IN ON LIFE LISTEN

As podcasts grow in popularity, stories are shared on an inspiring scale. Georgia Beard reveals how our podcast connects communities by exploring the lives of everyday people and well-known neighbours.

As the growth of on-demand streaming services increases, people want to consume what they listen to and watch in their own time - and on their own terms.

No longer wanting to sit through mind-numbing and often irrelevant ads that interrupt viewing or watching pleasure, the media landscape is changing and Podcasts are redefining what we listen to, how and when.

But exactly what is a ‘podcast’? Put simply, it is a pre-recorded audio show where hosts, and often guests, take part in lively, controversial and often hilarious discussions. You can download and listen when you want and how you want. Each recording is known as a podcast episode and are typically hosted by an individual or individuals who lead a conversation, share stories, or report the news.

Each year, more Australians are turning off the radio and tuning in to these online, on-demand conversations. Infinite Dial Australia surveyed the popularity of podcasts last year, finding that 91% of Australians were aware of podcasts; and that 37% of Australians over the age of 12 listen to podcasts every month, compared to 25% in 2020. Podcasts are here to stay with people recommending podcasts to each other just like they do with books, movies, TV series and more. Listeners form a strong connection with the content they listen to and the number of genres are growing - from true crime to self-help; comedy to drama; sport to religion; game shows to news; politics to pop culture - there really is something for everyone!

A report from Edison Research found that we’re listening to podcasts more than ever with a staggering 54% yearon-year growth and 59% of people listening to podcasts in their car.

The Acast Sounds Smart Report took a deep dive into the Australian podcast landscape to discover that 88% of people actively reduce distractions before they start listening to a podcast and 93% of

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It makes sense. When I’m listening to a podcast, I might not be in the same country, let alone the same room, but I still feel like part of the conversation.

Here at Hello Sunshine Magazine, we started a podcast as an extension of our aim to be connect the community through storytelling and to be more than a magazine. Our podcast is called Everyone Has A Story: Conversations from the Sunshine Coast and Noosa. We unearth the stories behind the lives of those who call Noosa and the Sunshine Coast home.

Guests chat with podcaster and radio presenter John Caruso, and a life more interesting than fiction is revealed.

With over 30 years of experience in the broadcast industry, including being the Content Manager and Drive Presenter for ABC Sunshine Coast; breakfast host at SeaFM; and as presenter on stations including TripleM Brisbane and FoxFM, Melbourne; John knows the craft of producing great content for your listening pleasure!

He’s interviewed more than 120 fascinating locals, from politicians to Holocaust survivors, artists to musicians, farmers to chefs, surfers, local business owners or the person next door.

Amongst the interviews you can hear the stories of chefs such as Tony Kelly, Matt Golinski and Peter Kuruvita; distillers and brewers including Sunshine & Sons Matt Hobson, Diablo Co’s Dimitris Limnatitis and Craig Masterton from Heads of Noosa; artists and entrepreneurs; survivors and sportspeople including Lisa Curry and Mark Webber; property insights and musicians such as Powderfinger’s Jon Coghill. Everyone has a story, and we provide a platform for them to share.

With more than 26,000 downloads increasing daily, our podcast is being heard not only by locals but worldwide!

Connect with your community in ways you never have before. Everyone Has A Story: Conversations from the Sunshine Coast and Noosa is free on all podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Whooshkaa and Stitcher.