MEET THE PRODUCER
Katie Baxter: Senior Producer and Sound Designer at Stak
What goes on behind the scenes of a podcast production company? In Issue #021 we learned more about one of the Producers Behind Stak.
Stak is the bold, irreverent podcast company that is serious about creating quality audio. We are the creators of some of the UK’s favourite shows and entertain millions of people across the world. Katie Baxter is a Senior Producer and Sound Designer at Stak. She’s the producer of JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, one of Spotify’s biggest shows and the most successful YouTube to podcast conversions in the UK, as well as Eureka! and UTOPIA Talks. She also works across Stak’s commercial audio.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECT OF YOUR WORK AT STAK?
I love the creative freedom I have and the range of projects I get to be a part of. Whether it’s comedy for JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, crazy sound design for Eureka! or thinking up music focused content for UTOPIA Talks, I feel like at Stak I get to try my hand at a lot of different things. I also really appreciate the amount of trust that’s put in me to deliver a good show.
WHAT WAS IT THAT INITIALLY GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION TO PODCASTING?
I’ve always loved music, so when I went to uni I got really involved with student radio and started producing, presenting and DJing, which really drove my love for audio to the next level and made me want to turn it into a career. I did a few internships in radio and one day in my third year I got an email from Stak inviting me to come and see their studio. I caught a coach down to London from Nottingham just before my final deadline and the rest is history!
WHAT’S A PODCAST YOU’RE LOVING AT THE MOMENT?
The Log Books is an amazing LGBTQ+ history podcast. I also always come back to Song Exploder and I listen to Today in Focus a lot!
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL PODCAST?
That is the golden question! In my experience it’s taking pride in the content you create, being consistent, working well as a team and trying to give whatever you’re making its own unique spin!
Listen to Katie’s work on JaackMaate’s Happy Hour, Eureka! and UTOPIA Talks wherever you get your podcasts.
