Frequently asked questions
Welcome to the Most Voted Podcasts help section. Below are answers to the most common questions – about voting, the awards, the jury, and for everyone who makes a show themselves.
What is Most Voted Podcasts?
A community leaderboard for podcasts. A show's position isn't decided by download numbers, subscriptions or an algorithm, but solely by the votes of the people who listen to it. More on that under What for?
How does voting work?
Every show has an up arrow and a down arrow. Up means: I recommend this. Down means: I think this is overrated. Each account can vote exactly once per show. If you change your mind later, the new vote simply replaces the old one – no second vote is added.
Why isn't there a star rating?
Because we don't want you to grade every podcast in the world. We want to know which ones you genuinely recommend – and which you don't. Whether a show deserves 4.2 or 3.9 stars barely helps anyone choose. The question "would you recommend this?" does.
Why do I need an account?
So that each person votes only once per show, voting requires a free account. Everything else is open without signing in: lists, show pages, episodes and awards.
How are the rankings created?
By default, shows are ordered by their number of votes. You can also sort by title, by episode count or by newest episode; clicking the same option again reverses the direction. The period switch moves between the all-time leaderboard and the votes of the current month.
Which filters are there?
You can filter by language, by category and by publisher – so you can see all shows from one broadcaster or network together. Filters combine freely, and the browser address keeps your selection, so a filtered list can be shared or bookmarked.
How do I find a particular show?
Use the search at the top. Matching shows from our catalogue appear as you type.
The show I'm looking for is missing. What now?
Then add it yourself: look it up through the suggestion feature, we'll find it in a public podcast directory, take title, description, cover art and episodes from its feed – and you can vote for it right away. An account is required for this.
How current are the episodes?
We reconcile the feeds daily, picking up new episodes and changes to show data. Previously this ran weekly – which regularly meant the newest episode was missing for shows that publish twice a week.
Where can I listen to a show?
Every show page links to the players we have an address for – usually Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Deezer – plus the RSS feed, which lets you subscribe in any app you like. Which links exist depends on the individual show. Playback happens there, not here – we're the recommendation, not the player.
What is LIVE mode?
In LIVE mode the list updates by itself as others vote. New votes show up within seconds and position changes are displayed. If that feels too restless, switch LIVE off.
How do the awards work?
Every month, each category is awarded: gold for first place, silver for second, bronze for third, and places four to ten count as nominated. The votes cast during the voting period decide, nothing else. Winners stay visible in the award archive permanently.
Why are German and English awards separate?
Because a German-language and an English-language podcast aren't speaking to the same audience – a shared ranking would mostly measure the size of the language area. So every award runs separately per language. We take a show's language from the declaration in its feed, not from a judgement of our own.
What role does the jury play?
Alongside the community votes there are recommendations from an independent jury: journalists and people who listen professionally. They introduce individual shows, including little-known ones. These recommendations don't feed into the ranking – jurors vote like everyone else, and their recommendation is a text, not an extra vote.
What does "Sponsored" mean?
A paid placement: the show appears at a fixed, prominent spot in the list – visually like a normal entry, but clearly marked as "Sponsored". It changes nothing about the real ranking, the other shows keep their order, and you can vote a sponsored show up or down just like any other.
How do you protect against manipulation?
Each account votes only once per show, accounts are confirmed by email, and unusual voting patterns are detected and reviewed automatically. It's the same protection as for app votes – there is no second, looser rule for podcasts.
What data is stored?
Only what's needed to run the platform, such as your account and the votes you cast. No tracking profiles are built, and IP addresses are not stored in the clear. Details are in our privacy policy.
I make a show myself. How do I prove it's mine?
In three ways, and you only need one: place a verification code in your RSS feed, put it on your website, or have a confirmation email sent to the address listed in your feed. Your show's page shows which routes are available.
What can I do afterwards?
You maintain your show's page yourself, can leave a note for listeners, get a widget showing your current position for your own website, and take part in the monthly awards. All free of charge.
Will you contact me if my show is listed here?
No. We only send mail to the people behind a show when you request it yourself – such as the confirmation email during verification. You won't get unsolicited promotional mail from us.
Which languages is Most Voted Podcasts available in?
The platform is available in German and English. Both versions show the entire catalogue; the awards, by contrast, are separated by the language of the shows.
I found a bug, or I have a question.
Write to us through the contact form in the footer. Pointers to incorrect show data are welcome too – often the cause is a value in the feed, which we don't overwrite by hand but clarify with you.