Aussie acts find success in podcasts to connect with new audiences

With the digital landscape constantly changing and evolving, artists and labels are having to find new innovative ways to promote releases and tours.

Podcasts are a candid and casual way to engage fans and reach a wider demographic. Even Spotify is taking the next step and hiring a new domestic podcast role to focus on the growing demand.

In the US, Spotify have announced the launch of Your Daily Drive, a news-based podcast incorporated into a mix of music recommendations. No announcements have been made surrounding when this feature will be available in the Australian market yet, but Spotify confirmed to TMN that their focus will not stray too far away from music.

Instead, they just want to encourage more people to use the service and for listeners to use it for a longer period of time.

One Australian duo who are capitalising well on this venture and are embracing the idea of change and evolution is, Bonka. The Queensland producers signed to Catch Management and its aligning record label have made a career from playing the club circuits.

Their recent single ‘Focus’ featuring Los Angeles based Australian singer-songwriter Bianca has exceeded 290,000 streams on Spotify while their previous single ‘Like This’ comfortably sat at #5 on the ARIA club chart.

In addtion to touring and releasing club music, Lachlan Norton and Connor O Neil host a monthly podcast called Let’s Go Bonkas which has hit #1 on the iTunes podcast chart multiple times. The podcast has also become a platform for the pair to reach highlight some of their favourite mixes and give fans something more.

“This podcast started with the intention of giving something back to our fans whilst showcasing what music we really liked at that time, which is why over the course of the past year and a half the style and content of the podcasts has changed virtually out of sight,” Bonka tells TMN.

Receiving strong feedback from fans surrounding the format of the podcast, they’ve discovered that the majority of them listen while they’re at the gym, work or at pre-drinks.

“As artists it really became evident that this podcast is one of the most important ways to connect with our fans. Due to the fact not all of them can make it to shows, and it still gives us a chance to showcase what we are all about to a much wider audience.”

Let’s Go Bonkas captures thousands of listens a month from all over the world. With their biggest overseas market being Europe and over half the listens originating from Australia, America and parts of Asia.

With fellow producers Tyron Hapi and the Stafford Brothers using a similar format for their podcasts to premiere new music, there are other artists like Hot Dub Time Machine who use the platform in a different way. Using it to showcase their personality, they build their brand that directs away from just music and live performances.

“We have been thinking about introducing an interview section so its not just about music. Hopefully, the listeners will become more familiar with us and our guests on a personal level not just in terms of the music we play” says Bonka.

Talking to Mitchell Coombs who co-hosted successful podcast Not My Cup Of Tea (which soon after launch got added to the Joy 94.9 lineup), he explains that the reason podcasts are beginning to work over radio shows is because it’s a niche market.

So instead of appealing to the broad general public like radio, podcasts appeal to specific demographics and allow you to provide a narrowcast.

Coombs also says that it enables personalities and artists to connect their audiences and tailor an experience that is going to be best suited for them without worrying about disinteresting other listeners. And that’s something artists can take away from the benefits of creating a podcast. It allows them to interact with their fans in a different light.