“If you found value in this episode, please leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, it helps people discover the show.”

You hear that call to action at the end of so many podcasts, but do ratings and reviews really help people discover our show? On Podcasting Step by Step, I dig into the truth behind podcast ratings and reviews. 

But first, if you haven’t launched your show yet and are looking for a podcast media host, I recommend Libsyn. That’s where I host this show, and they’re offering my listeners a special deal. If you’d like to get the rest of this month free AND next month free, use my promo code POSTCARD when you sign up with Libsyn. 

Subscribe to Podcasting Step by Step for free (click a button below)

Unfortunately, ratings and reviews are increasingly becoming more unreliable, and that is true on Apple Podcasts, as well. 

People can buy positive reviews for themselves, pay to get their competitor one-starred. In podcast groups, sometimes people form threads to leave reviews on each other’s shows, even if they’ve never listened to them. 

This system is easily gamed, but what is the purpose of all this? Why do people care about ratings and reviews? 

Well, to start it looks good if you’ve got a show that’s rated 5 stars. Another reason is that people think that ratings and reviews will move them up the Apple Podcast charts and help them get discovered. 

According to Rob Walch, the vice president of customer relations at Libsyn, this is not true. In the next episode, I’ll be talking to Rob at podcasting’s most sticky myths, and ratings and reviews are one of them. 

Rob says that ratings and reviews are pretty much worthless and do not have an effect on whether you rank for your category in Apple Podcasts.

In the next episode, you’ll hear from Rob on what does matter in rankings, so hit subscribe so you don’t miss that. 

I disagree with Rob that ratings and reviews are meaningless. 

I usually listen to my podcasts in Overcast, but once in awhile, I’ll be in Apple Podcasts, and if I look up shows on a certain topic, and have a few to choose from, I’m probably going for the 5-star show, and not the 1-star one, and that really sucks for the 1-star person if she’s got a great show, but maybe she’s new and only has one review from a hater.

I have conflicted feelings about ratings and reviews because I love when listeners give me a nice rating and review. I really appreciate that and like reading them on air and giving them a shout out. So I don’t think this is meaningless. 

At the same time, if someone wants to leave constructive criticism of a show, I feel like they should email the host and give them a chance to work on things rather than forever branding them with whatever rating they were feeling in the moment. 

People are often way too casual when it comes to ratings and reviews. They forget that they are rating and reviewing human beings. If someone wakes up in a cranky mood, is it right that they can hurt a person’s livelihood and reputation with a throwaway rating and review that they don’t even feel passionate about? The restaurant or podcast just happened to be on the receiving end of a bad day? By someone who probably does not have the courage to create anything.

I kind of wish ratings and reviews for everything would go away. Maybe algorithms are the answer? I usually say we need more humanity and less tech in the world. But maybe I just need a robot to tell me what I would enjoy. What do you think? 

Spotify is experimenting with automated recommendations. From one I can see in my app, they’ve got a ways to go. But maybe it’s the future. 

Right now, the way most people learn about new podcasts is through recommendations. So I’ll end this episode by saying, “If you like this podcast, please tell a friend about it. That is the best way to grow the show.” 

And just to be cheeky, if you’ve been getting a lot of value out of this podcast, and have listened to more than three episodes, please leave me a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. 

It might not help people find me, or rocket me to fame, but it will make me smile and happy to know that you’re listening and getting something out of what I share with you.