How our rankings work
One chart that reflects where listeners actually are, not just one app.
1. We read every chart, every day
Once a day we collect the top charts from Apple Podcasts (up to 200 shows overall and 100 per genre), Spotify (Top Podcasts, Trending and 17 genre charts), and Pocket Casts (Popular, Trending and 19 genre charts). All three chart sources are for the United States. Government and Kids & Family charts are available from Apple Podcasts and Pocket Casts; Spotify does not publish charts for those genres.
Overcast doesn't publish charts (its directory is built on Apple Podcasts), so it isn't part of the ranking, but every show page links to it.
2. We match the same show across platforms
Each app names shows a little differently. We match them using Apple IDs and RSS feed addresses where available, then by normalized title and publisher. Shows that only appear on Spotify are looked up in Apple's directory so they get full details.
3. We combine positions into the Pulse Score
For each genre we score every show by its position on each platform: a higher position earns more points, with the gap between #1 and #10 counting more than the gap between #60 and #70. A show's points from each available chart are added together, weighted by platform: Apple Podcasts 1.0, Spotify 1.0 and Pocket Casts 0.6.
The Pulse Score (1 to 100) is that total as a share of a perfect score: being No. 1 on every platform that publishes the chart. Shows are ranked by Pulse Score, so a podcast in the top 10 on every platform will usually beat a show that is No. 1 on one platform and missing from the others.
For the technically curious, this is weighted reciprocal-rank fusion: score = Σ weight ÷ (10 + rank).
4. Movement
Arrows show how a show moved on our combined chart since the previous day. On single-platform views, arrows show that platform's own movement where it publishes one.
Patreon rankings
Our Patreon rankings order shows by paid members on Patreon. We find each show's Patreon page from its RSS feed or show notes, and the member counts are checked by our editors from the creator's public Patreon page. Every count shows the date it was last checked.
What we don't do
We don't sell chart positions. Featured shows appear in clearly labeled spots and never change the numbered rankings.