We’ve had quite a few questions come in from Simplecast creators about the Luminary listening app. As always, the podcast rumor mill is churning, so we wanted to compile some answers all in one place. We’ll keep this post updated as we hear more!
Update 4/25: We can confirm that Luminary has removed the proxy and added in a redirect. We're in communication with Luminary to improve their app's identification and how that data gets passed back to hosting providers.
Update 5/7: Looks like Luminary will be including links in their show notes!
Is Luminary stealing my content? Or re-hosting? Should I be filing takedowns or something?
No. Luminary isn’t stealing your shows or re-hosting them. They do seem to be running shows through a proxy server. They're getting information about your show via your RSS feed, which is open by default. However, a proxy server fetches your audio file, and it masks the proper metadata for us to track analytics correctly. Per Luminary, this is to ensure “a shorter distance and faster link to the hosting provider's audio file.” That said...
Will I get see analytics for downloads coming from Luminary?
Unfortunately not. Because of the proxy Luminary is using, the metadata we receive doesn’t meet IAB Certification guidelines. The proxy masks the original listener data and has all the characteristics of a bot. Because of this we, and any other host pursuing IAB Certification (the industry’s standard), can’t report any data about how your show is doing on Luminary. Our hope is that Luminary will remove the proxy, so they play nice like Apple, Google, and most other listening apps.
What's going on with my show notes?
As per Luminary, when they bring in your show to their app, they clip out what may be important information in your show notes–namely, external links. These can include sponsor links, contextual information, or Patreon links. They're currently exploring solutions.
Why are podcast creators taking their shows off of Luminary?
To be clear, a small number of prominent shows have pulled themselves from Luminary. It seems like it might be a licensing dispute, but we don’t have a crystal ball. The information around these decisions is new and only developing. You can read more about it here.
Should I?
That’s really up to you! Having your show everywhere it can be increases your potential audience, but you might have other concerns to consider.
What can I do?
If you want to put your show up on Luminary, or request it be taken down, you can do both of those things here.
Have questions? Don't hesitate to reach out via your support chat, on Twitter, or in the Simplecast Members Forum!