Alex Gurdila, general producer Agora: “Podcast market in Moldova: An explosion of interviews, but a whole world of diverse content remains unexplored”

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The Moldovan podcast market is oversaturated with interviews about people, but human stories already surround us everywhere – in the media, on Facebook, on TikTok. We really need comedy, storytelling, technologies, education, psychology, design, etc.

The most famous Moldovan podcasts are mostly commercial or belong to the media, focused on interviews with well-known personalities and experts in different fields. They clearly offer value in terms of the information and opinions presented, but they seem to be taking over the entire podcast scene in the country. This discourages independent content creators who could contribute new and innovative ideas to this space.

The Comedy Bang Bang Podcast

Apple Podcasts

There are plenty of opportunities for diversified content in Moldova. Comedy, for example, is a genre that has not yet found its place in the landscape of Moldovan podcasts. Comedy podcasts have the potential to create a community around humor and creativity. Podcasting Comedy Bang Bang is an example of this. Standupovka is trying to carve out a place in the comedy content we consume, a representative podcast as if it had its place. I’m not going to get into polemics about the language or the quality of the content: after all, we’re living in a wild west period in independent podcast production in Moldova. Quality will come with time.

Also, storytelling and telling captivating stories could be another interesting direction for Moldovan podcasts. I love what Natan Garștea is doing with History of Moldova – a storytelling podcast about history, inspired by the legendary Dan Carlin. Stories that explore the culture, history, art, sports achievements of Moldovan or universal people could offer an alternative educational content and contribute to the consolidation of the media market in the country. The fact that we only have one podcast on history, one on sports, one on education speaks of the fragility of this field.

The History of Moldova podcast

Natan Garstea

We can’t ignore the need for content focused on education and personal development either. Podcasts that cover topics such as psychology, mental health, nutrition, technology and innovation could help increase the knowledge and skills of listeners. As with storytelling, we have about one podcast per topic. You realize the “risk” the audience is “exposed” to if the podcast I’m fine will it not be published again? We are left with an empty niche.

There is a place, and indeed a need, for external donors to create special programs to stimulate audio content creation. This way we will educate an audience that is ready to consume unique, personalized content from an author or a small team. It costs thousands of euros to produce and broadcast on TV or Radio a show. An independent content creator would also settle for 1,000 euros per month. Andrei Bolocan was one of the first to be supported. In my time, I also had a few hundred dollars from our diaspora in the US when I was creating the Americanization podcast. But our audience often asks: why did you start this, if you want us to give you money? You didn’t start on your own initiative?… This somehow stems from the reluctance and lack of understanding of how many time or financial resources the production of a podcast involves, not to mention the dedication.

It is essential that the Moldovan podcast industry be supported and independent content creators be promoted, who can contribute to the diversification and enrichment of the media offer. This can be achieved by creating platforms that facilitate access to resources and know-how, as well as fostering a spirit of collaboration among content creators. By encouraging diversity and innovation in this field, we can ensure that podcasts will continue to be an important source of information, inspiration and entertainment for listeners in Moldova.

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