Sleep and relaxation podcast podcasts are, fittingly, a quiet part of the medium’s content lineup and they have found an audience. Edison Research says about half of listeners use podcasts to unwind at night before going to bed. In a move that will grow its offerings, iHeartMedia has inked a deal to bring yoga and meditation expert Kathryn Nicolai’s five-year old show Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep to its roster. The show has just surpassed 100 million downloads worldwide.
“As the podcast has grown and reached global audiences, I’m excited to join iHeartPodcasts and leverage their scale and reach to share this exciting, imaginary world with millions of listeners who will benefit from this content,” Nicolai said in a statement.
On Nothing Much Happens, Nicolai takes listeners through relaxing, low stakes stories in the imaginary world of “The Village of Nothing Much.” Each story is told twice and a bit slower the second time, in an effort to lull listeners to sleep with soothing sounds and easy-to-follow story narratives. Episodes center around popular characters and make-believe locations in the “Nothing Much Happens” universe including Marmalade The Cat, Crumb The Dog, The Innkeeper and Weathervane Farm.
“My content is uniquely designed to help folks rest after years of struggle. It can be used to soothe anxiety and teach mindfulness and gratitude,” said Nicolai. “When we are rested, calm and settled, we make better choices. We are kinder as we move through the world and that is no small thing. Sleep affects every part of a person’s health and wellbeing, it’s one of the foundational aspects that can cause a cascade of problems when it's lacking or inconsistent.”
As part of the deal, iHeartPodcasts and Nicolai will also coproduce and distribute new podcast concepts in English as well as other languages. The first project is Stories from The Village of Nothing Much, a new, daytime companion podcast to Nothing Much Happens. Set to launch later this year, the podcast will use immersive 3D sound design to keep listeners engaged and energized as they follow new characters and storylines from the show’s creator. Additionally, the deal will include expanding the Nothing Much Happens universe into different languages to reach even more audiences worldwide.
“Since launching Nothing Much Happens, Kathryn Nicolai has captivated audiences and provided a much-needed respite for those around the world who just want to wind down and get some rest,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “We’re thrilled to welcome this sleep-inducing podcast to our network, leveraging our scale and reach to deliver this relaxing storytelling experience to even more listeners everywhere.”