This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 8, 2024 - July 14, 2024

In the 1950s, television emerged as a dominant force, leading many top radio shows to transition from an audio to visual format, effectively sidelining radio dramas. Half a century later, the internet ushered in a new era of online video skits, with platforms like YouTube empowering everyone to share their visual content.

Today, we are observing a new trend: the convergence of audio and video in the form of vodcasting. Vodcast, which is short for video-on-demand-cast, refers to the video version of a podcast. Typically, vodcasting involves filming a podcast recording session, but it can also encompass any podcast that includes video elements, blending the intimacy of audio storytelling with the engaging visual aspect of video.

Think of shows like The Joe Rogan Experience and, locally, Keluar Sekejap. Clips of these shows are regularly seen on social media — predominantly Instagram and TikTok — where the podcasters are seated on a sofa with mics as they discuss current hot topics.

Even audio app Spotify has jumped on the bandwagon with its launch of music videos for premium subscribers earlier this year. This means that some songs have music videos tagged to them, and podcasts have vodcasts tagged to them as well. Users can toggle between video and music mode in-app based on their preference, but the fact remains that podcasting has evolved from being audio-only to being multi-medium.

“Vodcasting is somewhat unique to Southeast Asia. In Malaysia and Singapore, for example, we can see very heavy use of video because social media plays a huge part in any form of content creation,” says Kelvin Tay, founder of Renegade Radio Malaysia, the country’s first independent podcasting network that houses locally-produced digital talk shows.

“If you create content and no one has the ability to find you, then what’s the point of creating content in the first place?”

Creative agency We Are Social and online media monitoring company Meltwater’s annual report on social media usage globally noted that amid a five-billion strong global user base, Southeast Asia proved to be one of most active, from gaming to social media usage.

According to global data and business intelligence platform Statista, as at January 2024, about 83.1% of the Malaysian population were active social media users, an increase of 4.6% from 2023. The most popular social media platforms were Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger.

With these staggering figures, it’s clear why vodcasts are becoming more popular than traditional podcasts. This raises the question: Is there still a place for audio-only podcasts? For new podcasters, especially those who are not celebrities or established personalities, starting from scratch almost necessitates a video component to gain traction.

“A lot of successful podcasters have either been running for a very long time or have some sort of ability to gain more eyes than usual. Don’t get me wrong, there is a market that is pure audio but if you look at the viewership data on Spotify versus YouTube, the one on YouTube will be higher because people are visually driven,” says Ho Ming Yue, one of the two brothers who make up The Ming Thing, a YouTube sensation with 522,000-odd subscribers.

Another crucial aspect is monetisation.

Jin Lim, one of Malaysia’s pioneering YouTube content creators known for JinnyboyTV, tells Digital Edge that many newcomers to the industry believe there’s easy money to be made. However, he cautions that simply posting a podcast episode and expecting it to generate revenue on its own is far from realistic.

“It’s not like the old days where there was just radio and TV. Back then, even the TV stations used to promote radio shows and sister stations used to promote each other to boost listenership.”

“The fact that now we have multi-platform media outlets, it’s a good opportunity for anyone to start their own podcasting journey and market it across different platforms. Is it a requirement? No, but it definitely is encouraged,” he says.

Lim’s Mamak Sessions episodes have been downloaded 1.8 million times on Podbean, a podcast hosting and monetising platform.

The local podcast scene emerged in 2017, but it has only recently gained popularity following the entry of former health minister and politician Khairy Jamaluddin, known by his initials KJ.

After the 15th general election in 2022, Khairy and several Umno leaders called for the resignation of party leader and deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. On Jan 27, 2023, Khairy was sacked from Umno by the party’s supreme council for criticising its leadership. Within two months, he and Umno’s former information chief, Shahril Hamdan, who had been suspended for six years, launched a weekly podcast called Keluar Sekejap.

Keluar Sekejap provides Khairy with a platform to continue influencing public discourse. The show features interviews with prominent figures, lively debates and a mix of serious commentary and humour, making complex topics accessible and engaging.

Khairy’s dynamic political persona, stint as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic and public interest in Malaysia’s chaotic political landscape have contributed to the show’s success. Keluar Sekejap, which has a following of more than 325,000 on YouTube alone, has quickly become popular and now includes brand advertising and partnerships. Khairy did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

“Someone who has big star power like KJ can do any form of content and people will be like, ‘Wow, this is amazing’ because people already know who he is. It’s all based on the star power, which, eventually, goes back to the monetisation,” says Renegade Radio’s Tay.

Following the success of Keluar Sekejap, Khairy initiated Malaysia’s first podcast event, KL PodFest 2024, in February. The event featured several famous local vodcasters who shared their experiences and insights on starting vodcasts.

Many listeners traded their earphones for front-row seats at the sold-out, two-day event, which showcased nearly 30 live podcast recording sessions and hands-on workshops for aspiring podcasters. Attendees also had the opportunity to pitch their podcast ideas.

Some of the featured podcasts were Head Over Heels, Malam Seram and Mr Money TV. Additionally, Malaysian rapper SonaOne joined the event with his BorakLAH podcast, discussing streetwear and current fashion trends.

While many other well-established podcasts were not part of the festival itself, industry players — such as Tay, who has been in the industry since 2018 — were present to show support for the ecosystem and further drive the passion for audio-based content creation.

“KL PodFest definitely brought the landscape to the next level in a sense where we don’t have to explain to people what a podcast is anymore. But I would like to see more independent podcast creators being included in [future] festivals,” says Tay.

The event featured a significant number of vodcasters, primarily from the YouTube community. Prominent participants included The Ming Thing’s Ming Yue and his brother Ming Han, who are behind the You Might Wanna Sit Down For This and Balls Deep podcasts, and Lim from Mamak Sessions.

While the industry has been on an upward trajectory, Jinnyboy’s Lim says KL PodFest was a pivotal point in the industry’s growth. “The industry was growing, but Khairy came in as this big celebrity and personality and said ‘Hey, I’m going to be at the forefront of this’ and it worked. People are talking about it. Mainstream media is talking about it and when that happens, the industry becomes something legit [to venture into].”

Will this translate into podcasters seeing more monetisation from brands? Not necessarily. Ming Yue says they did not see any immediate or significant impact on their vodcast views after participating in KL PodFest. Nevertheless, the festival was a statement to brands, signalling that podcasts and vodcasts are viable avenues for advertising.

“There were no brand scouts in the audience, but the fact that listeners were paying money to come and see us, that’s big. And I think brands saw that and the value of investing in the landscape, but it could just be with the bigger shows,” Ming Yue adds.

The rise of vodcasts suggests that audio-only podcasts might need to adapt. To ensure long-term success, the podcasting industry should consider merging captivating audio storytelling with engaging video elements and strategic social media promotion.

Ming Han and Ming Yue, who are also creatives at their digital marketing agency Blankslate, share that the interest in audio-only podcasts in Malaysia is still relatively low, with the majority preferring talk shows or vodcasts due to its visual content.

“You can have a podcast but you will need to break it into mini clips and upload for promotion [to get the views], which then goes viral most of the time,” says Ming Yue.

It is also about finding the balance between the older and younger podcast demographics. “TikTok typically consists of younger demographics. They won’t want to listen [to the entire] podcast and prefer viewing the highlights. It’s all a matter of figuring out your system and how people flow, which is a very big part of content nowadays,” says Ming Han.

Podcasting offers a lower barrier to entry compared with vodcasting and YouTube content creation, but sustainable growth requires more than just equipment and basic content. Passion is essential, says Renegade Radio’s Tay, but it’s only the beginning of the podcast production process.

“When it comes to podcasting, especially mid- to high-level productions, you need producers to produce the podcast and an array of editors to craft the final output. This includes artists to create display pictures or visuals for social media, scriptwriters to create the narrative for the podcast and editors to cut, refine and edit the podcast,” he says.

A podcaster at heart, Tay believes there will still be a strong market for audio-only shows, especially when it comes to narrative and storytelling shows. One of Renegade Radio’s podcasts — Two Book Nerds Talking — is testament to that.

“These two ladies — Honey and Diana — have definitely built a community through their podcast where they interview international authors and local authors. Monetisation and content creation first starts with building a community,” he says. “But also, it shows that narration, sound design and background music plays with our imagination. It doesn’t need any visual guidance, hence I believe there is still a space for audio-only content.”

“It all boils down to what community a podcaster wants to build. If you know what you want to talk about, what community you want to build and serve, and know what your mission and vision is, you are ahead of so many people already,” he adds.

“Just talk into a mic and you’re set”. This is the most pervasive misconception about what it takes to create a successful podcast.

Scriptwriting, hosting and social responsibility are all important aspects to consider. While some creators are able to build a career from podcasting, it requires hard work, experimentation and a strong community to be financially sustainable.

“Scriptwriting is the most underestimated part [of the process]. And then comes hosting, which is something that cannot be [easily] prepared,” says Lim.

While podcasting allows for open and honest discussions, creators need to be aware of their responsibility and choose their words carefully. Lim’s time at Astro as a radio DJ has taught him to be mindful about the social responsibility that is tagged to being a content creator and public figure.

“The younger generation should do their due diligence in trying to understand what they should and should not do, as well as be socially aware of sensitivities that cannot be talked about and understand the repercussions,” he says.

Podcasters are essentially content creators, which is an inherently competitive market. To be successful in the long run, creators need to stand out and capture audiences’ attention in order to get paid for their work, which can be quite challenging.

The Ho brothers, despite their achievement in building a podcast network, acknowledge the difficulty in making a profit from podcasting. They stress the need for realistic expectations, noting that not all of their podcasts have been successful.

“That’s why a lot of experiments that Ming Han has [put out] are not lucrative straight away. On paper, does it make sense? Most times, no. But when it does strike gold and pop off, it works and feeds into the ecosystem,” says Ming Yue.

“We now have a team that can arrange a lot of things [for the podcasts]. We can go out for a Sip and Spill episode and develop three good episodes in one go. It really changes the dynamics of content making as compared to YouTube,” adds Ming Han.

The brothers’ passion for and commitment to producing content has resulted in a podcast network that has a strong community. Ming Yue says before even thinking about monetising content, creators will need to establish a strong brand for themselves and their podcast to be able to reach their audience.

With podcasting being a largely passion-based industry, finding the right niche and genres can help build a stronger podcast with loyal listeners.

“If you look at all the big podcasters, you will definitely see a lot of more creative and daring brands that are willing to invest a small fortune to test it out. The conversation now is a lot easier when it comes to monetisation,” says Tay, adding that he hopes to see more creative collaborations between different podcasts as the market mushrooms.

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