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

Recent findings reveal that India's smaller towns are driving a remarkable shift in audio social media engagement, with over 90% of user interactions on avatar-based platforms originating from outside major metropolitan areas. A report by audio social discovery platform FRND highlights that nearly all recent growth on these platforms is emerging from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, indicating a significant transformation in online user behavior. The analysis, which examined anonymized data from approximately 6.9 million users across the country, identified Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai as the cities with the most active user bases. Interestingly, users in Andhra Pradesh were found to engage in the longest audio conversations recorded on the platform. Additionally, a staggering 95% of new user sign-ups came from non-metro regions, showcasing a pronounced trend toward participation beyond urban centers. The report also pointed out that around 79% of these new users are accessing the platform using mid-range and entry-level smartphones. This growth trend underscores the increasing popularity of audio interactions among users in more conservative social environments, where the platform's pseudo-anonymous feature offers a desirable level of privacy. “India’s digital engagement patterns are changing significantly, as younger users opt for direct and safe conversations rather than passive content consumption,” stated Bhanu Pratap Singh Tanwar, Co-founder & CEO of Interact Group. “This transformation is predominantly driven by robust growth from smaller towns rather than the metropolitan hubs.” Moreover, the report highlighted a behavioral shift towards audio-led platforms, which provide a more intimate and private means of communication. In total, the platform recorded an impressive 285 million conversations in 2025, amounting to 418 million minutes of audio interactions. Notably, the longest call on record lasted about 20.3 hours. The trend of virtual gifting also saw considerable engagement, with nearly 974 million virtual gifts exchanged, particularly 'Rose' and 'Chai' being the favorites among users. The data points to a clear move from passive feed consumption to more interactive formats, with weekend engagement showing notable increases. For instance, Saturday video calls surged by an average of 8%, and Diwali achieved the highest single-day activity with over 404,000 video conversations.