Subscriber Growth Rate
Month-over-month percentage growth in total paid or registered subscribers
What is Subscriber Growth Rate?
Subscriber growth rate is the percentage change in the number of subscribers over a period. It shows how fast a media service is growing its audience.
Steady growth is the foundation of a subscription business, and the rate shows whether acquisition is outpacing losses.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Customer Success & Service
- Sub-function
- Subscriber Growth
- Industry
- Media & Entertainment
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- Revenue
- Unit
- %
- Measurement frequency
- Monthly
- Formula
- ((Subscribers end of period − Start of period) / Start of period) × 100
How to calculate it
Subtract subscribers at the start of the period from subscribers at the end, divide by the starting number, and multiply by 100.
For example, if a service grew from 500,000 to 530,000 subscribers over a quarter, the growth rate is 6%.
Report gross additions and losses separately so that you can see whether growth is limited by acquisition or by churn.
Where it is used
Tracking growth
Follow audience building.
Evaluating marketing and content
See effects on sign-ups.
Planning capacity and revenue
Forecast.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Growth rates fall as the base gets bigger.
- Look at the quality of new subscribers.
- Track cost of acquisition.
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