By Elton Gomes
Podcasts have been around for some time now, and are considered the go-to place for healthy debates and discussion. The trend has been picking up in India, and Indian podcasters have given their take on things ranging from food to comedy to cricket. As the world prepares to celebrate International Podcast Day, heres a little history about podcasts.
International Podcast Day: purpose and history
International Podcast Day is celebrated on September 30th and is an international celebration of the power of podcasts. The celebration brings together fellow podcasters, podcast listeners, podcast enthusiasts, and leaders in the podcasting industry.
Steve Lee, founder of Modern Life Network, heard a radio announcement for National Senior Citizens Day. Lee thought that the announcement was cool, and thought why there wasnt a day of celebration for podcasting. Thats when Lee said to himself, Lets create a Podcast Day!
Celebrations for the International Podcast Day have changed over the years. The International Podcast Day committee celebrated National Podcast Day in 2014 with 6 hours of broadcasting. Between 2015 and 2017, the committee broadcasted 100 hours around the globe. The committee also invited podcasters and industry leaders from 55 different countries to share their podcast journeys, personal stories, and expertise.
Podcasts in India
Although podcasts have not fully taken off in India, some firms are offering podcast services. However, challenges continue to exist. Audio systems such as audiobooks are still not mainstream, and Indias private FM radio sector has relied solely on music to capture audiences.
To bring podcasts to India, Rajesh Tahil and Tariq Ansari launched Audiomatic in 2015 in the hope of creating a culture for podcasts. Audiomatic does not have its own app but is available on platforms such as iTunes, android, web, and social media. Audiomatic also distributes content through websites such as TuneIn, Scroll, Wire, and HuffPost India.
Tahil claims to have amassed roughly 100,000 listens per montha 10-fold increase since its launch. The platforms narrative storytelling through writers such as Devdutt Pattanaik, Vikram Doctor, and Samanth Subramanian, among others has found many takers in India.
Even the comedy podcast we do is more of a social commentary than slapstick We believe that with podcasts there is an opportunity to do more than just entertainment and they can be the long-form journalism equivalent of audio, Tahil said, Live Mint reported.
Popular podcasts to tune in to
What better way to celebrate International Podcast Day than to listen to some intriguing podcasts.
Google Podcast: Android users now have a new way to listen to the worlds podcasts. Google Podcasts allows users to subscribe to any show and download episodes for offline listening. The Bill Simmons Project, Cyrus Says, and Modern Love, among others, are some of the popular podcasts on the platform.
Hubhopper: Hubhopper is Indias largest platform for podcasts and publishers. The app is certainly a must-have for busy individuals. Hubhopper offers podcasts over topics ranging from health, education, history, business, technology, sports etc. The platform has podcast content from more than 2000 channels.
Castbox: Castbox allows users to find, access, and create spoken audio content in multiple languages through virtually any device. With the help of language processing and machine learning, Castbox is equipped with unique features, such as personalized recommendations and in-audio search.
Saavn: Saavn can be said to be one of the most sought-after streaming services in India. The platform has a range of amazing podcasts across categories like musical, informative, food, comedy, and many more. Thank You For Sharing, a comedy sketch produced by Saavn, is a popular podcast that educates people in a unique manner. Take 2 with Anupama and Rajeev is another podcast featuring Indias most renowned film critics Anupama Chopra and Rajeev Masand. Chopra and Masand talk about movies and cinema and share their experiences with actors and directors in the podcast.
Elton Gomes is a staff writer at Qrius