Cookie Policy
Last updated: June 25, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how PodcastCharts.net uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit our website.
PodcastCharts.net is an editorial website that reviews, discusses, ranks, and reports on podcasts, podcast episodes, podcast platforms, creators, entertainment topics, and related media. We do not currently require visitors to create accounts, log in, subscribe, or become members. However, we use cookies and similar technologies to operate the website, remember privacy choices, measure traffic, display embedded media, show advertising, measure ad performance, and track affiliate referrals.
This Cookie Policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy.
1. Who We Are
PodcastCharts.net is owned and operated by:
Instant Media Access
Billo ILY S-237
Birger Jarlsgatan 37
114 45 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
Email: info@podcastcharts.org
2. What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies can help a website remember your device, browser, preferences, privacy choices, session information, and interactions.
Cookies may be:
- First-party cookies, which are set by PodcastCharts.net.
- Third-party cookies, which are set by external services, such as analytics providers, advertising partners, embedded media platforms, affiliate networks, or other third-party tools.
- Session cookies, which expire when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies, which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them.
We may also use similar technologies, such as pixels, tags, scripts, local storage, device identifiers, tracking URLs, embedded player technologies, and software tools that perform similar functions.
3. Why We Use Cookies
PodcastCharts.net may use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
- to make the website work properly
- to remember your cookie and privacy choices
- to improve website performance and security
- to understand how visitors use the website
- to measure page views, traffic sources, and content popularity
- to display podcast, video, audio, and platform embeds
- to serve advertisements
- to measure ad performance
- to personalize advertising where permitted by law and your consent choices
- to track affiliate link referrals and commissions
- to prevent spam, fraud, abuse, and technical misuse
- to improve articles, rankings, navigation, and user experience
4. Types of Cookies We Use
The cookies and similar technologies used on PodcastCharts.net may fall into the categories below.
5. Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly necessary cookies are required for the website to function properly. These cookies may be used without your consent where allowed by law because they are essential for basic website operations.
These cookies may be used to:
- load the website correctly
- remember your cookie consent choices
- maintain website security
- prevent spam, abuse, or malicious activity
- support WordPress functionality
- enable basic page navigation
- keep the website stable and reliable
Examples may include cookies set by WordPress, security tools, hosting systems, caching tools, consent management tools, or similar technical services.
You can block these cookies in your browser, but parts of the website may not work correctly.
6. Analytics and Performance Cookies
Analytics and performance cookies help us understand how visitors use PodcastCharts.net.
We use, or may use, Google Analytics, Google Site Kit, and similar analytics tools to collect aggregated and statistical information about website traffic and visitor behavior.
Analytics cookies may help us understand:
- which pages are visited most often
- how visitors find the website
- how long visitors stay on pages
- which podcast topics, articles, reviews, and rankings are popular
- which devices and browsers visitors use
- whether pages load correctly
- how users move through the website
Google Analytics cookies may include cookies such as _ga, ga[container-id], or similar cookies. The exact cookies may vary depending on our configuration and Google’s current technology.
Analytics data helps us improve PodcastCharts.net, create better content, fix technical issues, and understand what readers are interested in.
Where required by law, analytics cookies will only be used after you provide consent.
7. Advertising Cookies
PodcastCharts.net uses, or plans to use, Google AdSense and may use other advertising networks or advertising partners.
Advertising cookies may be used to:
- show advertisements on the website
- measure ad impressions and clicks
- prevent the same ad from appearing too often
- detect invalid traffic or ad fraud
- report advertising performance
- personalize ads based on your interests, where permitted by law and your consent choices
- show non-personalized or contextual ads where personalization is not allowed or not selected
Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to PodcastCharts.net or other websites. Google’s advertising cookies allow Google and its partners to serve ads based on visits to this website and/or other websites on the Internet.
Depending on your location, privacy choices, and consent status, you may see personalized ads, non-personalized ads, contextual ads, or limited ads.
You can manage advertising cookies through our Cookie Settings or Manage Privacy Preferences link. You may also be able to manage advertising preferences through your browser, device settings, Google ad settings, and other third-party opt-out tools.
8. Embedded Media Cookies
PodcastCharts.net may embed podcast episodes, videos, audio players, playlists, trailers, clips, or other media from third-party platforms, including but not limited to:
- YouTube
- Spotify
- Apple Podcasts
- Amazon Music
- other podcast platforms
- social media platforms
- video, audio, and streaming services
When embedded media loads or when you interact with an embedded player, the third-party platform may set cookies, use local storage, collect device information, collect IP address information, measure your interaction with the player, or connect your activity to your account with that third-party platform if you are logged in.
Embedded media cookies may be used to:
- display the media player
- remember playback settings
- measure views, plays, or interactions
- personalize content or recommendations
- detect fraud or abuse
- provide platform analytics
- serve or measure advertising
- connect activity to your account on the third-party platform
We do not control cookies set by YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or other third-party platforms. Their own privacy policies, cookie policies, and terms apply.
Where required by law, embedded media may be blocked, delayed, or replaced with a placeholder until you provide consent.
9. Affiliate and Referral Cookies
PodcastCharts.net may contain affiliate links to third-party vendors, retailers, services, platforms, subscriptions, software, media services, entertainment offers, and other commercial websites.
When you click an affiliate link, an affiliate network or third-party vendor may set cookies or use tracking links to identify that you came from PodcastCharts.net. If you make a purchase, sign up, subscribe, or complete another qualifying action, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Affiliate and referral cookies may be used to:
- track clicks from PodcastCharts.net to third-party websites
- attribute purchases or signups to our website
- calculate commissions
- prevent fraud
- measure campaign performance
- report sales, leads, or conversions
Affiliate cookies are usually set by third-party vendors or affiliate networks, not by PodcastCharts.net directly. Their cookie duration and practices may vary.
10. Functionality Cookies
Functionality cookies may help the website remember preferences and improve usability.
These cookies may be used to remember:
- display preferences
- cookie choices
- language or region preferences
- media player preferences
- previously selected options
- interface settings
PodcastCharts.net currently does not require user accounts, member areas, or subscriber logins. If we add such features in the future, additional functionality cookies may be used and this Cookie Policy may be updated.
11. Security and Anti-Abuse Technologies
We may use cookies or similar technologies to protect PodcastCharts.net from spam, fraud, bots, scraping, malicious traffic, denial-of-service attacks, invalid ad traffic, and other forms of misuse.
These technologies may be provided by hosting providers, security plugins, firewall providers, anti-spam tools, analytics tools, advertising partners, or other technical service providers.
Security-related technologies may collect information such as IP address, browser type, request patterns, device information, or suspicious activity signals.
12. Cookie Categories Summary
PodcastCharts.net may use the following categories of cookies and similar technologies:
| Cookie Category | Purpose | Examples of Services |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | Website operation, security, consent storage, WordPress functionality | WordPress, hosting, security tools, consent tools |
| Analytics / Performance | Traffic measurement, content popularity, site improvement | Google Analytics, Google Site Kit |
| Advertising | Ad delivery, ad measurement, personalized or contextual ads | Google AdSense, advertising partners |
| Embedded Media | Display podcast, video, and audio players | YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music |
| Affiliate / Referral | Track outbound affiliate clicks, sales, leads, and commissions | Affiliate networks and third-party vendors |
| Functionality | Remember preferences and improve usability | Website settings, consent preferences, media preferences |
| Security / Anti-Abuse | Prevent spam, bots, fraud, and invalid traffic | Hosting, security, firewall, anti-spam tools |
The exact cookies used may change over time depending on our website configuration, plugins, advertising partners, embedded media, analytics tools, affiliate programs, and third-party services.
13. Your Cookie Choices
When you visit PodcastCharts.net, you may see a cookie banner or privacy preferences tool. Depending on your location, this tool may allow you to:
- accept all cookies
- reject non-essential cookies
- manage cookie categories
- consent to analytics
- consent to advertising
- consent to personalized ads
- consent to embedded media cookies
- withdraw or change your consent later
You can change your choices at any time by clicking the Cookie Settings, Manage Privacy Preferences, or similar link in our website footer.
If you reject non-essential cookies, some features may be limited. For example, certain embedded media players, personalized ads, analytics features, or affiliate tracking functions may not work in the same way.
Strictly necessary cookies may still be used because they are required for the website to function, remember privacy choices, maintain security, or provide services you request.
14. U.S. Privacy Choices
PodcastCharts.net mainly targets visitors in the United States, but we expect visitors from around the world.
Some U.S. state privacy laws may give residents the right to opt out of certain types of targeted advertising, sale, or sharing of personal information.
PodcastCharts.net does not sell personal information in the traditional sense of exchanging visitor information for money. However, certain uses of advertising cookies, affiliate tracking, analytics tools, and third-party advertising technologies may be considered “sale,” “sharing,” or “targeted advertising” under some U.S. privacy laws.
Where applicable, you may opt out by using:
- Cookie Settings
- Manage Privacy Preferences
- Your Privacy Choices
- Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, if displayed
We also aim to respect legally required opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, where required by applicable law and supported by our tools.
15. Visitors from the EEA, UK, Switzerland, and Similar Regions
If you visit PodcastCharts.net from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, or another region with similar privacy laws, we may request your consent before using non-essential cookies and similar technologies.
This may include consent for:
- analytics cookies
- advertising cookies
- personalized advertising
- audience measurement
- embedded media cookies
- affiliate tracking cookies
- storing or accessing information on your device
You may withdraw or change your consent at any time through our Cookie Settings or Manage Privacy Preferences link.
16. Google Consent Mode and Consent Management
PodcastCharts.net uses, or may use, consent management tools compatible with WordPress, the WordPress Consent API, Google Site Kit, Google Consent Mode, Google AdSense, and related services.
These tools may communicate your consent choices to Google and other services so that analytics and advertising technologies behave according to your selected preferences and applicable legal requirements.
For example, if you do not consent to advertising cookies, advertising services may operate in a limited, contextual, or non-personalized way, depending on your location and the technical configuration of the website.
If you do not consent to analytics cookies, analytics tools may not collect the same level of information, or may operate in a limited or consent-adjusted mode.
17. Managing Cookies in Your Browser
You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.
Most browsers allow you to:
- view cookies stored on your device
- delete cookies
- block all cookies
- block third-party cookies
- clear cookies when you close your browser
- set cookie preferences for specific websites
Browser cookie controls are separate from our website’s cookie banner. If you delete cookies, your consent preferences may also be deleted, and you may need to set your choices again when you return to PodcastCharts.net.
For help managing cookies, check the settings or help section of your browser.
18. Third-Party Websites and Services
PodcastCharts.net may link to third-party websites, podcast platforms, retailers, advertisers, affiliate partners, streaming services, social media platforms, and other external services.
We are not responsible for the cookie practices, privacy policies, security, content, or terms of third-party websites and services.
When you click a third-party link, interact with an advertisement, open an affiliate link, or use an embedded media player, the third party may collect information according to its own privacy and cookie policies.
19. Changes to This Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, technologies, plugins, advertising partners, analytics tools, affiliate programs, legal requirements, or business operations.
When we update this Cookie Policy, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of the page.
Your continued use of PodcastCharts.net after the updated Cookie Policy is posted means you acknowledge the updated policy.
20. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Cookie Policy, privacy choices, cookies, consent settings, or related matters, you can contact us at:
Instant Media Access
Billo ILY S-237
Birger Jarlsgatan 37
114 45 STOCKHOLM
Sweden
Email: info@podcastcharts.org