The discreet rise of podcasts in Morocco [FULL]

Rédaction Africa Links 24 with David LE DOARÉ
Published on 2024-03-12 10:45:00

The podcast, a new trending media? While print press and radio-television are declining, these series of audio episodes available online are gradually becoming more popular. They cover a wide range of topics – from football to geopolitics, to personal development – and are available in Arabic, French, and English. Currently, there are no official data on the audiences and market shares of this emerging sector, but some podcasts are reaching a large number of listeners in the Kingdom and beyond.

The most popular? Probably Radio Maârif. Launched in 2018 in Casablanca by Reda Allali and Hamza Chioua, specializing in Moroccan history, has over 300 episodes and has reached the symbolic threshold of 5 million listens! Another more confidential success story is the podcast Shape your career – formerly “Les inspiratrices” – created and hosted by Leïla Bazzi: a pioneer in promoting female leadership in Morocco and Africa, the first two seasons have accumulated 60,000 listens on platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Advantages and specifics:
Accessible at any time on the internet, where it stands out among the abundance of video content, podcasts offer an intimate atmosphere without frills or artifice. Through listening, listeners feel close to the speakers and easily immerse themselves in the content offered. Additionally, “without a camera, our guests are much more comfortable,” explains Hamza Chioua. “It streamlines exchanges and is less expensive,” he adds. Far from the exposed paths of traditional audiovisual media, the simplicity of this emerging medium contributes to offering a new space for freedom and exchanges.

However, for those interested: while producing a podcast may seem easy, it is not just a matter of buying a microphone and a mixer. “There are many skills to acquire: what equipment to invest in, how to record clean sound, how to build a story from the rushes… At first, I tried to do everything myself and now fortunately, I delegate!” Leïla Bazzi shares.

Both members of the HobaHoba Spirit group, the co-founders of Radio Maârif had a head start in the field of sound. “We based ourselves on what we already knew how to do. Reda is familiar with the microphone, and I am used to producing audio content. There are still aspects that escape us: we are very focused on production, and even though we are aware that it is important, we hardly do any promotion,” says Hamza Chioua.

A passionate profession:
In some foreign countries, the podcast sector is already a lucrative industry. For example, streaming platform Spotify has just renewed its contract with the famous American podcaster Joe Rogan for a substantial sum of 250 million dollars. A proof of the financial windfall that this media can represent for producers and distributors (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Podcasts).

In Morocco, however, few podcasts generate enough revenue to support their creators. “The first year we earned zero dirhams. It has changed since and it is important to earn money to exist but it is still hard to make a living from it,” admits Hamza Chioua.

Millions of listeners and varied content (series on the national football team, music, and Moroccan heritage) have caught the attention of institutional advertisers convinced by the “citizen mission” of Radio Maârif.

Reda Allali is not any less lucid: “We are talking about passion jobs, like people who write books or play music. You don’t get into this with the ambition of making money. You just try to create a machine that regularly produces results without causing suffering to yourself and your family.”

The industry to structure:
Some podcasters are successful and build a community of loyal listeners, but on a national scale, the sector is still chaotic. The simultaneous explosion of influencers and video authors on the internet only adds to the confusion. “There is a whole ecosystem to create,” says Leïla Bazzi. “When I started, I knew nothing about it, and I gathered the information as best as I could. We see incubators supporting startups, it works, so why not do the same with podcasts?” she adds.

Another obstacle to the development of podcasts is the lack of visibility of this emerging sector. Writing, recording, editing, sound design… only represent half of the journey. The next steps include the distribution and promotion of the podcast.

In Morocco, a good part of the population still listens to few podcasts or is completely unaware of the existence of this media. “Six years after our debut, visibility has increased, however, it remains a challenge. And even if we are talking to connected people who listen to podcasts, they do not necessarily know about the existence of Moroccan podcasters,” comments Hamza Chioua.

The first festival dedicated to radio, podcasts, and sound creation, the Amwaj festival took place in Casablanca from December 14th to 17th. With the aim of bringing professionals together and developing their visibility to the general public. “It is essential to continue encouraging this type of initiative, including pushing podcasters to step out of their studios,” advocates Mehdi El Kindi, co-founder of the podcast studio “Les Bonnes Ondes” (LBO) and co-organizer of the Amwaj festival. “Sometimes, people who work in sound have a bit of a bookstore rat side!” he concludes.

Read the original article(French) on L’Opinion