Now, hear me out on this one. I’m the founder of a technology startup called AUDEA (audio-idea), where we want to become the world’s first native platform for spoken word content creators to go to.
Part of building audea has been learning how to encourage content creators to recognize the value of audio content over video content. This is not because video is not useful or powerful, but rather because audio is growing in influence.
Part of the reason for this is because of three main issues with video content (did an article further in depth on this that you can read here)
- Most sites that are primarily oriented towards video have become incredibly saturated and the ability to stand out of the noise is becoming more and more difficult
- The amount of work it takes to create long-form video content from idea stage to post production is not reciprocal for the organic reach the content will get
- People are choosing to spend less time on the screen and more time being productive in daily lives while passively consuming content
This means if people still want to create but can do so without the video and still capture the same experience of a video (or at least 90% of it) — then that model of content would likely allow more creators to begin their journey of content creation through audio and have a stronger chance of being discovered on a native-audio platform.
Enter in Audio-Logging. I need a better word for it. Vlogging and Blogging sound cool, but like, ALogging? I’d appreciate any ideas here.
I think audio-logs could really take off. The main reason for this is that they aren’t boxed into the simplicity of a podcast — which is primarily just someone talking into a microphone.
All of the high action packed moments of a traditional vlog, or even the boring and mundane moments of someone filming themselves going to get coffee — I think can be captured via only audio.
Getting someone to give 15 minutes of their time to watch you do something is pretty difficult. It’s not impossible, it’s just a lot harder for people to give up their attention to someone just showcasing their day. Even if the content isn’t that boring — that level of commitment, specialty if it’s daily vlogging, usually comes from a dedicated fan.
I think more people are likely to give their attention to an audio log because they don’t have to be committed to the content itself, which leaves room for them to do other things and less likely to “click-away.”
What does an audio log feel like?
So now that you’ve got someone’s attention on your audio log, what would the content feel like?
To me — pretty much just like a regular vlog. If you are walking down a street and talking to a camera and we hear the street noises like people yelling or police sirens or whatever else — all of that would be captured in an audio-log. The only difference would be we couldn’t literally see the cars, and I think that more people are recognizing that they don’t need to see the cars to enjoy the content.
The same experience a vlog brings to visual can be replicated via audio for most forms of content. Obviously you could not literally show something to your audience, but in most vlogs — without the vlogger talking and explaining, the visuals are pretty much worthless. We need the audio to entertain us more than we need the video.
If you were going out to lunch with a friend and audio logging it — you could record the conversation and the friend would show up in the log via their voice and not their face. I have heard various different podcasts attempt to create this experience and the best ones made me feel like the visuals simply weren’t necessary. I understood the personality and the depth of the characters in the audio log without having to see them.
This also takes away ALOT of work for the creator. You don’t have to look awkward and stick a camera every where and in everyone’s face, you don’t need to edit high quality footage on your crappy laptop that is going to crash when you try to export, and you don’t need to go through the hours of post production necessary just to make a cohesive product that looks decent.
With audio logging, carry your phone around or attach a small mic on your shirt, go through your day, come home and chop up the audio content.
I really think if people are already consuming more content, a new era of audio content being ushered in and normalized like audio logging could really begin to take off.
Now there just needs to be a native audio based platform where people could distribute their audio logs….
Amit Kukreja is the founder of AUDEA, an audio-sharing distribution platform that is aiming to democratize the potential for spoken word creators to become discovered.
You can contact me at amit@audea.io or reach me here:
