Storytelling: Are Podcasts Making the Most Of This Traditional Craft?

Podcasts have reworked the traditional craft of storytelling, leveraging their audio format to create immersive experiences. Podcasts engage listeners and transport them to new worlds, stimulating their imagination through captivating narratives. With a wide variety of genres and styles, podcasts cater to diverse interests, making storytelling more accessible and inclusive. This medium has allowed storytellers to experiment with unique techniques, such as sound design and character voices, enhancing the narrative’s impact. Ultimately, podcasts have become a powerful platform for the art of storytelling, harnessing its timeless magic in the modern era.

Sudhanshu Rai, Storyteller, Actor, Filmmaker, says, “Humans cannot alienate themselves from something ingrained in our genes or DNA. Oral storytelling emanates from sound, which is inseparable from mankind. When a human soul prepares to enter into the worldly premise, the first prominent thing that touches them is sound and their interaction starts from lullaby, voices of their parents, stories and other forms of sounds. This in itself makes a strong case for podcasts and audio stories being a nonpareil medium to influence, engage and entertain people across all ages through the power of storytelling. When I narrate an audio story through podcasts or even live storytelling shows, each listener creates their own imagery of the characters and visualization while enhancing their imaginations, a feat not possible in any other form or medium of entertainment.”

The power of podcasts, live storytelling shows etc have rarely been explored professionally with a methodic approach, whereas audience who experiences it once keeps returning for more. Within a span of say, 1-2 hours, storytelling transports them through different unseen worlds and unfathomed experiences.

Yogesh Dashrath, Country Manager, Storytel India, adds “In my understanding, podcasting is still in its evolutionary stage in India, and it would not be wrong to say that podcasting as a medium is not using traditional storytelling to its full potential at present. If we speak with regard to the Indian market, podcast as a tool is mainly driven by metropolitan hosts and audiences. This may, however, change if podcasting is made more accessible to traditional storyteller across the country.”

Storytelling is one of the most ancient crafts and still stands tall as a perfect source of entertainment as well as knowledge. Dashrath sums up, “A lot more still needs to be done if podcasts have to make the most of the traditional craft of storytelling.”