When is the right time to start a Podcast ft. Richa Jain Kalra, Sejal Kumar and more!

The world had long assumed that content should only be presented in an audio-visual environment, but now is the time for another type of content that is not only well-known but also ensures that we have a variety to listen to: Podcast.

A podcast is an audio format that can be heard online and downloaded by a user for an episodic collection of digital audio or video files to their own device and listen to them whenever they choose. Podcasts are the media for you if you are camera-shy but have a compelling view that the world should hear.

There are various platforms that give chances to people for podcasts and one of the best ones is Podone! Podone is helping Youtubers, Creators & Influencers to curate their video content into an audio-friendly format thus helping to build a community at platforms like Spotify, Amazon, Audibles, etc.

While there are many podcasts to listen to, there’s still a time when many people are confused about when to start, how to start, and what to talk about in their own podcast! We spoke to a few podcast creators and they told us how is it going on and about the process of podcasts.

Richa Jain Kalra

Richa Jain Kalra is a journalist who has been a pioneer in her field for almost two decades now and has launched her own podcast- ‘Achchi Khabar‘ with Podone on all leading podcasting platforms like Spotify, Amazon, Audibles, Gaana & Jio Saavan, and Apple Podcasts.

Throughout our daily lives, we experience a lot of beautiful events that make us feel good and instill hope and inspiration in us. Such positive news and events brighten our days and make us smile. With that thought in mind, Richa Jain Kalra’s podcast “Achchi Khabar” features good news from around the world.

She is also the author of India’s first book on news anchoring, “ABC of News Anchoring” by Pearson Education. She started penning down her thoughts on her blog, ‘Let’s figure out life‘ in lockdown, and the next step was to make sure people got the good news that we missed out on amidst the negativity.

We spoke to Richa about her podcast and here’s what she has to say about when to start and how to go about it.

Please tell me about Achchi Khabar. How and why did you start this?

I felt it was time that people knew about what is going on around them and not just the negativity that goes on mainstream media platforms and channels. So we talk about the environment, sustainability, inspiration, changemaker, and social impact. We are a content company that believes in uplifting people.

Do you think this is the right time to start a podcast? Any tips for people starting their podcasts or how should they go ahead with an idea?

I think the podcast has immense scope. It reaches out to people. They can listen to it anytime. You can consume it on the go. And if there is anything you want to start- you want to be passionate and you should be clear as to what value are you giving to them. If it’s figured then you can go and be successful.

Tell us about your association with Podone and where can we stream your podcast.

We have just been associated with Podone and we’re glad to be associated with them. We are active on all social media platforms and our podcast can be streamed on different platforms. We plan to make our podcast global and increase our reach with them.

Sejal Kumar

Being consistent and fresh with content is a task but Sejal continues to maintain her legacy now to continue her mark in the digital space and hops onto her ‘Podcast throne’, Sejal now has her own- YouTube Podcast, by the name Shutup Sejal.

The podcast talks about endless thoughts, unsaid things, and a lot of other things that keep our minds busy. As Sejal says, “There are such thoughts that refuse to shut up!”. So, Sejal decided to take all these thoughts and put them on ShutUp Sejal. We asked her about what’s her approach to content and here’s what she said.

You have been doing video content for quite some time, and now you are doing Video & Audio Podcasts exclusively with Spotify, how different your approach & preparation is for video podcasts from your usual video content?

My approach towards a podcast episode is to make it as authentic as possible, to be honest, and to have a structure! I usually like structure in all my content + those are the kind of podcasts I like as well! However, I am open to doing some more free-flowing podcasts in the future as well.

Do you think this is the right time to start podcasts? If yes, why?

I think it’s a great time to start podcasts as it is a new medium of connection with the audience who can just put the episode on while they are living their life, driving to work, and so on!

Also Read: Content Creator Podcasts that you should tune in to!

Leeza Mangaldas

“The Sex Podcast” by Leeza Mangaldas is a holistic series on sex education and has been curated by her keeping all the perspectives in the loop including sexuality, gender, identity, gender biases on pleasure, introspection, love, consent, communication, and many more. Leeza aims to provide frank, impartial, and truthful answers to the most often-asked sex-related issues. The conversation focuses on inclusivity and localization so that the vast majority of people can listen to it.

She answered about how her work has been in a regional language that is understood by people and what it takes to get it to be the best.

While your Podcast has been topping the charts & had also won Golden Mikes but most of your contemporaries are doing a conversational/interview style format while yours is a monologue, do you think you have to put in extra effort in terms of content as in the former format, the podcast becomes more about the guest?

My podcast was to be in Hindi and having grown up in Goa and Kodaikanal, I don’t speak Hindi fluently enough to converse in it casually. I understand it and can read it, but In order to be able to express myself effectively in Hindi I need to write down what I want to say in English and then translate my insights into Hindi – so yes it takes a lot of work on my part- but guest interviews in Hindi would have been an even more unwieldy challenge for me given my constraints around the language.

I also wanted to have the first season of my podcast be first and foremost informative- there is a list of basic topics under the Sex education umbrella that I wanted to be sure to explore. The idea was to create episodes around 15 minutes or shorter, each exploring a common question about sex, sexuality, sexual health, relationships, and the body. This information-first format made more sense to execute solo.

A Night Before

A Night Before is one of India’s top three regional language podcast shows and Gujarat’s most popular podcast, discussing topics that everyone can connect to. It delves into the feelings of well-known figures in the Gujarati industry, whether they are discussing love, careers, parenthood, or almost losing someone. Shrungar Rughani has hosted the program, and Jay Nathwani is in charge of the production. Additionally, a video version of it is accessible on YouTube. They’ve executed five seasons now and are going strong.

This is what they believe should be the support from podcasting platforms.

After executing 5 successful seasons on your own, what are the things you think are lacking/support you suggest podcasters need from the Podcasting Platforms like Spotify/Amazon/Audibles?

Podcasts create history and are capable of creating a revolution too. They humanize the things behind a brand, event, or celebrity. Podcast-playing platforms can run podcast-based ads, make chartbusters, and hold fests to make people more time on it.

Podone has launched three Podcasts exclusively with Spotify – The Sex Podcast by Leeza Managladas, Shut up Sejal & B Social Podcast. With the recently launched Achchi Khabar Podcast, Podone is striving & experimenting with new formats of Podcast.