How to Create Content Reports

As podcasts continue to surge in popularity, standing out and retaining an audience has never been more challenging. With great content everywhere, real-time podcast reporting has become more than just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic edge. They empower you to fine-tune your content based on listener behavior, make smarter editorial and promotional decisions, and deliver stronger results to advertisers, ultimately leading to greater audience growth and better monetization.

To help you stay at the top of your game, Simplecast has introduced Content Reports, a powerful new reporting tool that gives you a comprehensive, real-time view of how your content is performing. Available from a new Analytics tab, Content Reports build upon the data you already rely on from the Audience tab, but in a faster, more flexible, and streamlined experience.

With Content Reports, you can:

• Slice and dice data to fit your unique needs
• Generate insights for any custom time range
• Create reusable report templates for efficiency
• Schedule reports and receive regular updates on your content’s performance
• Download reports for easy sharing and in-depth analysis

Key Benefits

• Customize reports to fit your goals: Create tailored reports using the dimensions and metrics that matter most to you. Filter your data, combine metrics, and set any date range to get exactly the insights you need.
• Get actionable insights for smarter content strategies: See how your content performs in real time, understand listener behavior, and make informed decisions to improve engagement and retention.
• Turn performance data into new revenue opportunities: Identify top-performing content, confidently showcase its value to your advertising partners, and optimize your monetization strategy with deeper visibility into your performance metrics.
• Save time with automation and flexibility
  Build reusable templates, schedule reports to run automatically, and receive regular updates so you’re always ready to act, whether you’re planning a release or reporting to partners.

Use cases

1. Track the number of downloads per show and network

Let’s say you want to view the total number of downloads for each show and network during the previous month. To do this, set the time range of your report to “Last Month.” Then, in the Split section, add the dimensions Network and Show Name, and select Downloads as your metric. In just a few seconds, you’ll generate a clear report showing how each show and network performed in terms of downloads. 

2. Analyze the number of downloads by region

If you want to understand how your downloads vary across different regions, start by selecting the time range you’d like your report to cover. Then, in the Split section, add the Region and Time dimensions, and select Downloads as your metric.

This will generate a detailed report showing the number of downloads per region for each day within your selected timeframe, along with total download counts, giving you valuable insights into geographic trends and audience distribution.

And, if you want to focus on a specific show, simply add Show Name to the Filter section and select the show you’d like to analyze.

3. Get a real-time assessment of the number of downloads and unique listeners by player and publication date

Suppose you want to analyze how many downloads and unique listeners your show received over the last month, and how that performance varied by listening method (Player). To set this up, start by selecting “Last Month” as the time range for your report. Then, add Show Name to the Filter section and choose the specific show you want to analyze.

In the Split section, drag and drop the dimensions Episode Name, Publication Date, and Player Name. Finally, select Downloads and Unique Listeners as your metrics. This will generate a clear, real-time report showing how each episode performed across players and publication dates within the selected period.

4. Analyze episode performance in the first week after release

If you want to measure how each episode of a specific show performed during the first 7 days after publication, this report helps you identify patterns in early audience engagement across your catalog. 

To build it, start by setting “Last Month” as your date range (or any custom date range for which you want to get the report). In the Filter section, add the Show Name dimension and select the show you want to analyze. Next, add Time Since Publication Date as a report Filter as well, and select Days 1–7. In the Split section, drag and drop Episode Name, and use Downloads as your metric. 

This custom report provides a clear comparison of short-term performance across episodes, enabling you to understand what drives early listener interest and optimize your launch strategies accordingly.

Note: When selecting a specific time interval for your report, you’ll only see performance data recorded within that selected range. To accurately measure metrics like the first 7 days post-release for each episode, be sure to set the date range wide enough to include the full 7-day period for all episodes you want to analyze.

5. Analyze episode performance in the first month after release

If you want to measure how each episode of a specific show performed during the first 30 days after publication, similar to the previous use case, you need to:

• Select the time data range for your report
• Drag and drop the Show Name dimension in the Filter section and select the show name you want to analyze
• Add Time Since Publication Date as a report filter as well, and select the following values:  Days 1–7, Days 8-14, Days 15-21, Days 22-28.
• In the Split section, select Episode Name, and use Downloads as your metric. 

How it works

To offer you a versatile and flexible experience, Content Reports are structured around two core elements: dimensions and metrics.

What is a Report Dimension?

A dimension is a qualitative attribute that provides context to your data. It describes "what" or "where" something happened. For example, if you're analyzing your content performance, a dimension could be:

• City – Where the listener was located.
• Device Type – Whether they listened on mobile, desktop, or smart speakers.
• Episode Name – The episode they listened to.

What is a Metric?

A metric is a quantitative measurement tied to a dimension. It represents "how much" or "how many" of something occurred. For instance, Unique Listeners represent the number of distinct people who listened to your content.

In a nutshell, Dimensions categorize data, while Metrics quantify it. For example, if you analyze the Episode Name dimension with the Unique Listeners metric, you can see which episodes had the most listeners. 

How to access your data

Content Reports are available under the new Analytics tab in the main navigation bar, giving you powerful tools to analyze your podcast performance directly within the interface. With advanced filtering and customization options, you can:

• View up to 4 dimension splits (e.g., episode, device, location) in on-screen reports, or up to 6 dimension splits in scheduled or emailed reports
• Access up to 15 months of historical data
• Display up to 100 results per dimension directly in the UI, or receive a comprehensive report with all available results delivered straight to your inbox

You can export reports at any time for future reference using the Export button.

Visualize Data Your Way: Table or Chart View

The Content Reports page includes a toggle icon in the top-right corner that lets you switch between Table and Chart views.

In Chart View, you can:

• Toggle between Bar Chart and Line Chart
• Sort metrics in ascending or descending order
• Hover over data points for more detailed insights

Note: The chart view displays only the first split dimension, with each metric shown separately. To explore all splits, simply switch back to the Table view.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Custom Report

To create a custom report, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Select a time zone and date interval

Before you run a report for a date interval of your choice, you can select a time zone from the dedicated drop-down list.

All the metrics and dimensions for your chosen date range will be based on the time zone that you have selected. The system takes daylight saving time into account.

You can select the date interval you want to use for aggregating your data (Today, Yesterday, This week, Last week, This month, Last month). You can also choose the Custom option from the drop-down to select the start date and the end date of the interval for which you want to display the information.

Step 2: Add dimensions to your report

Select your desired dimensions by dragging and dropping them to the Filter and Split bars or by using the quick selection buttons that appear when you hover over a dimension name.

Using Filters and Splits in Content Reports

Filters

Use the Filter option when you want to focus on a specific subset of your data. You can select one or more values from the drop-down list for any dimension. This helps you retrieve relevant results faster and with greater precision. For instance, if you want to see the number of downloads for a specific show, you need to drag and drop the Show Name dimension to the Filter section and then select the show you want to analyze from the drop-down.

To exclude certain values from your report:

• Drag a dimension into the Filter bar
• Click the Include label above the values and switch it to Exclude
• Select the values you want to remove and click Apply

Splits

The Split option lets you break down your results by specific dimensions (e.g., Episode Name, Player, Region). All items within that dimension will be displayed.

By default, you’ll see the top 10 results per dimension, but you can adjust this limit:

• Click on the dimension in the Split bar
• Update the Limit value to show more (or fewer) results as needed.

NOTE: Reports using more than four dimensions or showing more than 100 results per dimension will be generated and sent to you by email.

Step 3: Add metrics to your report

View the list of available metrics and click on the desired one(s) to add them to your report. The order in which the metrics are shown in the table will mirror the order of the ones selected

Step 4: Create your report

Once you have added the desired dimensions and metrics to your report, click the Run button to create the actual report.

Step 5: Export your report

You can export your customized report by clicking the Export button. The exported reports will contain the same information as shown in the interface. To receive the full dataset by email, you can choose to see All results.

Scheduled Reports and Report Templates

Scheduled Reports

A scheduled report enables you to get updates about your data on a regular basis. Before you schedule a report, define your dimensions and metrics, then click Schedule and follow the steps below.

1. Name your report – if you don’t have a name in mind, you can use the pre-filled name.
2. Recipient(s) – your email address will be automatically added, but you can change it or add multiple email addresses (separated by a comma).
3. Select a start and an end date corresponding to the time interval when you want to receive the reports.
4. Choose the Timezone used to configure your report.
5. Define the Delivery Frequency for your report. The following options are available:

Daily – at a specific hour of the day.

Weekly – you also need to select the day of the week, from Monday to Sunday.

Monthly – you must define the day of the month: 1-30.

Quarterly – you must also define the day of the first month and the data timeframe.

Every X Weeks –  you need to also select the number of weeks for the report delivery, the day of the week (Monday to Sunday), and the data timeframe.

6. Select the data frame for your report, which defines the time interval the report will cover. You can choose from the following options:

Previous Day – Covers the full day prior to the report generation date. For example, a report scheduled on April 24 will include data from April 23 (12:00 AM to 11:59 PM).

Previous Week – Covers the full calendar week preceding the report date, from Monday at 12:00 AM to Sunday at 11:59 PM.

Previous Month – Covers the full calendar month prior to the report date. For example, a report scheduled on April 24 will include data from March 1 to March 31.

Previous Quarter – Covers the previous business quarter relative to the report date. For example, a report scheduled on April 24 will include data for Q1 (January 1 to March 31). 

Previous X Weeks – Works only with an "Every X Weeks" delivery frequency. If X is set to 3, for example, a report generated on April 24 will include data from the prior three weeks (April 3 to April 24).

Last 7 Days – Covers the seven days leading up to the report date. For example, a report scheduled on April 24 will include data from April 14 to April 23.

Last 30 Days – Covers the thirty days leading up to the report date. For example, a report scheduled on April 24 will include data from March 25 to April 23.

Starting At – Covers data from a fixed start date (selected in the UI) up to the present day.

Year to Date – Covers data from the beginning of the calendar year through the current day.

To view, edit, or delete reports that you’ve scheduled in the past, use the Scheduled Custom Reports tab.

Note: A scheduled report configuration is only visible in the UI to the user who created it, and only within the account where it was set up. For example, if User A has access to two accounts and creates a scheduled report in Account 1, they will not see that same configuration in Account 2.

Report Templates

If you need to frequently run a custom report, you can save it as a template by clicking "Save as Template" and entering the desired template name.

You can define up to 100 templates, which you can then select from the Template List. If a template is no longer needed, you can remove it from the list.

Note: A report template is only visible in the UI to the user who created it, and only within the account where it was set up. For example, if User A has access to two accounts and creates a report template in Account 1, they will not see that same template in Account 2.

Dimensions and metrics available in Content reports

Dimensions

Metrics