Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: November 13, 2023 | 
| 中文
Junaid Akram's podcast
A flurry of nimble images, gliding transitions and fleeting videos defines the present landscape of social media. While this perpetual stream of triviality continues to toy with the audiences’ attention spans, there is a medium that provides a fresh respite from it all, podcasts. Podcasts are the perfect avenues for the infusion of fine subject matter with high-quality audio that keeps the listeners focused on the content, instead of disrupting their auditory experience. As of 2023, there are 464.7 million podcast listeners globally. This number is predicted to reach 504.9 million in 2024. These statistics herald a rosy outlook for the future prospects of podcasts. Therefore, it is imperative to inspect the status of podcasts in our own country and examine their potential in order to make accurate predictions about this rising industry.
Uzair Younus, the Creator of Pakistonomy Podcast
With so much tempting content available online, it is natural for the common man to question the appeal of something that seems so lackluster in comparison. However, the merits of podcasts, if communicated effectively, are compelling enough to get anyone sold. First off, the interface of famous podcasting apps like Spotify and Stitcher is pretty basic, relative to other social media platforms. This ensures that the audience get their time’s full worth by only interacting with the content they signed up for. Podcasts encompass a multitude of genres, including satire, light-hearted comedy, educational tutorials, self-help, business advice, true crime, politics and general knowledge.
The creators are aware of the fact that they can’t count on fancy ads, striking visuals and superficial glib to impress their fans. It prompts them to design podcasts that are rife with personality, value and quality. As a consequence, the patrons from a genuine kinship with the person behind the voice that is devoid of judgement. They can conveniently plug in their headphones and enjoy their podcasts on the go, unlike other forms of entertainment that require unrivaled time and attention. These features make podcasts unprecedented and worthy of widespread acclaim.
Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi, the creator of Thoughts Behind Things Podcast
Content creation has gained momentum in Pakistan over the past few years. However, podcasting is a forum that is still largely overlooked by aspiring influencers. According to a survey, merely 7% of Pakistanis have heard of podcasts. The vast majority isn’t even acquainted with its existence. It is unfortunate that out of 3 million active podcasts worldwide, less than a hundred hail from Pakistan. That being said, a few audacious producers have taken a plunge into the uncertain. The following Pakistani podcasts are deserving of a special mention:
1. Thought Behind Things: It is believed to be Pakistan’s fastest growing podcast, featuring interviews with veterans of art, culture and technology.
2. Ganjiswag: Hosted by the intellectual icon Junaid Akram, this podcast covers a plethora of conversations ranging from political discourse to showbiz analysis.
3. Mooro Podcast: Mooro is a talented musician and youtuber whose podcasts present detailed conversation-style interviews with influential people from all sorts of fields.
4. The Pakistan Experience: It is a goldmine of heart-to-heart exchanges regarding the stories, emotions and thoughts of Pakistan’s populace.
5. Youth Club Podcast: It is perhaps the only mainstream podcasts that promotes religious ethics, and seeks to inspire positive change among the youth of Pakistan.
6. Pakistonomy: A unique channel focused on the country’s economy, and simplifying the complex relationship between politics, money and the population.
7. Notes On A Scandal: This podcast is truly peerless on account of its central topic: true crime stories of Pakistan. It is a morbidly fascinating content piece that will certainly go places.
8. SochBichar: It offers a refreshing take on the development policy of Pakistan, contributing to the economic literacy of the masses.
The poster of Soch Bichar Podcast by Dr. Nadeem ul Haque
The reasons responsible for the scarcity of podcasts in Pakistan are many. The primary causative agent has to be the misplaced priorities of the general public. Statistics have shown that Facebook, Snapchat, Snack Video, TikTok and Instagram are the most downloaded apps in the country. This is hugely alarming since these apps thrive on mind-numbing shortform content that ridicules the viewers’ intelligence. The perpetuation of this culture has emasculated the attention span of the youth. Their dopamine threshold has risen to an extraordinarily high level, due to the flawed algorithms that constantly promote lame content. Thus, it is no surprise that most people avoid podcasts, as they fail to cater to their hyper-activated senses and the itch for over-stimulation.
Content creators are fully cognizant of this fact, and so, they capitalize on it instead of exploring newer options. The lack of intellectual dexterity is what drives the inadequacy of the podcast market in Pakistan. Moreover, the practical realities of Pakistan as a third world country, play an active part in this domain. Between bouts of loadshedding and technical glitches, the little leisure time people do get, is spent in acquiring mindless entertainment.
Rumaisa Khan on the Mooro Podcast
Another key factor to consider is the dearth of awareness with regards to technology in Pakistan. The few people who know of podcasts have no clue as to what apps or websites they need in order to stream them. Most of them wrongly assume that podcasts are paid, and therefore, never end up experimenting with them in the first place. Owing to the paltry production of podcasts in Pakistan, there are no guidance resources or mentors capable of solving this enigma.
Where there is a chasm, there is a cesspool of opportunity. Scores of burgeoning artists are reluctant to build an online persona due to saturation. Podcasting, being a budding industry with tons of potential, offers a spectacular chance for such talented youths. The best approach moving forward is recognizing the gap in the market, and then patching it up with premium content. With more creators tuning in, the stock of podcasts in Pakistan is bound to multiply. The exponential increase in production will definitely be followed by an organic boom in listenership as well.
On an individual scale, we need to build collective wisdom and share impactful content with those around us. These subtle tactics have the power to shift the current dynamic and unleash an entirely new contemporary avenue for the future.
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