By Amaresh Jha
Today, the world of podcasting is more popular than ever before. The pandemic led to a significantly accelerated interest in audio content, making India the third-largest podcast-listening market in the world. The surge in the popularity of podcasts can be largely attributed to the covid-induced lockdown and increased consumption capacity of consumers. Along with becoming a significant part of the mainstream ecosystem, the Indian podcast industry is also going through an interesting evolution fuelled by innovation, ease of audio content creation, dissemination, newer content formats and genres and linguistic freedom.
Naturally, with the rise in consumer interest, comes a rise in interest to be a part of the industry – and the world of podcasting is no exception. For professionals interested in unique forms of storytelling, there are a plethora of offbeat career paths that will allow one to deep dive into nuanced topics and explore untold stories that are overlooked by conventional forms of content delivery.
Podcast Editor: Podcast editors work behind the scenes to transform raw recordings into professional, polished episodes. They trim out mistakes, remove background noise, insert jingles, and sound effects, and ensure a smooth audio flow. Podcast editors possess a keen ear for detail and have a good understanding of storytelling techniques to create a captivating listening experience.
Podcast Producers: Just like the role of a creative product manager, a podcast producer oversees every aspect of a podcast. From handling the show’s tone to its target audience and how it should be marketed, the role of podcast producers is vital in ensuring the podcast is listener ready.
Podcast Writers: While podcasting primarily revolves around audio, the written word remains an immensely significant aspect of this medium. Crafting exceptional and comprehensive show notes for your episodes or maintaining a blog with consistently high-quality content can offer you a substantial edge in the podcasting realm.
Freelancing and Entrepreneurship: Podcasting offers several chances for freelancers and businesses. As a freelancer, you may provide podcasters with services such as audio editing, show notes authoring and graphic design. Alternatively, you may create your own podcast production firm, providing ambitious podcasters with end-to-end options like recording, editing, and dissemination.
Educational qualifications and skill sets
Podcasting provides an extraordinary platform for individuals to unleash their creativity, share their expertise, and establish connections with a global audience. It grants the freedom to cultivate a personal brand, delve into a wide range of captivating topics and genres. Students who wish to pursue a career in podcasting are expected to have skills pertaining to communication, technology, writing, etc. Although there are specific courses pertaining to podcasting, students can enrol in broadcasting and journalism courses to learn the basic skill set required in this field. Furthermore, the flexibility and accessibility of podcasting make it an enticing option for freelancers and entrepreneurs to chart their own courses in the industry.
The author is associate professor at School of Modern Media, UPES. Views are personal.