Page 11 - Rolling Stone - India (December 2019)

The Mix

Spotify Invests

in Original

Indian Podcasts

The streaming platform hopes to tap into story-telling to
expand its non-music local content.

s a long-term plan in the game. PwC’s June 2019 evolve content accordingly. crime/drama series which advertising. People are more
to strengthen its report on the subject states “Just a little over one year uses immersive binaural audio likely to invest in a product or
Alocalization strategy, that Indian podcast listeners ago, we announced Spotify for hosted by actor and voice art- engage with a brand if their
Spotify India has forayed into had it a grand total of 40 Podcasters, which provides ist Mantra Mugdh, and Love favorite podcast host talks
creating original podcasts for million at the end of 2018—a listener insights to all creators Aaj Kal, hosted by journal- about it during the course
India. The move is also part 58% increase from 2017’s 25.4 who have podcasts on our ists Aastha Atray and Ankit of the podcast, which in
of the streaming service’s goal million. India also currently platform,” says Batra. “Today, Vengurlekar (aka Gadgetwala) turn allows brands to target
to expand the variety of audio features in the all-time top we have 140,000 registered which addresses love, sex and specific audiences. It’s a new
entertainment available for the three streaming markets for creators across the world, on dating in the 21st century. All concept, but not unlike prod-
country and help more Indian global tech show Waveform: the platform, and the data for three podcasts launched on uct integration we’ve seen in
creators put their content on a The MKBHD Podcast and for a few of these creators shows December 3rd. videos by popular YouTubers
global platform. On Purpose with Jay Shetty. that India features in their top Since podcasting is in gen- or TikTok stars.
At a press conference on It is currently in the top ten streamed markets. Much of eral still very new to India, the With more global trends
November 19th, the plat- streaming markets for TED this content is lifestyle, educa- question remains as to how catching on and blowing up
form elaborated on why they Talks Daily and The Mindset tional, and news.” much return Spotify India will across India, it’s possible
feel podcasts can work in Mentor and in also the top 20 The three podcasts Spotify see in their investments into podcasts might be the next big
the country. “Storytelling is for Stuff You Should Know and has invested in are a blend of the podcasts. Monetization thing. Spotify is eager to cruise
intrinsic to India, and almost BBC’s Global News Podcast. the above; there’s 22 Yarns, and sustainability have always ahead of the competition
nostalgic because most of us In addition to providing which delves into the untold been the biggest hurdles for (namely JioSaavn, Gaana and
have grown on stories that our fresh, India-centric content stories from the world of the global podcast industry Apple Music) and establish
grandparents and parents told for audiences to consume, cricket and is hosted by tele- to overcome, but Spotify itself as the go-to streaming
us,” says Amarjit Singh Batra, the Spotify hopes to give local vision personality and cricket has faith in the power of the service for podcasts, a position
Managing Director at Spotify creators a chance to better enthusiast Gaurav Kapur, creators’ connection with the it already holds in the U.S.
India. “Spotify wants to re-es- understand that audience and Bhaskar Bose, a fictional audio audience to open avenues for RIDDHI CHAKRABORTY
tablish that listening culture
here, especially as users seek
more screen-free moments.”
Batra further explained that
the audience for podcasts are
millennials who are actively
seeking a break from being
glued to their screens, with
most listeners aged between 18
and 35 years.
Spotify currently has over
500,000 podcast titles on the
platform—a massive leap from
the 10,000 in 2018—and an
approximate increased of 39%
in the podcast hours streamed
globally (from Q2 2019 to Q3
2019.) As of now the U.S. ac-
counts for the largest share of
podcast streams and the is the
biggest market for podcasts in L-R- Gaurav Kapur, Mantra
general, but China and India Mugdh, Aastha Atray, Ankit
Vengurlekar and Amarjit Batra
are emerging as major players

December 2019 | Rolling Stone | 11