Spotify reintroduces its podcast creator programmes

Since the launch of podcasts on Spotify in India over four years ago, an increasing number of listeners have been turning to the medium to consume and discover content across languages and genres.

Today, 1 in 4 music listeners on the platform also listen to podcasts. Gen Z are high among those, with almost two-thirds of 18-24-year-olds in India listening to podcasts at least weekly, based on the Spotify Culture Next Report of 2022.

Along with this consumption growth is also an increasing number and variety of podcast creators.

With the Managed Partner Program, Spotify supports existing podcasters on the platform, offering them education, partner management support, and editorial promotion to further grow their listeners. Over 40 creators participated in a previous edition of this program, with content in Hindi, Tamil, and English, across genres such as knowledge and learning, comedy, horror, and more. Of this, horror shows saw a 113% growth in listeners and 60% growth in consumption, while education podcasts saw a 29% growth in listeners & 49% growth in consumption.

The second program, PodStart focuses on creators beginning their podcasting journey on Spotify. The program will be held over two legs; the first focuses on on-boarding existing creators from across social media platforms on to Spotify, while the second empowers eminent individuals with expertise in their respective fields to create podcasts on Spotify, capitalising on their authority and experience to build a listener base.

“Podcasting has grown rapidly in India over the last few years. Spotify’s focus is to grow the podcast ecosystem and enable creators, publishers, content owners, media houses, and advertisers to participate in this growth. We have two primary podcast creator programs – PodStart, to on-board new podcast creators, and the Managed Creator Program that works with established podcasters to elevate them to the next level.

On the platform, we continue to deploy a large number of features and functionality to enable podcast discovery and growth. We are also focussed on building the podcast listening habit through on-platform promotions, marketing, and communications initiatives,” said Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Podcasts, Spotify India.

In the spirit of supporting and celebrating the podcasting community, Spotify recently hosted the fourth edition of Spotify Podcasters’ Day for the first time in Delhi. The event brought together existing and aspiring podcasters and storytellers from across the country, and featured key notes by Amarjit Batra, GM, SAMEA & MD, India, Spotify, Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Podcasts, Spotify India, a panel featuring Leeza Mangaldas, Aryaan Misra, Durga Raghunath, and Ankur Warikoo, and a fireside chat with Rajkummar Rao.