Listen-through rate

The listen-through rate (LTR) measures the proportion of an audio content that is actually heard. It comes in two forms: the average share of the file heard per session (a four-minute article heard for two minutes on average gives 50 percent) or the share of listeners reaching a given milestone (halfway, the end). It is the flagship metric of audio because it measures real attention, not mere exposure.

Why it beats a page view

A page view says a page loaded; it says nothing about whether the article was read, skimmed or abandoned within two seconds. The listen-through rate measures actual attention time: you cannot skim audio, you either listen or stop. An article whose listeners reach the end has objectively held their attention for its full duration. This is also why advertisers care about the metric: it proves the value of the inventory.

How to read it without fooling yourself

Three precautions. First, the rate is mechanically tied to duration: a one-minute brief reaches 90 percent far more easily than a ten-minute feature, without being better content. Compare articles of similar length, or track the same format over time.

Second, the shape of the drop-off curve tells you more than the average. A steep fall in the first seconds points to a weak opening or a heavy pre-roll; gradual, steady drop-off is the normal behaviour of an audience that got what it came for; a localised dip in the middle flags a specific passage worth examining.

Finally, the metric is the tuning instrument for everything built on listening: the preview length before a registration wall, the position and duration of ad spots. In both cases the listening curve shows the effect of each adjustment directly, article by article.