Lifelong learning: audio as a powerful touchpoint
Among the hot topics that have shaped 2020 and certainly the years to come, there is audio, I have already done a very quick mapping of social audio a few months ago and I am in the process of updating it, as things have evolved and the categories have become clearer.
And then there's learning. In fact, we are witnessing a powerful surge around lifelong learning, learning on a daily basis, with this new motto: "Make your learning an integral part of your daily life and you won't need to learn anymore". Tina He, in an amazing article on her Substack Fakepixels, drives the point home and goes so far as to talk about "embedded education": learning that no longer focuses on an individual platform. Rather, learning happening everywhere. A lifelong learning process explained in its time by a certain Rabelais.
The observation is very true: I am thinking in particular of TikTok and their microlearning videos that score big, or those companies that are launching their "learning academy," Snapchat and Amazon being the latest. However, there is still room for verticals dedicated to learning, especially audio learning, and more specifically audio courses, which I'm going to address in this post.
Audio courses: a booming market
Interesting fact to note: 80 per cent of these companies launched less than two years ago, they are part of the audio boom movement, and most of them have a subscription business model with average rates ranging from $4 to $10 per month. Other notable points:
At first glance, many of these players, such as Knowable or Majelan, seem to position themselves as audio versions of Masterclass video courses (the Netflix of learning), with ultra-sleek aesthetics, artists and celebrities recognized for their expertise. But there is more to it than that, read on ;)
Listenable focuses on five-minute micro-courses.
Knowable, which is backed by VC firm Andreesen Horrowitz, has been designed for action and interactivity to enhance learning for their users.
Majelan is the French entry on the list. This podcast app pivoted on July 7, 2020, focusing on paid personal development content, just like Himalaya.
Avid doesn't create content in the strict sense of the word, but defines itself as a tool for creators to shape and monetize their content in audio format.
The strength of Lyceum? According to opinions on the App Store, the discussion boards for engaging with other members about the audio content consumed.
Disco specializes in tech content. One of the leading courses on the platform? Machine learning. For now, the lessons seem to be delivered exclusively by the platform's founder, Saron Yitbarek, also the founder of CodeNewbie, a community for programmers and people learning to code.
About Knowable
I spoke with several of these founders to understand their positioning and aspirations. Here is one of those discussions with Ryan Duffy, part of the founding team Knowable.
Can you introduce me to Knowable? What's the difference between regular podcasts and audio courses in general and your service?
On the consumer side, audiocourses come with a few advantages that are helpful in the learning process:
They’re closed-ended - There are, of course, many phenomenal pods that are highly educational, but curation and synthesis is challenging when parsing through dozens or hundreds of ongoing episodes that don’t build to a foreseeable endpoint.
They’re structured for learning - We design Knowable audiocourses to be familiar to course takers by leaning into didacticism, reinforcing key takeaways, proposing action items, etc.
They include collateral - Knowable courses come with workbooks, activities, and other topic-specific downloadables to enhance the learning experience.
They’re multimodal - We’re starting to roll out interactive features like (optional) quizzing. See how it works in Learn to Learn (iOS only for now).
Why now? Why is audio booming?
A few reasons are top of mind:
Technology - Increased proliferation of audio wearables (AirPods), connected auto, and smart speakers make listening simple. Many folks have adapted to leaving their AirPods in all the time — when they’re not on a call, they’re listening to music or pods. This is a paradigm shift in media consumption behaviour that deserves more attention, IMO! I think it will only become more true over time.
Convenience - Audio works for interstitial moments, ie: walking the dog, in the car, at the gym, etc.
Nicheness - The broad constellation of pods on literally any topic enables people to consume exactly what they want. I personally find myself watching less TV and listening to more of my favorite pods. Audio is taking more and more of my total attention share!
Screen fatigue - Concerns around this were already surfacing pre-COVID. In our new Zoom era, anything that gets us away from a screen is nice break!
How do you stand in this increasingly crowded space? What are your key differentiators? In comparison to players like Alpe Audio, Avid, Himalaya, Listenable?
We love that other players are entering the audio learning space. A rising tide lifts all boats!
When it comes to partnering with instructors, we offer a level of service and production support that I’m not sure anyone else does. In a subscription bundle, it’s imperative that we maintain a high bar for quality across every single one of our releases and that there’s a level of consistency so that we can meet (and exceed) the expectations of our members. In success, Knowable won’t just be an “audio learning app”, but a community of like-minded people who are proactively investing in themselves by making learning a fun daily habit.
How do you make your learning actionable? What's the secret sauce?
You hit it on the head in your question! The guiding principle for our creative process is focused on actionability and ROI for the listener. We constantly ask ourselves, “What is the listener taking away from this? How can they actually put these lessons into practice to help them achieve their goals?” Candidly, we’re still figuring out exactly what a Knowable audiocourse should be, but we’re getting closer every day! The relative novelty of the format allows us to try new things. As for our special sauce, it’s our team — our producers have experience as audio storytellers at the best institutions in the world.
Do you envision your app like a wellness app? I.e In France, it's our second lockdown, I've spent six hours today on Zoom, I am exhausted...
In a way, yes. When we first started Knowable, we looked closely at companies like Calm, Headspace, and Blinkist. Each of these is, at its core, an audio-first product. I like to use the term “functional audio” — the psychology is different when seeking self-improvement and knowledge than it is when seeking diversion and entertainment. Many people have used the shorthand “Masterclass for audio” when describing Knowable, but I think “Headspace for learning” is more accurate. Regarding Zoom fatigue, I’m right there with you! Like I mentioned above, any opportunity to not stare at a screen is one I relish.
How do you see your future? In 5? 10 years?
It’s hard enough to see 5-1o weeks into the future! We want to build the best library of educational audio in the world and help people turn independent learning into a habit by making it fun, approachable, and substantial.
💎 Snippets & other curiosities
🔉 Sound is the next frontier for branding. Don’t take my word for it, check Listen’s - A sound & music innovation agency - case studies and explore their trend report on the future of sound.
👀 Kids are sick of Zoom too—so their teachers are getting creative. Read here.
💡 The 10 Most Significant Education studies of 2020. Read here.
🎅 Santa’s brand strategy. View here.
🛒 I kinda like this anatomy augmented reality-tee for kids.
You should check this article out : https://www.bvp.com/atlas/the-state-of-sound-in-2020-and-beyond