Altmetric is now tracking podcasts as a new attention source

Posted by Misha Kidambi on 15th October 2025

Research impact doesn’t just happen in journals and social feeds, it’s discussed, debated, and shared, often in podcasts. Today, we’re excited to announce that Altmetric is tuning in to where these conversations are really happening by introducing podcast mentions as a new attention source. This new feature will provide a more complete and resilient view of a research output’s attention, helping to ensure no conversation goes unheard.

With nearly half of all adults using podcasts for information, leaving them out of attention tracking means overlooking a major arena for public and professional audiences to learn about research outside of traditional media. This is particularly important since discussions of research are increasingly moving into podcasts, especially with the rise of remote learning and new science communication formats after COVID.

What is changing?

Research mentions in podcast episode descriptions will now be visible in Altmetric Explorer, Details Pages, and Reports, and will contribute to the Altmetric Attention Score. This new data source will be seamlessly integrated alongside existing sources like news, blogs, policy, patents, and social media. Each mention includes a direct link, so you can easily listen to or view the conversation in its original context.

Key benefits

By adding podcasts, Altmetric is the first provider to capture this growing and influential medium as a measurable source of research attention, giving you a competitive advantage. This innovation strengthens your ability to report on impact with confidence to leadership, funders, and stakeholders. It also helps you:

• Capture a broader attention landscape: Get ahead of the competition and move beyond social media to capture a complete picture of engagement. With an estimated 619 million people listening to podcasts in 2026, this genre has, until now, gone untracked.
• Gain deeper public engagement insights: Showcase how research resonates with both lay and professional audiences. Podcasts provide near real-time, qualitative evidence of influence in public discourse, helping you to quickly see when your research is a topic of discussion.
• Diversify your data sources: Reduce reliance on social media platforms like X, which has seen a significant decline in research discussions and engagement since 2022. This strengthens our product resilience and provides a growing, alternative source of engagement

The addition of podcasts provides value across all user segments of the research ecosystem:

• For Academics: Strengthen your REF submissions and demonstrate real-world resonance, proving your work resonates beyond scholarly publications.
• For Enterprise: Identify emerging Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and track therapeutic-area conversations, even outside traditional publishing. Podcast mentions support omnichannel insight gathering by adding a media format often used by HCPs and patient communities.
• For Publishers: Highlight podcast mentions as powerful social proof, showing that your journals are not just cited but are also discussed in accessible, mainstream forums that boost author engagement.
• For Funders: Ensure the research you support is making an impact in broader public discourse, helping to measure societal influence and justify your investment.

More information available on our product page and press release or contact our support team to schedule a demonstration.