Quiz A Creative | The Power of Podcasting with Hebah Fisher

As part of RiseUp’s Quiz A Creative online series, Kerning Cultures Cofounder & CEO Hebah Fischer gave us an in-depth look at MENA’s budding podcast industry, with some great tips for starting your own show! Keep reading for the 411 on podcasting in MENA! 

The Global Podcast Industry:

• 600 million active podcast listeners in China
• 150 million active podcast listeners in the USA
• 21 million active podcast listeners in Brazil
• 5 million active podcast listeners in Saudi Arabia
• 1.3 million active podcast listeners in the UAE, with comparable numbers in Egypt, Jordan, and Oman.

Podcasts: A History

1. In 2008, Apple released the first 3G iPhone, allowing users to download audio files on their phones, on the go.  
2. By 2014, Apple made it impossible to delete the Apple Podcasts app off iPhones. This was the same year that a show called Serial aired. The show received 250 million downloads within its first season.
3. Why have podcasts taken over? Access to stronger technology and the production of informative and useful content
4. MENA has strong podcast numbers, but the content still has some ways to go: 
5. 1000 podcast shows across the region
6. Even though there is a large opportunity for podcast shows and creators nowadays, it is important to be thoughtful about what you are creating. Use your podcasting platform wisely because we want to strengthen the market with powerful content, not just saturate it with weak content. 
7. There is more demand than supply for podcast content in MENA, which shows that there is a large opportunity for podcast creators and shows seeking to launch today. 
8. There is still a lot of space for creativity in the MENA podcast scene, seeing as the market is still young. We can create the type of content we are excited about and the possibilities are endless!

Why Podcast?

1. If you’re an active podcast listener, you’re used to listening to 5-6 hours of podcasts a week. You likely listen to podcasts to transform some of the most boring moments of your life like commuting, folding laundry, exercising, etc.  
2. One of the great things about podcasting is that you are literally in the ears of your listener, which gives you a stronger sense of connection and helps you build an intimate relationship with your audience. 
3. 60% of podcast listeners are the same people who pay for their own Netflix, Spotify, and/or Anghami subscriptions, etc. This offers you additional platforms to advertise your product.

The Effect of COVID-19 on Podcasting

1. Spotify is gaining traction as a location for regional podcasts. The company reported a 10% drop in their March podcast download numbers, but this number has since bounced back. 
2. Other podcast-hosting platforms have reported download increases up to 80% from February to March. This is a huge jump, fuelled by people staying at home and looking for new ways to entertain themselves. There has been a noticeable increase in people’s awareness of what podcasts are and how to access them. 
3. COVID-19 is allowing us to build new habits that will be hard to break once we’re back to our normal routine. One of these habits is listening to podcasts. At Kerning Cultures, we believe this will really help boost MENA’s podcasting market.

So you want to start your own podcast? Keep these tips in mind! 

There are different podcast styles, based on the content you want to share with your audience:

1. Interview style (1-on-1 style interviews)
2. Storytelling style (usually accompanied with music and sound design. Includes multiple interviews at the same time, which creates a documentary film-like experience. 
3. Radio style (talk show type content, addresses a range of topics, may involve more than one host/guest) 

Genres that thrive in MENA’s current podcast market:

1. Love & Relationships
2. Wellness & Health
3. Music
4. History 
5. Science

Promote your Podcast!

1. Most podcast listeners jump from one show to the other, so advertising your podcast on a strong, pre existing platform will give you a strong marketing edge.
2. Do not try to promote English shows on Arabic podcasting platforms, and vice versa. This does not work. Go where your target audiences are. 
3. Make sure you make your show available on a range of different platforms (Spotify, Anghami, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, etc.). You should be targeting any kind of media platform that hosts over 25 pre existing podcasts. 
4. Note: Soundcloud isn’t the ideal podcast hosting platform. Although it's huge in China and Egypt, and you should definitely aim to have your work on there, don’t make this your focus and definitely not your sole platform. It is huge in China and Egypt; however it shouldn’t be your only platform.
5. Apple Podcasts is huge and dominates the market in terms of usage.

Choose your language wisely:

1. Based on Kerning Cultures research and experience, Arabic shows strongly outperform English shows in the MENA region. 
2. When producing your podcast, shoot for Arabic content creation. This doesn’t just apply to podcasts! We have a huge gap for meaningful digital content creation in Arabic across the region. There are so many opportunities to be explored here! 

Tips for great voice recording?

1. Invest in good audio recording gear from the start. You may not need it all at first, but it’ll be useful later on in your journey. 
2. Podcasts are very casual. You don’t have to have an authoritative voice like in radio or on TV shows. Make use of the domain’s relative freedom and stay relaxed! 

If you want to watch the full session, click here!

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