Telling the Indian Podcasting story
How this newsletter idea came about and what to expect in future editions
In 2008, when I was interviewing for a spot in my journalism school, I was asked why I was bothering to switch from a well-paying IT job to journalism which doesn’t pay as much. My simple answer was, “There is still a lot more to explore in journalism and story-telling formats. Yes, TV is booming and the internet is the future, but there is so much scope in something like Radio which we have barely explored.”
It’s 2020, and the state of radio has remained pretty much unchanged in India.
Yes, there are more FM radio stations playing contemporary hits between advertisements. News and infotainment though, still belong to the government broadcasting body, All India Radio. But like every other thing in India, there has been a disruption in this space as well. That vacuum left by radio is being expertly filled in by something else - Podcasts.
I don’t remember when I got hooked on podcasts. I am pretty sure I had tried to get a taste of podcasts when the iPods were out in the early 2000s. But I had never really got ‘into’ podcasts back then.
Enter Serial
In 2014, Serial, a true-crime series really changed the conversation around podcasts.
Serial was the first podcast I properly listened to, although months after its first season was done and it was in the news for all the right reasons. For a technology journalist, there was no escaping the amount of press Serial had managed to gather around it. In 2014, only mainstream mediums such as TV and films garnered that kind of adulation. I had never imagined that I would be so engrossed with Serial’s audio story-telling. I started looking forward to the long train commutes where I could plug into the next episode of Serial.
I promptly tried out a lot of podcast apps over the years, and eventually settled on Stitcher in 2017. Since then, listening to podcasts has become as essential as bingeing on a TV series on Netflix or using social media apps such as Twitter or Instagram, something I do on a daily basis.
Five years ago, I never thought audio could be such a powerful medium to tell stories. Even at technology conferences abroad, when I used to see radio journalists with their complicated-looking recorders, constantly adjusting those many dials and always having headphones on while they were recording someone’s quote, I’d be surprised as to why are they so anal about getting just an audio bite with such elaborate equipment. Wasn’t the microphone app on your phone, good enough? Of course, I would have laughed out loud at that version of me if I heard him now.
Curating podcasts
Sharing interesting articles or podcasts on Twitter was a habit. But at times, if I had to go back to a podcast I liked and had shared, it was endless scrolling through my feed to find it.
One December evening in 2018, I decided to make a thread of the podcasts and podcast episodes that I liked.
That thread goes on to date and has over 50 recommendations of podcast episodes as well as stand-alone podcasts. I keep adding on podcasts that have taught me something new, impressed me with their sheer storytelling, made me laugh, made me ponder and above all, introduced me to the finer nuances of using sound as a narration device to tell stories.
As is the case with Twitter, 280 characters just aren’t enough to say everything you want to say about a podcast or a podcast episode.
With the forced lockdown and a paucity of freelance projects, I was exploring new ways to keep in touch with writing. I am a subscriber a lot of newsletters and have always wanted to do one. But I was confused as to what I should talk about and what value can I bring to a reader’s inbox. Out of habit, I opened Stitcher to listen to an episode on email newsletters and how they work and how to do one.
That’s when the penny dropped!
Why not do a newsletter on podcast recommendations and the Indian podcast industry and where it’s headed? I am already recommending podcasts in an unorganised manner on Twitter anyway. I am invested as an audience in the Indian podcasting industry.
A newsletter is a great medium to elaborate on why I found certain podcasts entertaining or informative or what made me recommend it to someone? Plus it gives a larger space to discuss things with the stake-holders in India.
As mentioned earlier, in India, podcasts are filling in that vacuum left by strict government regulations that prevent any non-government entity from broadcasting news or infotainment shows. The podcasting in India is certainly exploding and the scope for growth is immense if you look at the minuscule 40 million active podcasts listeners in India. Many mainstream news publications have also begun using it to distribute news stories. But apart from the one-off listicle, I rarely came across any sustained discussion on the Indian podcast industry.
This newsletter will hope to fill that gap every fortnight (to begin with). It’s an attempt to not just talk about podcasts, but also try and go behind the scenes with podcast creators and podcast industry insiders.
Here’s what you can expect in this newsletter going forward:
Major news in the podcasting world pertaining to India
Global breakthroughs in the podcasting world
At least one Indian podcast creator or industry-related interview in each newsletter
Indian podcast recommendations for the fortnight
Three international podcast recommendations
Three podcasting How-to resources
These are things I will try and ensure in every newsletter. Of course, this format is open to change, basis the feedback I receive. I may add more sections or remove some, but the focus on Indian Podcasting industry will not be compromised.
Why am I the right person for this newsletter?
I pondered over this question myself. I don’t have my own podcast (yet), I am not an audio producer, I am not associated with any podcast company. So what makes me think anyone will take me seriously?
Well, precisely those reasons.
I just know that I love listening to podcasts. My long-running Twitter thread is proof enough that I can curate podcasts across varied genres and keep at it consistently. I have 10 years of technology journalism experience with over half that time spent in digital journalism, so I can write clean copy. Being an outsider in the podcast industry gives me an advantage and I don’t come with any baggage about only covering one particular aspect of the podcasting industry. Given the still-nascent state of the Indian podcasting industry, there are so many news related to podcasts that just slip under the radar. The aim of this newsletter is to shine a light on all those creators and Indian podcast players.
My objective is to get more people to listen to podcasts, starting with a lot of my friends who consider podcasts to be a waste of time.
If you have come this far, I take it you are interested in what I have to offer;) Please do hit the subscribe button and let’s take this journey into the universe of podcasting.
Cover Image: Photo by Maximilian Hofer on Unsplash