CANADIAN PODCASTER DAVID FARQUHAR LEADING REVIVAL OF
MODERN AUDIO/RADIO DRAMAS WITH
MILLION DOWNLOAD MILESTONE
An incredible milestone of one million downloads has been reached by Canadian podcaster David Farquhar and his online audio drama service, “Moonlight Audio Theatre”. Radio drama now called audio drama or audio theatre, is an old art form that is enjoying an unexpected and unprecedented revival thanks to Farquhar and his podcasting channel which went live over a year ago.
“If you think listening to audio dramas isn’t popular, I now have one million reasons to prove that it is,” said Farquhar.
Farquhar started his podcast with just a handful of high quality audio dramas he produced through his own “Voices In The Wind Audio Theatre” production company, using seasoned theatre talent from cultural centres like New York, Toronto, Los Angeles and his local community of Chatham-Kent. “Moonlight Audio Theatre” to date offers 297 audio dramas, including 8 original productions from Farquhar’s “Voices In The Wind Audio Theatre” company as well as from leading audio drama companies from around the world.
“It’s really mind blowing, when you think about it,” said Farquhar. “It’s the audio theatre equivalent of having an album go platinum in the United States!”
A full range of genres is offered through the “Moonlight Audio Theatre” podcast, including mystery, suspense, horror, comedy, fantasy, science fiction, thrillers, Halloween, Christmas, special features and old time radio shows.
The “Moonlight Audio Theatre” podcast attracts listeners from around the world, some 130 countries to be exact. The heaviest concentration of downloads is happening in California, Texas and New York, where research suggests motorists are downloading the full length audio dramas for entertainment during long commutes to and from work.
The introduction of a smartphone app for Blackberry put downloads into overdrive, and now, with additional applications for Android smartphones and Windows 8 smartphones, they are introducing an art form to a whole new generation.
Analysis of the downloads has surprisingly revealed that audio dramas are extremely popular with University students and kids as young as 13.
“We achieved this with no promotion,” said Farquhar. “No Facebook. No Twitter. No advertising. All we did was establish the web site and create the apps for the smartphones. It just shows how much demand there is for audio dramas today”.
The audio dramas can be downloaded completely free of charge through iTunes, or through the “Moonlight Audio Theatre” website which can be accessed at www.moonlightaudiotheatre.ca
With “Moonlight Audio Theatre” now established as a leading free audio drama podcast service, Farquhar expects demand for the dramas will only accelerate. “The smartphone apps really made the difference”, said Farquhar. “We will continue to add new shows to the service every week, and now that people can download the shows on their smartphones they can listen in their cars, and while they wait in airports and bus terminals. In fact they can now experience this theatre of the mind, anywhere at anytime 24/7/365. That’s why this is really just the beginning of much bigger things to come for an art form that is going through a true digital renaissance”.
About “Moonlight Audio Theatre”
“Moonlight Audio Theatre” is a leading independent podcasting company established and based in Chatham-Kent Ontario, and is an extension of the “Voices In The Wind Audio Theatre” production company. Both were created by Canadian audio drama producer David Farquhar who has established a track record of quality through an association with leading theatrical and voice talent from Canada and the United States.
For more information and samples of the audio theatre productions, visit our web sites at http://www.voicesinthewind.ca and https://www.moonlightaudiotheatre.ca
