Audio will soon become the interface between humans and electronic devices, turning functions like typing, touching or pressing buttons into obsolete actions. By Dushyantt Kohli
If there is one aspect of the ongoing digital revolution that we can be certain about, it is the growth in consumption of audio-based content, and the promise it holds for the future. Within a span of a few years, we have witnessed an increase in the average time invested by users in listening to audio across platforms. Be it music, news, podcasts, religious hymns & chants, commentary on politics or even learning material for professional development, the affinity towards audio is backed by improved accessibility and the hands-free nature of its consumption. Moreover, the pandemic has accentuated the listenership on these platforms, as people have more time at their disposal.
The move to audio is also attributed to the health effects of excessive screen time of users, considering that people of all age groups had to adopt home-based work and learning, including long duration viewing of television and computer screens for entertainment. With schools, colleges and offices being shut due to the lockdown, and the subsequent adherence to social distancing norms, the average screen time shot up significantly. There are several other aspects that go beyond the toll of excessive screen time on people’s health, and they concern connectivity challenges, retainability through hearing, among others.
Challenges for video consumption
Since the pandemic, even video streaming and OTT platforms have risen in terms of subscriptions and entertainment choices, as several regional OTT services have mushroomed to capitalise on the surge in viewership. While consumers are accessing the discounted offerings of such video streaming platforms, it remains largely an urban and semi-urban phenomenon. Not all parts of the country are able to access latency-free services round the clock. As of today, companies are investing heavily in improving the bandwidth and the requisite infrastructure to deliver top quality viewing experiences. However, it is an exercise that is bound to take time, as implementation and affordability are arduous and time-consuming pursuits.
In a country that is breaking onto the global stage through the mobile phone revolution, high bandwidth and connectivity requirements continue to stall accessibility for the least common denominator. Audio-based content fills this gap aptly, since it neither consumes large quantities of data, nor does it need the installation of high-cost infrastructure for basic internet consumption. Moreover, a constant challenge arises for travellers, as low network areas often impact the usage of apps and internet.
Audio’s impact on learning
In the past, areas that lacked connectivity created a vacuum for the proliferation of radio services, and people used them to remain connected with the rest of the country. With the advent of the mobile phone, radio is now replaced by the mobile connectivity even in low-bandwidth environments. There is a scope for wider accessibility to information about the world through mobile apps, as it is disrupting distance & e-learning methodologies, beyond regular calling services. In fact, users in urban areas have shown keenness to adopt passive learning methods as a result of the pandemic, and they are tuning into podcasts, music, news etc., allowing them to listen and perform other tasks simultaneously.
There are numerous reports about how fatigue has set in due to the overuse of screens and video viewing. Listening to long conversations has a positive impact on learning, and audio scores better over video in this regard. It requires cognitive abilities and the power of imagination, which are the standard requisites for maximum retention.
The significance of diversified content and audio’s utilitarian aspects
The West had begun to make the most of audio content-based services on the internet in early 2000s. Several players have emerged since, offering audio books as an alternate to physical books, keeping those who are pressed for time in mind. While India has learnt to embrace the phenomenon only in the past decade, the stacking up of vernacular and local content in the form of audio libraries, is truly transforming user experiences.
One of the biggest draws towards audio lies in the flexibility it offers, as people can take it wherever they go without worrying about network issues. Second to this, people are able to enjoy diverse content in their languages, thanks to lesser production costs and affordability of the services. Furthermore, users are cognisant about saving battery power on their devices, and audio allows them to avail more with very minimal investment on hardware.
In 2021, people are constantly on the move, and voice-searches and voice-based audio devices are offering new-age solutions. Consequently, audio will become the interface between humans and electronic devices in the near future, turning functions like typing, touching, or pressing buttons into obsolete actions. This prediction is not far-fetched even for the non-urban part of India, Bharat, owing to the sheer growth observed over these years, which shall soon make it the most preferred medium for the masses.
(The writer is the COO of an audio platform, Khabri.)
