Affordable subscriptions, wide content selection drive audio entertainment growth

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Audio entertainment startups Pocket FM, Kuku FM, and Pratilipi FM are gaining in popularity, especially beyond the metro cities, thanks to affordable subscription plans and a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction content that keeps users glued to the platforms. The emergence of artificial intelligence and the creation of more regional content are only expected to spur growth for these platforms, with some shows raking in as much as ₹100 crore, company executives and investors said.

The growth is reflected in the revenue figures of these platforms. Pocket FM’s global revenue increased sixfold to over ₹1,050 crore in FY24, cutting losses by 21% to ₹165 crore. Subscription revenue surged to ₹934 crore from ₹160 crore in the previous financial year.

Pratilipi’s audio content vertical Pratilipi FM, although a tiny portion of the firm’s overall business, grew 300% between from August to November, said Ranjeet Pratap Singh, co-founder and chief executive. Bengaluru-based Kuku FM’s revenue more than doubled and it expects the growth momentum to continue in FY25, Lal Chand Bisu, co-founder and chief executive officer, toldMint. “We made a concerted effort to expand our content library and build awareness about audio as a category," Bisu said, noting that regional languages Hindi, Tamil and Marathi continue to drive user frequency for the platform.

Pocket FM’s chief financial officer Anurag Sharma told Mint it is focused on improving user engagement from the current 120 minutes per user per day. “A lot of our engagement is being driven by its original and exclusive shows, and we want to keep diversifying our content," he said. Pratilipi, which has raised about $80 million till date, turned