• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 2, 2020

The IAB Tech Lab has released revised technical guidelines for podcast measurement, and is seeking public comments through December 31. 

The podcast industry’s growth has skyrocketed in recent years —and during the COVID-19 pandemic in particular — with ad revenue projected by IAB and PwC to reach $1 billion this year. The measurement guidelines were last updated in 2017. 

Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines 2.1, produced by the lab’s Podcast Technical Working Group, update industry best practices to reduce measurement discrepancies and provide a set of recommended metrics and guidelines across the podcast marketplace. 

The “significant” updates include a new section with guidance on user agent structure, recommendations for IPv6 IP addresses, filtering guidance for Apple watchOS user agents, and other podcast player recommendations, according to the IAB Tech Lab. 

By defining four metrics (download, listener, ad-delivered and client-confirmed ad play), the new guidelines represent a first step toward a common language for podcast advertising buyers and sellers, which will help producers achieve scale, invest in technology and bring tracking standards closer to those available in other media, the lab adds.

Those interested can review the guidelines and comment via a dedicated page on the IAB Tech Lab site.