After the Covid-19 pandemic, podcasts have become a must-have tool for marketing and promotion. With over 520 million listeners, celebrities have turned to podcasts to stay in the news.
In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the world, it shut down film productions globally. All major morning and late-night shows struggled with production, with some even starting to broadcast shows like Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show from the comfort of their homes.
News channels were talking about the development of the new virus all over the world, but stars and celebrities were still desperate for attention. It was around this time that podcasts and YouTube shows emerged as safer options for stars to reach out to their audiences and stay in the news. By the time the pandemic subsided, these podcasts had become a staple.
It became so sensational that getting a spot on top podcasts or YouTube shows became a competitive thing for stars and their PR teams. Now, these podcasts have so much power that they reportedly charge actors money to feature people on their podcasts, with some even rejecting them saying “they are not right.”
In a recent conversation with Hindi Rush, actor Sooraj Pancholi said that top podcasters charge Rs 30 lakh to feature people on their podcasts. He said, “I have heard that there are some actors who charge around Rs 30 lakh to do a podcast.
Is it true? I just want to know because I came here for free. Pay me at least Rs 30,000.” When the podcasters revealed that the situation has changed now, Sooraj immediately said, “Yes, I have also heard that podcasters who have a good viewership charge Rs 30 lakh to get you on their podcast.”
He admitted that he too had received a similar offer from the top people. He added, “But it makes sense because they give you the viewership. They’ve worked really hard to grow their page, so I think why not? Because we can’t deny the fact that they have a great viewership.”
Earlier, comedian Karim Rahma, host of the digital interview series Subway Takes, recently shared that he refused to feature I Feel Pretty star Amy Schumer on his show when his team approached him.
He said, “I’ll probably get in trouble for this, but Amy Schumer. Let’s just say she wasn’t the right fit.” Since posting the first episode in 2023, Subway Takes has featured celebrities such as Charli XCX, Cate Blanchett, and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz.
Subway Takes with Karim Rahma has over 420k subscribers on YouTube. According to Vulture, it proved true that Donald Trump won his second presidential term because he successfully engaged Joe Rogan and several other new-media hosts while Kamala Harris failed to do so. According to Forbes, there are over 540 million listeners worldwide, prompting brands to use podcasts as a key component of their marketing strategies.
Now, many celebrities have also seized this opportunity to create their own podcasts. In India, actresses like Kalki Koechlin, Neha Dhupia, Rhea Chakraborty and Amitabh Bachchan’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda have their own podcasts.
For Rhea Chakraborty, her podcast Chapter 2 became her grand comeback to showbiz after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, where she spoke in detail about her struggles and the time she spent in jail.
Even rebel kid Apurva Mukhija turned to podcasts after the Samay Raina controversy. The three-week-old podcast has garnered over 2.2 million views today.
