Podcasting is a rising industry in India that is growing at a whopping rate of 58% per year. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown has skyrocketed the usage of podcast channels and numerous channels are being launched every day. The industry is in its nascent stage and has not reached its full potential.
In India, there are around 40-45 million podcast channels for 500 million active Internet users. The revenue of the podcast industry was around 900 million dollars last year and is expected to cross a billion this year. India is the third-largest country after China and the US in the consumption of podcasts.
In recent times, the dominance and power of podcasts is being realized by companies and individuals. So for the promotion of their business or services or creating a personal brand, these organizations have started their own podcast channels.
Based on these facts, the future of the Podcast industry looks promising and bright. So now is the perfect time to consider a career in this industry as it gives podcasters the magnificent opportunity to reach to billions of people not only in India but also across the globe.
What is Podcasting?
Podcasting is the information exchange using audio or video files that are released in the form of episodes on the Internet that can be played on devices like computers, smartphones, iPods or other portable media devices.
Individuals who are responsible for creating and distributing are called Podcasters. Podcasting channels have a wide range of information ranging from topics on government and politics to kids and families.
Career Opportunities
The following are some of the career opportunities in the field of podcasts.
- Sound Engineers:
These are the professionals that work their magic behind the scenes. They are also called Audio Engineers. They are responsible for mixing, reproducing and manipulation of the electronic and equalization effects of sound.
Since they are completely based on the medium of sound or voice, the creators have to make sure that their channel has sound right with emotions and captivate its listeners in every episode that is released. Here a sound engineer comes into the picture whose task is to eliminate background noise; refine the voice of the speakers, providing the right musical tones at the right time to make the podcast what it is.
They bring the story alive for the listeners through the medium of sound.
- Voice Actors:
Since they exist on an audio or sound medium, the content of the story we get to know is from the speech or talk of the voice actors.
Finding voice actors is the first and the important step. Their main task is to convey emotions according to the script and keeps the audience hooked to the podcast from beginning to end. By voice modulation, they can convey the emotions of the character like anger, happiness, excitement or sadness to their audience.
Opportunities for Voice Actors have seen an increase since the introduction. This career is exciting and in-demand in Podcasting Industry.
- Content Curators:
The popularity and demand is based on the content that is presented to the audience. They play a vital role in determining what content or information has to be developed. They analyze the story and understand the potential and the effect it can create.
The content curators work closely with hosts and writers for structuring their stories and deciding whether the specialized segment should be presented in one podcast or should be made in a series. It is an exciting job, as these curators have a huge stake in being storytellers too.
- Podcast Producers:
A Podcast Producer basically performs the role of a creative product manager in charge of different genres of the podcasts like handling and monitoring the show’s tune and how the marketing is to be done and to the concerned marketers.
These managers take the final call and decide the target audience for each podcast. They are an integral part of the Podcast industry as they ensure that it is ready for the audience.
They earn a lucrative salary and some of these podcast managers earn more than the hosts.
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- Marketers and Distributors:
The Podcast industry in India is in its nascent stages and in this crucial time, marketing podcasts and their content is essential. Marketers chose relevant mediums for advertising and help in finding associations and platforms to make sure the podcasts reach a global audience.
Marketing helps in making the consumer aware of the product and Distributing makes it possible to reach the end-users.
Distributors search for new digital media platforms for featuring their podcasts and ensuring that it reaches to a huge people gathering interested in it.
– Samiya Firdous
