience feedback, listening time, or ratings and reviews? There are a whole load of other podcast metrics that creators find more valuable than downloads.

So 27 downloads may not seem like much, but it is if you think about what it really means: A room full of people who showed up, pressed play, and stuck around.

Podcasting isn’t about chasing clout, but building long-term connections with your audience. And 27 downloads is an important part of that journey.

We’ll be publishing the full report of our indie podcaster survey soon, which is chock full of interesting insights about how independents currently work, their challenges and lessons you can learn from. Sign up to the Perspectives newsletter to be first in line to get your free copy.