As India's only platform that allows users to record, edit, market, and distribute a podcast, Hubhopper Studio enables anyone — from first-time creators to established brands — to create a podcast from scratch, for free. The platform has successfully supported Indian podcasters and brands in sharing their stories on a global scale, with a listenership of over a million hours of content on a monthly basis. Hubhopper offers listeners the largest selection of Indian podcasts, including Hubhopper Originals and content from partners such as Juggernaut Books, Aaj Tak, India Today, Isha Foundation, Endure Fitness and more. Key podcasts hosted on Hubhopper Studio include Art of Living, Isha Foundation, Story Time with Soha Ali Khan, CricketNews.com, and What's a Man? Masculinity in India.
For first time podcasters, Hubhopper Studio offers a simple streamlined digital studio to record and edit podcasts, before distributing them via partner platforms including Spotify, Gaana, Wynk Music, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, amongst others. As a Forbes 30 under 30 company, a Yourstory Tech30 company, a Google Play Store and Apple App Store topping app, Hubhopper has spent the last few years championing the podcast medium. Today, it represents the backbone of a large portion of the creation and consumption ecosystem throughout the country.
As podcasts continue to grow as an entertainment and news medium across the country, Indian podcast listenership has risen over 2,400% in the last three years. Whilst English makes up the majority of podcasts on the platform, Hubhopper hosts creators in 15 regional languages, including shows like Karma is a Witch, a Hubhopper Original crime thriller in Hindi and Kannada, and Sonalee Sangtey Aika, a candid and personal conversation with Sonalee Kulkarni in Marathi. Content also covers a wide range of topics, from Sumedh Bilgi’s CricketNews.com podcast, or RJ Urmin and Naveen’s comedy podcast, Kya Jhoot Hai Boss. Notably ‘Religion and Spirituality’ related content makes up 35% of all listings, including the Hubhopper hosted, distributed and promoted podcasts by the Art of Living Foundation and the Isha Foundation.
Alongside established figures, Hubhopper works with novice podcasters, often wanting to spread meaningful and engaging content. For example, filmmaker Christina MacGillivray approached Hubhopper to support the launch of Women in Labour, which asked why Indian women are dropping out of the workforce faster than ever. Through Hubhopper’s support to host, launch, distribute, and promote the podcast, they were able to reach over two lakh listeners in six months. Similarly What’s A Man? Masculinity in India addressed important issues around women's inequality in India. Hosted and developed by Dr. Deepa Narayan, the podcast offered insights into our relationship with masculinity, and through their work with Hubhopper, the podcast was able to reach close to 450K listens in six months.
Alongside individual creators, Hubhopper has supported a host of exciting brands to grow and develop. Through their work with Juggernaut Books, Hubhopper developed India’s first-ever celebrity podcast for kids, Story Time with Soha Ali Khan. The podcast was developed to encourage children to read and take the important step of putting away their devices and start listening to bedtime stories. Produced as a Hubhopper Original, the podcast was recorded and edited by Hubhopper. Other Hubhopper Originals include a podcast developed with coffee brand Sleepy Owl, which reached over three lakh listeners in two months, and Jay Alani’s Paranormal Reality, with over seven million listens. Namastey India by Anurag and Shivam, an unapologetic, raw and opinionated conversation on topics that affect our country the most, has had more than eight lakh listens so far, with 456 days of consistent episodes.
Talking about the growth of the podcast market, Hubhopper’s founder Gautam Raj Anand notes, ‘since we launched in 2015, we’ve witnessed a tremendous growth in the Indian podcasting scene and we are delighted to have played a part in this growth. We are excited to continue supporting Indian podcasters to develop innovative new content and continue to support the growth of the industry.’
Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani
Date 23-08-2021