The Caribbean Taps Into Podcasting Growth

When it comes to podcasting, the Caribbean business community has made its voice heard.

The region plays host to a wide variety of informative and dynamic podcasts. But like so many areas in the digital media landscape, the podcast industry is a story of rapid evolution, with the capacity for sudden change. In 2020 we are now seeing the emergence of the ‘next big shift’ in the landscape. So what does this mean for the future of podcasts within the region?

REWIND

As a media form, podcasts, at their core, are a modern phenomenon. The rapid growth of digital technology within our daily lives certainly created the conditions for which an episodic format of audio files, providing news and entertainment, could succeed. But really, it was not until Apple’s release of iTunes 4.9 in 2005 that the concept began to shift from technically possible to profoundly popular. The subsequent launch of the iPhone in 2007 provided an avenue for this growth to be supercharged, the years ahead seeing Apple and its competitors make access to podcasts via smartphone and tablet devices easy and intuitive.

While ease of access to the market has been a central feature of podcasting culture for more than a decade, it would be a mistake to imagine that podcasting is the province of garage studios and basements; corporate media is now making big moves into the field. This momentum is underwritten by the rapidly flourishing popularity of podcasts generally. Stats show there will be 1.85 billion podcast listeners in 2023, skyrocketing in growth from the estimated 287 million doing the same in 2016.

With blockbuster podcasts like ‘Serial’ and ‘Up and Vanished’ having achieved huge success – and Spotify having previously acquired start-ups Gimlet Media and Anchor, signalling in 2019 it would spend up to US$ 500mn in that year alone on new acquisitions – there is an increasing corporatisation of the podcast industry as commercial giants seek greater exposure to the growth. By default, this is not necessarily a bad thing; indeed, many fantastic podcasts would not have been made but for commercial backing.

Precise podcast data can be difficult to acquire, given the nature of engagement of the user, but a look at Podtrac’s top 15 US audience podcast publishers as of January 2020 affirms that the corporate sector is already well-represented. Familiar names, like the New York Times, ESPN, and NBC, feature in the top ten, among others like NPR and iHeartRadio, and their global audience is clear, given the millions of downloads they achieve. ESPN alone has 63 active shows and recorded 50,716,000 global downloads and streams in the month.

Tuning in to the Caribbean

No Caribbean podcast is currently rivalling podcasting’s giants, such as comedian Joe Rogan who is held to have been achieving around 200 million downloads (including YouTube views) per month as of June 2019. However, the following podcasts showcase the business acumen and talented voices in this region.

1. ICT Pulse Podcast
   This podcast does an outstanding job of applying a local context to global trends within Information and Communication Technology (ICT). As well as providing a specialist focus on particular national topics – such as episode 66 which details the innovative efforts of the National Commercial Bank Jamaica in Jamaica, or episode 76 that profiles the strides of St Kitts and Nevis’ ICT and telecoms industry – this podcast also regularly covers general trends and topics like the growth of eCommerce and online payments across the region (episode 11) and what the future of work looks like (episode 87).
2. Caribbean Power Lunch
   This podcast holds over 50 fantastic editions that profile “stories and lessons from black entrepreneurs and business owners from the Caribbean”, including episode 44, an interview with Saint Lucia’s Jessica Alexander (who featured in STAR Businessweek, March 9, 2019). CPL host Kevin Valley and Jessica dive into the story behind her company, Sa Nou St Lucia, alongside tactical tips for how to identify and serve your market, among many other intriguing topics of conversation.
3. WE-Speak Caribbean:
   Giving a Voice to Women in Business
   This podcast is not only interesting listening – revealing the experiences of some of the region’s incredible female entrepreneurs and professionals – but also a great resource for anyone looking to build their life in business. For podcasts that provide insight on how to source financing and digitise your business, to those that discuss the value of having a mentor, this series is a must-listen to anyone starting out in business.
4. Carry On Friends The Caribbean American Podcast
   The Caribbean business community is, like the region as a whole, a cultural melting pot; one that’s intimately engaged not only with the Americas that make up its neighbourhood, but the wider international community beyond it. Podcast host Kerry-Ann Reid-Brown describes herself as “50% Creative, 50% Business . . . 100% Jamaican”. Born in the region before relocating to New York, Kerry-Ann’s podcast covers an abundance of topics from Big Data to hurricane relief and recovery, to launching and running multiple businesses at once, doing so alongside touching on broader social topics like how Caribbean culture can be preserved through dance, and reflections on the experience of a Caribbean expat abroad.
5. Always Be Booked Cruise Podcast
   The cruise industry is essential to the region’s tourism industry, just as the tourism industry is essential to the regional economy. This podcast, produced by Tommy Casabona, dives in-depth on various topics, like the arrival of new cruise liners on scene, profiles of individual ports, tips and tricks for a great cruise, and even occasional interviews of industry personnel. For anyone who has an interest in this industry, this podcast provides a fascinating window into its latest happenings.

Supporting the Culture

The Caribbean has an incredible array of podcasters. If you’re keen to see such fine form among Caribbean podcasters continue, put on a pair of headphones and start listening.