When comparing unique listens and total listens, remember that unless you’re using a unique listener report, “total listens” are measured each time someone presses play. So if you’ve got a high number of listens, it can mean repeat listens or people listening to episodes in two (or more) goes, not necessarily that your audience has grown.
Furthermore, remember that subscriptions and downloads don’t necessarily mean the person has listened. Instead, look for common themes in listener peaks, make changes to content when episodes don’t perform well, and do more of what does well.