Audible, an audio entertainment subsidiary of Amazon, recently collaborated with Marvel for the Hindi adaptation of its Wastelanders podcast series featuring Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharad Kelkar, and Ashish Vidyarthi among others. “The condition is perfect for continued growth within India, as spoken word entertainment has taken center stage and the industry is exploring new mediums of entertainment such as audio,” Shailesh Sawlani, VP and country GM of Audible India, and Karen Wiggins, VP and head of content, APAC, Audible, told Brandwagon Online.
Revenue in the music, radio and podcast segment is projected to reach $1,538 million by the end of 2023, as per a recent report by market research firm, Statista. Furthermore, the number of listeners is expected to amount to 635.1 million users by 2027. According to Sawlani, India has been one of the fastest growing marketplaces for Audible. “Last year alone we saw 40% growth in paid listening hours. We’re also seeing exponential growth on our free users,” he noted.
For Audible, Marvels is a natural fit, as it would allow the brand to expand reach, claims the company. “By bringing a global franchise like Marvel’s Wastelanders to India in Hindi and with a localised star cast, our aim was to reach wider audiences in the country and create a localised version of this fan-favourite series for our Indian listeners,” Wiggins said. According to Sawlani the content will appeal to a wide variety of audiences, including Marvel fans, fiction consumers, and comic lovers and therefore, it will lead to a positive impact to their business in terms of revenue.
As for marketing is concerned, the brand plans to rely more on digital. “We will continue to leverage social media engagement as well as those of our star-studded cast who are lending their voices across the six parts of the series. Also, being a part of Amazon enables us to collaborate with other areas within the business for example leveraging experiences on Alexa,” Sawlani, explained.
Despite a growth rate of 6.8% (CAGR), industry experts opine that audio entertainment in India is still at a nascent stage. “The industry is at an awareness and exploration phase however as authors, actors and narrators continue to take to the medium they bring along their fans and following, adding to brand awareness and exploration.” explained Salwani