During the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic national lockdown, a growing number of adolescents tuned into podcasts for information and opinions and/or to speak their hearts out on a number of issues including the new normal of online schooling, utility of lockdown and social distancing – Dainty Wellington, Aurelin Ruth J. & Mini P.

For a rising swell of Gen Z — defined as children born in the new millennium — popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are fast becoming passé. The increasingly popular medium for Gen Z is podcasts — episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that users can download from the Internet and hear — 99 percent of them free-of-charge — on personal digital devices such as smartphones, iPods, computer tablets among others.

According to Media and Entertainment Outlook 2020 — a report published by the UK-based transnational audit and management consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) — currently an estimated 43 million podcast episodes are readily available on an expansive range of subjects including mental health, careers, food, books, movies and holidays. Nor is this newly popular global communication medium unknown in India. The PWC report says that India with 57.6 million downloads per month is the third-largest podcasts market in the world after China and the US.

In particular, during the past year of the Covid-19 pandemic national lockdown, a multiplying number of adolescents are tuning in to podcasts for information and opinions and/or to speak their hearts out on a number of issues including the new normal of online schooling, utility of lockdown and social distancing. Through their mics and headphones, they are tuning in to audio stream their frustration, anguish, and hope to peers around the world. According to US-based Edison Research, currently adolescents above 13 years of age spend 6 percent of their time on podcasts, up from 2 percent in 2014.

“Adolescence is a critical transition from childhood to adulthood phase. It’s the time when children start becoming independent and develop their own identities. Therefore they need to publicly voice their opinions to share with peers,” says Aarti C. Rajaratnam, a Salem-based child and adolescent psychologist and author of Parenting: Innocence to Inner Sense.

The pandemic lockdown and related restrictions have mandated unprecedented restrictions on teens’ interaction and socialisation, and during this difficult era many teenagers are taking to podcasting to articulate and share their views and opinions on a diverse range of issues with larger audiences

Over the past nine months, Nishad Suthar, a third year student of Mumbai University, has been podcasting on subjects from poetry to mental health on his Hindi language podcast Nishad Speaks. “Podcast is the new YouTube of my generation. I recorded my first podcast after discovering this communication medium at an event in Mumbai. As soon as I got home, I audio recorded my very first episode, uploaded it on the Internet and shared it with family and friends. These days I ruminate on a range of everyday issues in my podcasts; it’s my way of communicating with the world. My suggestion to teens interested in this platform is to shed hesitancy. Just go for it and you will become better with time. Don’t be afraid of experimenting with new subjects because that’s what distinguishes you from others,” says Suthar.

Mumbai-based podcasting mentor Chhavi Sachdev believes that podcasts are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents because the medium/platform offers wide choice to podcasters and consumers. “You can always find a podcast of your interest, whenever you want. It’s also buzzy, because it’s new to India. While older people may find it daunting to adopt, most youth are digital natives and are game to try new technology,” she says.

A case in point is Gurugram-based 13-year-old Aarushi Gupta’s popular podcast, ‘When I was 13…’, which started with dinner table conversations with parents, and now features interviews with CEOs and celebrities.

“Podcasting is audio on demand,” adds Sachdev, founder of Sonologue, a full-service podcasting production house and consultancy. “But it’s different from FM radio which is restricted to a geographical area and requires you to be in the same zone as the radio waves being transmitted. You also need to tune in at the exact time of radio programmes being aired. For example, if I want to listen to my favourite RJ in Chennai, on Saturday, in the morning, then I’d have to be in Chennai on Saturday morning. Podcasting doesn’t have these restrictions. You can listen to a podcast at a time, date and venue of your choosing. The subjects range also is mind-boggling – you can choose from 45 million podcast episodes. Podcasts are available on demand, created by people all over the world. Whatever your interest, you can find a podcast.”

According to Sachdev, during the lockdown last year, she received 20 enquiries per week on how to formulate podcasts. Currently she conducts workshops every month on the art of podcasting. “Teens are learning from home through online classes; they need a break from screen time. Podcasts provide that outlet because even though you need a headphone and a digital device to create and/or listen to a podcast, your eyes are not strained by digital screens,” she explains.

Unsurprisingly, adults, particularly parents, are also tuning in to podcasts for advice from fellow-parents and psychologists on subjects ranging from weaning toddlers off thumb sucking to providing the perfect school lunch. “I believe the popularity of podcasts in India is rooted in our people’s love of storytelling. Podcasts are intimate and un-intrusive, almost like listening to stories told by grandparents. Also India’s familiarity with radio is another reason for people of all age groups — from adolescents to adults — jumping on the podcast bandwagon,” says Sreya Biswas, a Kolkata-based professional storyteller and founder of Katharangam, which offers specially curated storytelling workshops to school teachers, NGOs and corporate professionals.

Among popular storytelling podcasts are Kahani Suno which evocatively narrates stories drawn from Indian mythology and history and Talking Tales from Tulika which broadcasts popular children’s stories including the Gajapati Kulapati series. Music, modern poetry, and comedy podcasts are other popular genres for teenagers.

Bijay Gautam, co-founder of WYN Studio, Gurugram, a creative content enterprise specialising in audio storytelling and podcasts, advises parents to encourage adolescent children to podcast as it boosts creativity, language, research and communication skills. “There are many reasons why people podcast. One of the most common being that they want to share their ideas with the world. You can also record a podcast interview with an expert, celebrity or anyone interesting, or broadcast a chat show with several experts. This medium allows you to connect and converse with all types of interesting people. Parents should encourage children to podcast as it improves their communication, research, interview and articulation skills,” advises Gautam.

Podcasting basics

Podcasting is a low-cost enterprise. To record a podcast all that’s required is a smartphone and a pair of headphones. Anchor — a free-of-charge podcasting platform owned by Stockholm (Sweden)-based Spotify, one of the world’s largest audio streaming and media services providers — is popular among newbie podcasters. In 2020, Anchor added more than 25,000 podcasters in India.

But before starting to podcast, it’s important to choose an interesting subject and content. “There are several resources online including YouTube videos which teach podcasting. All that’s required is an Internet connection for your smartphone with a wired microphone. The important questions to ask oneself before podcasting are: ‘What am I interested in?’ ‘What do I want to talk about?’ ‘How can I create a unique podcast?’ The stories that you share with the world should be authentic. My advice is don’t worry about acquiring more followers or about the technical aspects of podcasting. Focus on your content and narrative to make it compelling and engaging,” advises Bijay Gautam, co-founder of WYN Studio, Gurugram (Haryana).

Once the podcast is ready and you’ve edited the audio file, there are many free-of-charge podcasting platforms on which you can upload it. Among them: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Stitcher and Overcast.

Chhavi Sachdev, podcasting coach and founder, Sonologue, Mumbai, suggests 5 ways and means to make your podcast impactful.

• Choose an interesting subject. It’s advisable to script your podcast before recording unless you are confident about your extempore speaking skills.
• Choose a subject/theme you can talk about for at least 12-25 30-minute episodes.
• Use your own voice to record. Be yourself. Don’t try to sound like your favourite RJ.
• Invest in a good microphone!
• Always wear headphones while recording.

7 popular podcasting formats

Here are 7 popular podcasting formats:

• Solo/monologue: This format is the most popular. It’s usually preferred by people who have subject specific expertise. Not much fanfare or setup is required. You simply talk into a microphone and record. Many newbie podcasters start with this format because it’s simple. All one needs to get started is a microphone and some free-of-charge editing software. If you are uncomfortable ad-libbing for 30-45 minutes, write a script for each episode.
• Interview: An interview podcast features a host (or two) interviewing a new guest in each episode. After a brief guest introduction, the host takes over asking questions to guide the conversation around the episode’s topic.
• Conversational/co-hosted: This is another common podcast format. It involves two people having a conversation. Unlike an interview podcast, however, both people are hosts. In most cases, each host will play a specific role in the conversation. One might report news snippets while the other provides commentary or comedy.
• Panel podcast: A panel podcast is similar to an interview, but with more people. Each episode has a single host and a group of panelists.
• Non-fiction storytelling: Non-fiction stories are podcast episodes about real life events. The host might dive into a series of murders, chronicle an expedition up Mount Everest, or recreate a historical event. You can tell one story per episode or span your story across an entire series. Or you could simply report news.
• Podcast theatre: Also known as a fictional storytelling, these are fiction narratives told in multiple episodes, similar to a television serial. Some are narrated by a single voice. Others use multiple voice actors, sound effects, and other audio props. This is a great format for podcasters who like to create characters, weave plots, and build fictional worlds.
• Repurposed content: Repurposing content is when you take content that already exists and transform it in a way to derive more value out of it. You might add to it, split it up, or transpose it to a new medium. Some bloggers simply take existing written content and repurpose it into a podcast to provide an audio experience.

(Source: https://castos.com/podcast-format/)

Top 5 trending podcasts by teens

1. Indian Teen by Ujjawal Gupta: Gupta ruminates about the day-to-day life of an average urban Indian teenager. The first episode of the podcast was released on May 10 last year. Since then her podcasts have attracted plaudits for their humour and sarcasm. (Download on Apple Podcasts and anchor.fm)
2. Nishad Speaks by Nishad Suthar: Podcast in Hindi, it doesn’t follow any particular genre or topic. It is a commentary of events and happenings revolving around his own life. Suthar muses about subjects ranging from poetry to motivation. (anchor.fm)
3. Let’s Be Real with Sammy Jaye by Sammy Jaye: US-based Sammy Jaye podcasts unfiltered and honest conversations with celebrities, athletes, influencers and activists who discuss issues such as mental health, political activism, pop culture etc. This podcast has been featured in Top 10 podcasts lists by several publications, including Variety, 17 Magazine and R29. Eighteen-year-old Sammy Jaye is the youngest person to host her own podcast show on iHeartRadio. (Apple Podcasts and iheartradio.com)
4. Teenager Therapy by Gael, Isaac, Thomas, Mark and Kayla: This weekly podcast has been conceptualised by five teens from differing backgrounds united by their resolve to help people in need. It discusses common problems faced by adolescents including coping with peer pressure, managing social isolation during the pandemic to Netflix movie recommendations and higher education plans. (spotify.com)
5. This Teenage Life by a team of teens: The TTL podcast is hosted by a team of teenagers guided by Molly Josephs, an educator based in San Diego, California. The episodes feature free-flowing conversations on a wide range of issues including daily routines being disrupted by the pandemic lockdown, mobile texting etiquette, loneliness and body image issues. (thisteenagelife.org)