On the
Players tab in your account, you'll find multiple versions of our Buzzsprout
embedded players that you can use on your website. While each player has many customization options, you won't be able to enable preload or autoplay for the players.
Our goal is to provide you with the most accurate stats possible, so we avoid anything that could skew your data. Because preloading and autoplay can artificially inflate download numbers, we’ve intentionally disabled those features.
Embedding Third-Party Players
If you choose to use a third-party podcast player on your website, we strongly suggest you disable any preloading or autoplay settings.
We also advise against automatically downloading episodes or altering the episode audio URL. These settings will help maintain the accuracy of your Buzzsprout stats!
Apps and Directories Recommendations
If you're embedding your own players, check out these advanced tips for the most accurate tracking:
- Header Information: Use header information located at the start of the podcast to prevent a full download if it is not needed.
- File Request: For a full download, ask for the entire file in one go. For a progressive download, ask for the file in slices (byte range). This way, a full download can be distinguished from a progressive download.
- Using GUID: Instead of the episode URL, title, publication date, etc, use the GUID to identify new episodes in the RSS feed that should be automatically downloaded to a user’s device. The GUID is designed to be persistent through changes to the hosting environment, titles, etc.
- Automatic Download Unsubscribe: Employ an “automatic download unsubscribe” behavior (Ex, stop auto downloads after 5 episodes of non-listens). Do not automatically download all episodes (Ex, back catalog episodes) by default. This creates an unnecessary drain on the publishers’ servers and consumes users’ bandwidth.