Podcast: Because we want to hear and be heard
Written by Aghnia Hilya | Read in Indonesian
Since it entered Indonesia, the podcast industry has continued to move in an uptrend. If at first it was only done by ordinary people who have not made a name for themselves, now podcasts have been eyed and tapped into by popular public figures.
Inevitably, this brought a breath of fresh air because the masses continued to grow, both as listeners and creators–a.k.a. podcasters. It is no wonder that data showed Indonesia has broken into the top 10 Spotify podcast listeners rankings globally since early November.
"Since the launch of podcasts on Spotify in Indonesia in 2019, we have seen a fivefold increase in podcast consumption on Spotify," said Spotify General Manager, Asia Pacific Gautam Talwar during Spotify's first Podcast Conference in Asia on 16 November.
What is interesting is not only that podcasts have a large number of listeners, but also that the most popular podcasts in Indonesia are made by local creators, and in various genres. Spotify also believes that the podcast industry in Indonesia has good potential and will continue to grow in the future.
In fact, the streaming platform also praised Indonesian podcast creators for being able to quickly build a good community, whether it is with fellow podcasters or listeners.
This bright growth and potential is not only good for the podcast industry, but also for those involved in it, including the listeners. This is because there is a skill that, consciously or unconsciously, is changing towards a positive direction, namely the habit of listening.
Unlike songs that can be enjoyed without the listeners knowing the meaning of the lyrics, what people enjoy from a podcast is its content. If we want to know the meaning of a song, we only have to type the song title into Google and we will find it. However, if we want to know what is being discussed in a podcast, we have to listen to it.
Co-founder of Podluck Podcast Collective, Patricia Wulandari, said this applies to both the listeners and podcasters. Podcasts allow us to pay attention to the essence of the talks.
"The backbone of podcasting is editing. Editing podcasts or the guests’ remarks is a moment where we have to be disciplined to listen to what people are saying. When we hear it two or three times during editing, we may get a different understanding,” Patricia told TFR.
“When you learn to edit, then listen to it again, there is one step to rethink. Meanwhile, as a listener, you can be more sensitive, more patient, more disciplined in listening," she added.
It's not without reason that podcasts can have such an effect, because basically, as an alternative source of information and entertainment, there are several advantages to podcasts that audiences will feel.
Entertainment with in-depth discussion
“I can find a lot of things on podcasts, from heart-to-heart talks, science, economics and artist stories to horror. I can also choose the genre and the topic," said Arintya, an office worker who started as a podcaster, enthusiastically when asked why she likes podcasts.
The reason is, "One of the very strengths of a podcast is in-depth. If you're passionate about something, you're sure to find long-form podcasts on the subject that interests you. Podcasts are perfect for in-depth information," said Spotify Head of Studios, South East Asia Carl Zuzarte.
Unsurprisingly, the popular podcast formats these days include talks, conversations and interviews. The reason is besides the presenters’ own fame in certain subjects, they also often collaborate with other people who are known to be experts in their fields.
If you were wondering why someone enjoys listening, that is because besides being trained, "Podcasts are basically for people who want to get information for a long duration," said Patricia.
However, there are also other factors that determine whether listeners will continue to listen, such as the guest speakers, the topics and content, as well as the delivery and the voice of the podcast host. "No matter how famous the host is, if it's not pleasant to listen to, it's lacking," said Arin.
However, Carl emphasised, “Voice is important, but that's one of the many things that must also be considered, a good story, the passion, the production value and the consistency. As long as you are authentic to your story, that's fine. It's about the story, authenticity, delivery, and that's what matters."
Trust is the fruit of consistency
Apart from the voice, which everyone has different preferences, other aspects that vary are the genre and the topics. What is the same is that the credibility of the podcaster must be built on trust.
“The strength of a podcast is the people we trust, who deliver the talks. When we trust the podcaster, we will listen to them for quite a long duration. We get to know the character and listen to what they have to say. The thing about podcasts is that everyone can talk,” Patricia explained.
Interestingly, it is not only people who already have fame and an audience that can gain the trust of the listeners. The key to gaining that trust is consistency. Choose a topic that you like so that your enthusiasm spreads to your listeners and consistently create content.
This is what Arin has been doing with her Galaw Bermanfaat podcast since two years ago. When asked why she chose to discuss this, “Instead of keeping my worries to myself, it's better to share them. Who knows, I can accompany someone who is upset too, so the gloom can be beneficial," said the media worker.
Genres that make you addicted
Podcast content that makes one feel accompanied, unravels various feelings, making one feel that they are not alone has proven to be one of the types of podcasts that are popular among podcast listeners in the country.
The podcast chart on Spotify Indonesia is topped by Rintik Sedu, which positions its content as a friend. There are also similar podcasts like Little.Talks and Gema Membiru.
Nonetheless, just like the film industry, podcast listeners in the country also like all things horror. For example, Lentera Malam and Podcast Malam Kliwon topped the podcast list on Spotify Indonesia. As Gautam says, “Horror has become a part of life. Horror is addictive.”
Friends who can hear and be heard
Not only active listeners, Indonesia also has thousands of podcast creators, and this number continues to grow every day. This is inseparable from the easy access that everyone has to become a podcaster and have listeners, such as Anchor which was acquired by Spotify in 2019. Carl also emphasised, “A collection of more than 4.7 million podcast titles globally from 183 countries become a market, creators have always been the driving force behind the growth of this platform in Indonesia.”
It's no wonder that currently, 95% of podcasts in Indonesia are created through Anchor, bringing Indonesia to the top position worldwide for the adoption of Anchor in creating podcast content.
Simply put, Anchor is an application for creating podcasts. Then, "Thanks to the acquisition, creators can submit and make podcasts for free. In the past, you had to pay to enter Spotify,” Patricia explained.
Unfortunately, Patricia argued that creators may not be able to make podcasts their main source of income for now. Even if one can, they have to put in extra effort and be ready to collaborate. For example, by looking for sponsorship or selling merchandise.
“If you want to be serious (in podcasting), you have to study business. Because we have to know what the marketing and promotion scheme is like, because podcasts are actually just a medium for promotion," explained Patricia.
So far, those who become podcast creators initially started out of passion and wanted to share their opinion. After all, “Basically we don't sell the podcast; it’s about what we sell through the podcasts we make. What do you want to convey and what are the products,“ Patricia concluded.