Pocket FM, a popular audio platform based in India, offers over 200,000 hours of content. However, according to its CEO, Rohan Nayak, the platform is still exploring ways to broaden its catalog by creating more original material and covering a wider range of genres and sub-genres. To achieve this, the company is embracing AI tools to enhance its production efficiency, improve storytelling strategies, and adapt content for different regions.
Pocket FM has partnered with ElevenLabs to convert written stories into audio series. This collaboration has enabled the platform to produce content five times faster while reducing costs by 30 times compared to traditional methods. The platform has also tested AI-driven adaptations in various markets, yielding promising results. Although some refinements are still needed, Nayak believes the technology is advanced enough to support large-scale show production.
One key AI tool Pocket FM is developing focuses on adapting stories for different regions. Instead of merely translating content, the company’s in-house models account for cultural nuances, making the stories resonate with local audiences. However, managing AI hallucinations and maintaining consistency in long-running series—sometimes spanning hundreds of episodes—remains a challenge. To address this, the company has built models that map relationships between story elements, ensuring characters and narratives remain consistent.
Pocket FM is also testing an AI-powered creative assistant designed to support writers. This tool offers alternative storylines, plot ideas, and insights based on historical platform data to help writers create content that resonates with audiences. The goal is to provide solo writers with the collaborative benefits of a writer’s room while preserving their creative control. Nayak emphasized that the assistant aims to inspire creativity without undermining the writer’s autonomy.
To scale its library and produce hit shows, Pocket FM is investing in a "blockbuster engine." This tool analyzes platform data to identify trends and predict which shows are likely to become successful. While the company already produces content in-house and through its network of writers, it recognizes that creating blockbuster hits is essential for growth and popularity.
Despite its success with AI-driven production, Pocket FM faces the challenge of balancing speed with quality. Rapid content generation through AI risks flooding the platform with mediocre material, making it difficult for algorithms to spotlight exceptional shows. Writers and industry experts, like Puneet Sharma, caution that while AI tools can help generate ideas, over-reliance on them may hinder the creative learning process that comes from trial and error.
Pocket FM currently hosts more than 40,000 audio series, supported by AI voice generation, and has generated $3 million in revenue from this content. In the 2024 financial year, the platform reported overall revenues of $127 million. Backed by $197 million in funding from investors like Lightspeed Ventures, Tencent, and Times Internet, Pocket FM competes with major players such as Audible, Pratilipi, and Kuku FM.
The platform’s continued growth depends on striking the right balance between AI-assisted efficiency and maintaining high-quality creative output, ensuring it remains a leader in the audio content space.
