Non metro cities now drive over 90% of engagement on audio social platforms

Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities drive over 90% of engagement on audio social platforms in India, says report

India's smaller towns are now at the centre of audio-led social media growth, with over 90 percent of engagement on avatar-based audio social platforms coming from outside Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, according to a report released by audio social discovery platform FRND

The study which analysed anonymised data from 6.9 million users across India shows non-metro regions accounted for nearly all recent growth on the platform, signalling a broader shift in how users are engaging online.

Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai topped the list for the most active user bases. However, in terms of call duration, users in Andhra Pradesh engaged in the longest conversations

Remote and smaller towns dominated user sign-ups during the year, with nearly 95 percent of new users joining the platform from outside metro regions. The report also notes that around 79 percent of new users accessed the platform through mid-range and entry-level smartphones

Anantnag, and Jamnagar, the volume of active users remains high in southern tech hubs. Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai topped the list for the most active user bases. However, in terms of call duration, users in Andhra Pradesh engaged in the longest conversations.

The platform attributes the high engagement of users in smaller towns to its pseudo-anonymous nature that offers a layer of privacy often requested by users in conservative social environments.

“India's digital engagement patterns are undergoing a meaningful shift, with young users increasingly choosing direct, safe and intentional conversations over passive content consumption,” said Bhanu Pratap Singh Tanwar, Co-founder & CEO, Interact Group. “This change is being led not by metropolitan cities, but by strong and sustained growth from Tier 2-4 towns.”

Beyond geography, the report underlines a behavioural shift away from highly curated social feeds. Audio-led platforms, which rely on voice conversations and limited visual cues, appear to be attracting users seeking more direct and private interactions.

Overall, the platform recorded over 285 million conversations in 2025, totaling 418 million minutes. The longest single call recorded on the platform lasted approximately 20.3 hours (1,247 minutes).

Rose and chai became the most popular virtual gift:

Virtual gifting also saw significant traction, a key monetization metric for social platforms. A total of 974 million virtual gifts were exchanged during the year, with 'Rose' and 'Chai' being the most popular items.

The data suggests a move away from passive feed consumption toward interactive formats. Weekend engagement saw distinct spikes, with Saturday video calls rising by 8% on average. Diwali recorded the highest single-day activity with 4.04 lakh video conversations.

Source: LiveMint
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