Audio-Only Content Needs Clear Categorization — Current Policy Is Inconsistent and Misleading

I’m requesting that IMDb create a distinct media schema for audio-only content, including audio dramas, radio plays, and podcasts. Currently, only podcasts are officially allowed under IMDb’s 2020 policy update. But in practice, many non-podcast audio dramas have been added anyway—often mislabeled as TV mini-series or Video. This leads to a misleading experience for users who reasonably expect these categories to indicate visual content. For instance, I recently saw a TV series in an actor’s credits that I didn’t recognize. Assuming I had missed something, I looked it up—only to discover it was actually an audio drama. And crucially, I had to leave IMDb and Google the title to learn that. The site gave me no upfront indication that this was audio-only. That undermines IMDb’s role as a centralized media reference. Some will say the keywords indicate it’s audio—but those are buried. What users see first is the TV Series label, and that sets a false expectation. IMDb has said that non-podcast audio content should be reported for removal, but this isn’t sustainable. It places the burden on users to enforce a confusing and inconsistently applied policy. And frankly, it’s understandable that actors and producers are listing audio dramas—IMDb opened the door by allowing podcasts without providing clear boundaries or labeling. The result is a flood of mislabeled content and user frustration. This is IMDb’s problem to fix. Suggested actions: • Create a distinct “Audio Program” media type for all non-visual content • Add a clear “Audio Only” label at the top of title pages • Enable filtering by media type on actor and title pages • Clarify and enforce content eligibility consistently This isn’t about limiting credit—actors deserve recognition. But user clarity should not be sacrificed. IMDb’s reputation depends on its ability to clearly distinguish what you watch from what you listen to. Thank you.