Acast Launches Staycast Campaign To Encourage People To Stay At Home

Acast — the world’s biggest podcast company — has launched “Staycast”, a new campaign encouraging people everywhere to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, offering podcast-based inspiration and entertainment from a wide range of popular podcasters.

Listeners will hear messages of support (or “Staycasts”) across thousands of the network’s shows from some of Acast’s top podcasters — including Watch What Crappens, Irish History Podcast and Hollywood Crime Scene — as they remind people of local government advice around staying at home and isolating, as well as giving recommendations of other podcasts to listen to while they do so.

Accompanying this will be a social media campaign, where “Staycasts” — Instagram Lives, IGTVs and Stories takeovers — will include Q&As with podcasters, live classes or tutorials, listening parties, live episodes and more. Dedicated Staycast collections on the Acast app will also provide listeners with recommendations for shows and episodes to relax, escape, or keep up to date on the latest coronavirus developments.

Trials on Acast’s Open platform — which helps anyone and everyone set up a podcast for free — are booming, increasing by nearly half (+49%) in March versus February. And Acast will be encouraging even more people to get podcasting at home with a dedicated Staycast promotion, offering three months’ free access to any of its paid tiers.

Despite changes in people’s behaviour in isolation, the Acast network has experienced stronger-than-usual growth in listens, with an all-time high globally. The past three weekends have been record-breakers for the Acast network globally — with weekend listens up +13.5% overall.

In Europe, where the majority of countries are operating isolation and social distancing measures, the growth in listens has been led by the Comedy (+41%) and Science and Medicine (+13.4%) categories  —  with people clearly still want a good laugh in challenging times, and seeking out a more scientifically robust take on the current situation.

Acast’s VP of brand Lizzy Pollott said: “Podcasts — whether listening to or making them — have always been a perfect source of distraction, entertainment or information. Now, during isolation times, we’re seeing listens across our network grow stronger than ever — and we’re seeing some great new shows and spin-offs being born, too.

“We work with all the top podcasting talent in the country and around the world, and are so proud to be able to bring some of the most recognisable voices in the UK together to support the Government’s advice, while offering even more great entertainment and resources to those at home.”

Follow @acastforthestories on Instagram / @acast on Twitter for announcements around planned Staycasts each week.