Arcast: You Need to Check Out the New Hub for Podcasts in the MENA Region!
Podcasts are doing great in the west, and people like it for several reasons. They don’t waste as much data as video content, you can listen to them while driving, and they are more specific to your taste than regular radio. However, the podcast culture hasn’t yet gripped the Arab world as it should be. Here’s where Arcast comes in, the new hub for podcasts in the MENA region.
Arcast is an Arabic podcast platform that provides a reliable channel for podcasters, listeners, and advertisers. They have a mobile app, a website, and a studio for content creators. Arcast already has six podcasts on the website and they recently launched a new one called “Relationship Survival Guide”.
The new podcast was launched on the 8th of September. It’s about relationships in Egyptian society; talking to men and women about their problems and concerns and the traditions of marriage. The podcast is hosted by relationship coach Elham El Komy and actor Sam Elkashlan. In addition to the website, the podcasts can also be found on major podcast platforms like Anghami, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast.
“We are building the first dedicated podcast production company that has experience in the podcast building process. We aim to create content that is professional and interesting enough to gain public recognition on podcast culture,” said Abdullah Ghanem, founder and lead producer of Arcast.
On why the podcast culture hasn’t yet taken over the Arab world as it has abroad, Abdullah commented “Firstly, our people like to watch or read these are the things that kill time and entertain them so why find an alternative. Also, there isn’t a lot to marketing aimed at raising awareness of podcasts, so the podcast culture isn’t very known to Arab audiences. Moreover, people who made podcasts didn’t find a financial reward so why would they continue building on this. Finally, the podcast industry is a bit expensive to get equipment, to rent a place to have a good recording environment.”
On why he thinks podcasts are promising he said “We are just at the beginning of that trend especially since radio still reaches a large percent of the population. With high mobile rates, long commute times, and a young population, there is certainly room for growth.”
