We are often asked to explain our IAB Podcast Measurement Certification and what Certified Compliant means. We want to break this down so that you understand the importance of the process and how the IAB Tech lab, a division of the IAB, carries out the certification.
What is IAB Tech Lab?
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab is dedicated to producing global technical standards and solutions to support a robust, sustainable digital media and advertising industry. Its role is to facilitate innovation and bring uniformity in areas where fragmentation can hamper growth.
The IAB Tech Lab’s mission extends across various facets of the digital advertising world, with its primary focus areas being:
- Creating Technical Standards: Balancing consumer privacy and addressability through identity-related standards.
- Accelerating Advanced TV: Developing essential technical standards to enhance the ongoing expansion of Advanced TV.
- Enhancing Security: Advancing and producing technical standards to combat ad fraud, promote supply chain transparency and improve security.
Why is Podcast Measurement Certification Important?
In the rapidly growing world of podcasting, transparency and accuracy of podcast statistics are of utmost importance. Podcast Measurement Certification introduced by IAB Tech Lab aims to ensure consistency in the metrics provided by different podcast hosts.
This certification is pivotal because it instills trust in podcast statistics. Over the years, the lack of uniform measurement methods has caused confusion and skepticism. IAB Certification provides a yardstick that more than 35 podcast companies have signed off on, marking it as the gold standard in the industry.
The Role of Independent Auditing in Certification
One of the most significant aspects of the IAB Tech Lab’s Podcast Measurement Certification is the role of independent auditing. IAB Tech Lab enlists the help of an independent auditing firm to examine every aspect of a podcast host’s processes and codes for data collection and reporting. This includes a comprehensive review of the code and validation processes to ensure full compliance with IAB certification guidelines.
The independent auditing process is rigorous and thorough, designed to give podcasters, advertisers and listeners the highest confidence level in the data provided by certified podcast hosts. This process ensures that all certified entities, such as Blubrry, meet the same stringent criteria.
Blubrry’s Role in IAB Certification
Blubrry has been a pioneer in the podcast measurement space, actively participating in creating certification requirements and being a signatory to the IAB podcast measurement guidelines document.
Making history, Blubrry was the first podcast host to achieve IAB Certified Compliance in podcast measurement. This noteworthy accomplishment confirms that Blubrry’s podcast metrics adhere to the stringent technical standards the IAB Tech Lab sets, making it a trusted and reliable source for podcast data.
Currently, Blubrry is certified at the highest level, 2.1. Here is the link to Blubrry’s Certification.
While there are several other certified companies, not all have achieved 2.1 compliance. For the full list of certified compliant companies, click here.
The Value to You as Podcaster
IAB Tech Lab’s Podcast Measurement Certification has proved to be a significant milestone in the podcasting industry. It has streamlined the process of gathering and reporting podcast data, reducing discrepancies and improving transparency. At Blubrry, we uphold and actively shape these standards, playing an instrumental role in maintaining trust and consistency in the podcasting world.