Help & FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about how Podlens works, what it costs, and what to do when something goes wrong.
About Podlens
What is Podlens?
Podlens is a podcast intelligence platform. Paste any YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or RSS link and we analyze the episode for political bias, framing patterns, missing perspectives, sponsor influence, and host credibility — all grounded in the actual words spoken in the episode.
How does the bias analysis work?
We transcribe the episode using AI speech recognition, then run the full transcript through our analysis model. The model looks at political framing language, which perspectives are included vs. excluded, how topics are introduced, and whether host language creates trust or dependence. Every finding is tied to a specific, quotable moment in the transcript — not a guess about the show's reputation.
How accurate is the bias detection?
Our analysis is grounded in evidence — specific words and framing choices from the transcript. We don't make assumptions based on a show's reputation, network, or host background. That said, no automated analysis is perfect, and bias is inherently complex. We recommend treating our analysis as one informed perspective to consider, not a final verdict. We are transparent about how every score is calculated.
Is Podlens politically biased itself?
No. Our analysis model is deliberately calibrated to apply the same standards across the political spectrum — the same criteria used to flag left-leaning framing are used to flag right-leaning framing. We analyze language patterns and framing choices, not political positions. We publish our methodology openly and welcome feedback if you believe a result is unfair.
Using Podlens
Which podcast platforms does Podlens support?
We support YouTube (video and audio podcasts), Spotify, Apple Podcasts, any RSS feed URL, and direct MP3/audio file links. If it's publicly accessible audio, we can almost certainly analyze it.
How long does analysis take?
For a 1-hour episode, typically 2–4 minutes. For longer episodes (2+ hours), 5–8 minutes. YouTube episodes with captions already available are often instant or near-instant. You'll see a live feed of analysis steps as it runs, and early results appear within 90 seconds.
I got an error — what should I do?
The most common issues are:
YouTube blocked: Age-restricted or private videos can't be analyzed. Try connecting your Google account in Settings for more reliable YouTube access.
RSS feed not working: Make sure the URL is a direct RSS feed (ends in .xml or has /feed/ or /rss in the path). Show homepages won't work — find the actual RSS feed URL.
Analysis timed out: Very long episodes (3+ hours) occasionally time out. Try a shorter segment or try again — results are cached so repeated analysis of the same episode is instant.
If none of these apply, email us and we'll investigate.
Does Podlens support languages other than English?
Currently Podlens is focused on English-language podcasts. If support for another language is important to you, let us know — demand shapes the roadmap.
What is the Bias Fingerprint?
Your Bias Fingerprint is your personal media diet score. Every episode you analyze contributes to it, weighted by episode length. Over time it shows the aggregate left/center/right distribution of the media you consume — helping you spot blind spots in your listening habits.
What is the Echo Chamber Score?
Your Echo Chamber Score (0–100) measures the perspective diversity of the podcasts you engage with. A low score means you are hearing a range of political viewpoints. A high score suggests your listening is concentrated in one part of the political spectrum. It activates after 10 or more combined signals, or 7 days of data. Clicking the score opens a breakdown showing which shows are contributing to it.
What is Unheard?
Unheard surfaces the stories one side of the political spectrum covers deeply while the other ignores — showing you the gap in coverage between left-leaning and right-leaning podcast ecosystems. It is currently being rolled out across paid plans.
Plans & Billing
Is Podlens free?
Yes. The free plan includes 4 analyses per month, a personal bias fingerprint, and full access to our discovery platform. No credit card required. Paid plans start at $4.69/month (founding member price) or $7/month for 25 analyses per month plus audio briefings, full bias scores, and deeper reports.
What is a Founding Member?
Founding Members are early subscribers who locked in a permanently discounted rate before the public launch. These rates are grandfathered — they will never increase as long as the subscription stays active.
How do I cancel my subscription?
Go to Settings → Subscription → Manage billing. You can cancel anytime — you'll keep access until the end of your billing period. No cancellation fees.
Do you offer refunds?
We don't offer refunds as the free tier lets you fully evaluate Podlens before upgrading. If you believe you were charged in error, email hello@podlens.app and we'll review it.
What payment methods do you accept?
All major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) via Stripe. Payments are processed securely — we never store card details.
Privacy & Data
Do you store my listening history?
We store the analyses you run so you can access them from your library. If you use features like the Bias Fingerprint or Echo Chamber Score, listen events are stored locally in your browser to power those calculations — this data stays on your device unless you are logged in, in which case it is associated with your account. You can delete your analysis history and account data at any time from Settings.
Are analyses shared with other users?
Completed analyses are cached and shared across the platform — if another user analyzes the same episode, they get the same result instantly. This improves speed for everyone. The analysis itself is not linked to your identity.
Do you sell user data?
No. We do not sell, share, or rent personal data to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for full details.