Playback’s Podcast Report continues with a look at Audible, the audiobook and podcast service, and its growing Canadian content strategy. Click here to read parts one, two and three of the series.

It has been less than a year since Audible unveiled its slate of Canadian originals, connecting audiences with Canadian stories – and providing another avenue for domestic producers to extend their IP.

Georgia Knox, VP, Canada country manager, tells Playback Daily the Canadian originals have exceeded Audible’s expectations, with the Colm Feore-hosted true crime series True North Heists, produced by Pacific Content, among its top 10 podcast downloads.

The podcast, which offers a deep dive into some of Canada’s most infamous thefts, reflects not only the continued demand for true crime content, according to Knox, but the audience thirst to hear more about Canadian stories.

It’s a trend that goes beyond Audible. A report from Edison Research and Triton Digital reported that 48% of Canadian listeners aged 18 or over download Canadian-produced podcasts. Roughly 39% said they were listeners of podcasts from public broadcasters such as CBC and NPR. On average, the report says approximately seven in 10 Canadians listen to a podcast at least once a month.

One of its most recent original releases is The Awesome Project, hosted by Louisa Jewell and produced by Breakthrough Entertainment, which uses the science of well-being to explore how to gain self-confidence. Knox says the project has been released at an ideal time as audiences navigate how to move forward in their personal lives from the pandemic. “It’s been a really interesting time to be producing and releasing content,” she says.

From a practical standpoint, the company has continued its momentum in Canada during the pandemic, connecting with producers remotely and sending recording kits to talent. Knox says they’re still actively seeking new ideas from Canadian producers to pitch.

The content strategy has remained the same since its originals launched in fall 2020, according to Knox, with a focus on telling a wide breadth of Canadian stories and perspectives. That includes opportunities for existing IP extensions, such as The Secret Diaries of Detective Murdoch, the Shaftesbury-produced 10-part podcast based on its long-running hit Murdoch Mysteries.

When it comes to completely original content, a lot of careful consideration goes into finding the right voice to tell the stories, says Knox. In the case of True North Heists, Feore was a perfect fit as a recognizable Canadian figure, but that strategy shifts with the needs of each title.

Seven Truths (Antica Productions), another top-performing Audible original, is hosted by Anishinaabe author and journalist Tanya Talaga and explores the Anishinaabe’s Seven Grandfather Teachings. “It’s such a meaningful, impactful title and it came out at such an important time across the country,” says Knox, adding that Audible has witnessed a heavy amount of audience engagement when it comes to content by and about First Nations people.

“We’re always finding a balance between, ‘what are the voices of the stories that need to be heard and what is the best voice to deliver them?’,” says Knox.

The company launched the Indigenous Writers Circle this summer as part of its effort to support and develop Canadian talent. The program is a six-month mentorship and workshop created for emerging First Nations, Inuit and Métis writers based in Canada. Talaga is one of the mentors attached to the program, alongside Tłı̨chǫ Dene writer Richard Van Camp, Anishinaabe and Mohawk writer and producer Kim Wheeler, Métis writer and educator Chelsea Vowel and Inuk writer and professor Dr. Norma Dunning.

The company is also looking to expand its reach within the French-language market. Earlier this year Audible produced and released Le Guide pratique des saveurs canadiennes, hosted by Quebec TV personality Valérie Roberts. The series is a French-language adaptation of its original Field Guide to Eating in Canadai (Antica Productions), hosted by food writer Meredith Erickson.

Knox says the company is still in the early stage of its French-language content strategy, but is looking at recognizable Quebec-based talent to bring in new listeners.

Looking ahead, the company will continue to observe how audiences are responding to content to navigate how to evolve their slate. “We’re quite lucky that we’re able to use the insights that we have, being so close to our customer as a distributor to help fuel the type of content that we create for them as a producer.”

That insight is especially useful for its fiction content, building on its long history as a distributor of audiobooks to tap into how to expand its slate from the more traditional documentary-style podcast. “We have some exciting content coming up that really plays in that space,” says Knox.