In 2023, podcasting became popular in Armenia. However, there is an ongoing debate regarding how the term should be written in Armenian, and everyone transliterates it as they see fit until the Language Committee has not come up with a translated term like “audiotape .” Nevertheless, the number of podcasts available is growing rapidly, and what’s even more exciting is that most of them are not shutting down after a few months.

Podcasts gained popularity worldwide some time ago, but not in Armenia. Then, they lost some of their popularity as people became more interested in video blogging. However, podcasts recently regained popularity and have come to the forefront once again. Unfortunately, as usual, this trend arrived in Armenia several years later.

A question- or rather two- arises regarding the podcast industry: Is its growth just a temporary phenomenon? And if not, what types of podcasts will prevail in the virtual world?

It can be argued that the future will bring further development to the podcast industry for several reasons. Firstly, both young people and experienced professionals from various fields are entering this industry, leading to multifaceted approaches that appeal to different layers of society.

It should be noted that advertisers are increasingly allocating budgets towards podcasts; this is significant because, without adequate funding, podcasts may only be regarded as a hobby or a side project, leading to an irregular schedule and, ultimately, a decrease in the audience.

The growing popularity of podcasts, coupled with the availability of unlimited mobile internet, is driving the development of this medium. Other factors that may be less apparent but are equally significant include the traffic congestion in Yerevan, which creates free time for thousands of commuters to listen to podcasts while returning home.

Undoubtedly, there are also complicating factors that hinder podcast development. In general, podcasts fall into a few main categories: 

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• Podcasts hosted by celebrities, in which the content is less important than the act of speaking. However, celebrities may fail to be engaging to a more diverse audience.
• Hosting famous people, well-known personalities, or celebrities. However, the problem is similar to what is faced by programs like “Good Morning, Armenia”. The number of interesting people in Armenia is limited, and they will have been featured in all podcasts within two years. As a result, there won’t be any new people left to feature in the future. In fact, we are already halfway through this situation.
• Conversations/discussions on exciting topics can go on endlessly. However, one of the most significant problems that once killed the interview genre in Armenia is the podcast hosts’ lack of intelligence and knowledge. A journalist or a podcast host should research the topic beforehand and prepare questions beyond the ordinary “what else?” questions. Such podcast hosts are still a rarity in Armenia, but fortunately, they exist and have listeners.

To sum up, we can expect a significant increase in podcasts covering a wide range of topics and styles in the near future. However, only a few high-quality podcasts managed by skilled professionals will withstand the test of time. Additionally, we expect to see a rise in more specialized podcasts focusing on narrow, professional topics. Overall, this variety of podcasts is a positive development.

Samvel  Martirosyan

The views expressed in the column are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the views of Media.am.