diff --git a/controllers/statsController.js b/helpers/statsHelpers.js
similarity index 59%
rename from controllers/statsController.js
rename to helpers/statsHelpers.js
index 68215767..9dc41645 100644
--- a/controllers/statsController.js
+++ b/helpers/statsHelpers.js
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ module.exports = {
         logger.error('Sequelize error >>', error);
       });
   },
-  sendGoogleAnalytics (action, headers, ip, originalUrl) {
+  sendGoogleAnalyticsEvent (action, headers, ip, originalUrl) {
     const visitorId = ip.replace(/\./g, '-');
     const visitor = ua(googleApiKey, visitorId, { strictCidFormat: false, https: true });
     let params;
@@ -52,15 +52,6 @@ module.exports = {
           ul : headers['accept-language'],
         };
         break;
-      case 'PUBLISH':
-        params = {
-          ec : 'publish',
-          ea : originalUrl,
-          uip: ip,
-          ua : headers['user-agent'],
-          ul : headers['accept-language'],
-        };
-        break;
       default: break;
     }
     visitor.event(params, (err) => {
@@ -69,40 +60,29 @@ module.exports = {
       }
     });
   },
-  getTrendingClaims (startDate) {
-    logger.debug('retrieving trending');
-    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      // get the raw requests data
-      db.getTrendingFiles(startDate)
-      .then(fileArray => {
-        let claimsPromiseArray = [];
-        if (fileArray) {
-          fileArray.forEach(file => {
-            claimsPromiseArray.push(db.Claim.resolveClaim(file.name, file.claimId));
-          });
-          return Promise.all(claimsPromiseArray);
-        }
-      })
-      .then(claimsArray => {
-        resolve(claimsArray);
-      })
-      .catch(error => {
-        reject(error);
-      });
-    });
-  },
-  getRecentClaims () {
-    logger.debug('retrieving most recent claims');
-    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
-      // get the raw requests data
-      db.File.getRecentClaims()
-      .then(results => {
-        resolve(results);
-      })
-      .catch(error => {
-        logger.error('sequelize error', error);
-        reject(error);
-      });
+  sendGoogleAnalyticsTiming (action, headers, ip, originalUrl, startTime, endTime) {
+    const visitorId = ip.replace(/\./g, '-');
+    const visitor = ua(googleApiKey, visitorId, { strictCidFormat: false, https: true });
+    const publishDurration = endTime - startTime;
+    let params;
+    switch (action) {
+      case 'PUBLISH':
+        params = {
+          userTimingCategory    : 'lbrynet',
+          userTimingVariableName: 'publish',
+          userTimingTime        : publishDurration,
+          uip                   : ip,
+          ua                    : headers['user-agent'],
+          ul                    : headers['accept-language'],
+        };
+        break;
+      default: break;
+    }
+    visitor.timing(params, (err) => {
+      if (err) {
+        logger.error('Google Analytics Event Error >>', err);
+      }
+      logger.info(`publish completed successfully in ${publishDurration}ms`);
     });
   },
 };
diff --git a/routes/api-routes.js b/routes/api-routes.js
index bd9ac3e1..c22f19cb 100644
--- a/routes/api-routes.js
+++ b/routes/api-routes.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const { checkClaimNameAvailability, checkChannelAvailability, publish } = requir
 const { getClaimList, resolveUri, getClaim } = require('../helpers/lbryApi.js');
 const { createPublishParams, parsePublishApiRequestBody, parsePublishApiRequestFiles, parsePublishApiChannel } = require('../helpers/publishHelpers.js');
 const errorHandlers = require('../helpers/errorHandlers.js');
+const { sendGoogleAnalyticsTiming } = require('../helpers/statsHelpers.js');
 const { authenticateIfNoUserToken } = require('../auth/authentication.js');
 
 function addGetResultsToFileData (fileInfo, getResult) {
@@ -124,9 +125,11 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
     });
   });
   // route to run a publish request on the daemon
-  app.post('/api/claim-publish', multipartMiddleware, ({ body, files, ip, originalUrl, user }, res) => {
+  app.post('/api/claim-publish', multipartMiddleware, ({ body, files, headers, ip, originalUrl, user }, res) => {
     logger.debug('api/claim-publish body:', body);
     logger.debug('api/claim-publish files:', files);
+    const publishStartTime = Date.now();
+    logger.debug('publish request started @', publishStartTime);
     let  name, fileName, filePath, fileType, nsfw, license, title, description, thumbnail, channelName, channelPassword;
     // validate the body and files of the request
     try {
@@ -168,6 +171,9 @@ module.exports = (app) => {
           lbryTx: result,
         },
       });
+      const publishEndTime = Date.now();
+      logger.debug('publish request completed @', publishEndTime);
+      sendGoogleAnalyticsTiming('PUBLISH', headers, ip, originalUrl, publishStartTime, publishEndTime);
     })
     .catch(error => {
       errorHandlers.handleApiError(originalUrl, ip, error, res);
diff --git a/views/partials/maintenanceBanner.handlebars b/views/partials/maintenanceBanner.handlebars
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2adb7536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/views/partials/maintenanceBanner.handlebars
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<div id="new-release-banner" class="row row--short row--wide">
+    <p style="font-size: medium"> Hi there! Spee.ch is currently undergoing maintenance, and as a result publishing may be disabled.  Please visit our <a style="
+color:white; text-decoration: underline" target="_blank" href="https://discord.gg/YjYbwhS">discord channel</a> for updates.</p>
+</div>
diff --git a/views/partials/releaseBanner.handlebars b/views/partials/releaseBanner.handlebars
deleted file mode 100644
index e23a60a5..00000000
--- a/views/partials/releaseBanner.handlebars
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-<div id="new-release-banner" class="row row--short row--wide">
-    Hi there!  You've stumbled upon the new version of Spee&#60;h, launching soon!  Send us your feedback in <a style="color:white; text-decoration: underline" target="_blank" href="https://discord.gg/YjYbwhS">our discord</a>
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file