As a podcast enthusiast, attending UniPodFest at Birmingham City University and immersing myself in the world of storytelling was a particularly enjoyable experience and one that will continue to inspire me throughout my journalistic career.

The UniPodFest first took place at Birmingham City University in 2023 after founder of Soundtruism Productions Nina Robinson thought there needed to be more inspiration around the podcasting community in the West Midlands and that’s how the idea was born.

UniPodFest has lived up to its name by emphasising the university community, at the event, attendees included students not only from Birmingham City University but universities and colleges from around the West Midlands which created a dynamic range of perspectives for students who might want to take a leap into podcasting in the future.

This year included panels and workshops from audio professionals such as BBC radio presenter Adrian Goldberg and Jon Gill, podcast lead producer for Goalhanger Podcasts, alongside Sal Ahmad, executive producer of the Zero Ducks Given Podcast. On the day, I was volunteering at the podcast festival as head of desk registration but when I got the chance, I popped into watch this discussion and particularly enjoyed it as the panel delved into the future of sports podcasting, whether there is a market for it anymore and the importance of women in football.

Other workshops included, a pod-trepeneurs panel with Journalist and Good Morning Britain Presenter Marverine Cole as the chair, alongside guests, Emma Conway, Taylor James and Julie Anna Needham.

At the end of the event, a touching tribute was held by Dr Martin Glynn, lecturer at Birmingham City University to Handsworth-based poet, activist, and spoken word artist Benjamin Zephaniah who sadly passed away in December 2023. Truth be told, I did not know a lot about him before the podcast festival but after reading up on him and reading his poetry I was inspired by how he opened the door for other poets of colour to follow in his footsteps.

Benjamin Zephaniah – Photograph: David Morris Creative Commons

Before attending UniPodFest I had always had an interest in podcasting, as audio is my favourite medium to work with. On a daily basis I listen to a variety of podcasts but mainly ones that focus on people’s lives, as a journalist I love to find out what makes someone ‘them’. As a podcast listener, my preference is to actually watch a podcast on social media such as YouTube rather than listen as I like to gauge people’s reactions.

After the event, I felt I learnt a lot about the diversity of the podcasting industry and how we can use the platform to create a bigger voice for those who feel underrepresented. Hearing from professionals who have been in the industry a long time was compelling and I was inspired to continue with future projects.

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Sheffield’s brand new podcast festival, Crossed Wires, has had an excellent inaugural outing. Sheffield’s strong track record with events like DocFest, the Children’s Media Conference, and Tramlines made me hopeful for a weekend that combined great shows, industry conversations, and a laid-back vibe… and that’s exactly what I got. I look forward to its growth in the coming years.

Disclaimer, I’m a frequent podcast guest and radio interviewee when someone needs a period education expert (which is not never!). I’m also an avid podcast listener, with my particular tastes leaning toward the nerdy and topical (current faves: Lateral with Tom Scott, The Allusionist with Helen Austwick-Zaltman and No Such Thing as a Fish with the QI team, and, due to my Brooklyn beginnings, I’m a long-time fan of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!)

I was initially unsure whether my adopted hometown had space for another festival in general or could draw audiences for podcasts specifically. Like many locals, I studied here and loved it so much I stayed, and we are fiercely loyal. Was this truly a homegrown festival? I agreed to come along, attend a few shows and give it a review for Pod Bible. An offer to pay my train fare up to Sheffield was slightly alarming – even the PR team thought I was from The South and needed remuneration to convince me to visit The North. I reassured them that I was so local I would be cycling over, but wouldn’t say no to an invite to the launch party.

Festival posters in the Bethel Chapel space – Photograph: Chella Quint

The opening speeches at the brand new city centre food hall, the Cambridge Street Collective, quickly allayed my fears. It turned out I actually knew several members of the wider team. I recognised some former BBC Sheffield broadcasters and bumped into the Lord Mayor, the Chief Exec of the council, and the South Yorkshire Mayor. Turns out the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (SYMCA) and Sheffield City Council have both pledged three years of funding to help the festival get off the ground. I headed to my first show.

Off Air with Jane and Fi at the Crucible Theatre attracted an audience of primarily older women (although Jane and Fi praised the mum who’d brought her daughter and thanked the husband who’d been brought along by his wife for his patience) and included attendees who’d travelled from as far as Wales and South Africa. Jane and Fi’s relaxed performance, with lights up in the room, felt intimate and welcoming. They answered audience questions, chatted, and discussed their transition from the BBC to Times Radio with refreshing honesty, touching on the challenges of accepting advertising but standing firm against gambling and credit ads. The chance to hear these familiar voices in a more candid setting would become a consistent theme of the festival.

Off Air with Jane and Fi at the Crucible Theatre – Photograph: Chella Quint

I headed back to the opening night party which featured outstanding local choir Neighbourhood Voices and a guest DJ set by local legend Self Esteem. (Serious props to Rebecca Lucy Taylor, who consistently lent her time and talents to the festival all weekend long, starting with the opening party and concluding with her session on Sunday with Adam Buxton.)

The next afternoon, I went along to Talk Art at Sheffield City Hall. Held in the smaller basement ballroom, Talk Art featured an engaging interview with local-artist-gone-London Corbin Shaw. Hosts Russell Tovey and Robert Diament asked the questions, and despite not being familiar with the podcast, I found their approach enjoyable and informative. Shaw’s work, which explores themes of toxic masculinity in football fandom and his sense of place and family, was super resonant. I left with a newfound appreciation for his art and the podcast itself. I even got to meet Russell Tovey, whose television work I’ve always loved.

Talk Art with hosts Robert Diament and Russell Tovey plus guest Corbin Shaw – Photograph: Chella Quint

After a brief visit to Kelham Pride, I came back to the city centre to catch Brown Girls Do It Too at the newly renovated Bethel Chapel (all the fringe events were held in a pop-up black box theatre space here). Hosts Poppy Jay and Rubina Pabani captivated the full house with their humour and astute advice about sex and relationships. Their ability to blend serious topics with knowing observational nods to their families’ reactions to talking about (or catching them at) various intimate encounters was appreciated by the most diverse audience I’d seen yet. Their show concluded – as some of their previous live appearances have – with a sharp and triumphant musical number addressing the exoticisation of Asian women, earning them a standing ovation. The atmosphere was electric, and the energy was infectious.

Brown Girls Do It Too – on stage & surrounded by fans – Photograph: Chella Quint

The next day I headed over to The Naked Podcast, another free fringe show in Bethel Chapel, a former homegrown BBC Radio Sheffield production which came back for one night only as an independent outing. For a Naked Podcast, it was all very chaste. Starting in glamorous dressing gowns and then posing coyly in front of some strategically placed foliage, hosts Kat Harbourne and Jenny Elles interviewed Doncaster-born, Burmese-British actress, model and reality TV star Chrissie Wunna in a playful yet empowering session. Their usual openness and Wunna’s frank stories took everyone from giggles to guffaws. The session ended on a particularly heartwarming note, with a shout-out to former Naked Podcast guests in the audience – and a special thanks and birthday singalong to disability activist, former broadcaster (and, full disclosure, good friend of mine) Sam Cleasby. The warmth in the room was real and not just because of the lights keeping the ferns from wilting and revealing and the audience had a lot of affection for this show. I hope it will come back in another incarnation again one day soon.

Kat and Jenny of the Naked Podcast, clothed then hidden by ferns and foliage – Photograph: Chella Quint

Most of the audience went straight from there to The Adam Buxton Podcast at a sold-out Sheffield City Hall. I am on the periphery of Adam and Joe fandom, I caught them on Channel 4 on a visit to the UK as a teen and didn’t quite know what I was watching, but enjoyed it. Although I’m not a regular listener to his podcast, every time I do hear it or see something he’s done I enjoy it, and I’ll be adding it into my rotation. I wasn’t surprised it was sold out: a combination of him and Self Esteem (Rebecca Lucy Taylor) who’s also a fan, were a huge crowd draw, and it was an absolutely amazing show. Wild juxtapositions abounded. After some Buxton-style scathing silliness with AI and a quality interview with Self Esteem, the show ended with her singing a heart-wrenching acapella arrangement of I Do This All The Time with her backup singers… leaving much of the audience of us ‘good sturdy girls’ openly crying… followed immediately by all four women on stage doing a conga line into the wings with not even a wave to the audience, and Adam Buxton shouting goodbye and thanks, and playing a looped video outro sequence where a screenful of cartoon likenesses repeatedly dive into his bottom and are regurgitated to some wacky music. It was all perplexingly wonderful. We were all invited back to Bethel Chapel for a breather.

Adam Buxton on stage and Self Esteem and her singers – Photograph: Ellie Eagle-Skinner

The final show, Katherine Ryan Telling Everybody Everything back at the City Hall, began with her short comedy set followed by an ‘in conversation’ with author and broadcaster Emily Dean. I did actually ask for a plus one for this one to get the full experience of being able to share Katherine Ryan’s ‘can’t unhear that’ moments with a friend, but although we had an extra chuckle over Emily Dean’s obsession with Henry VIII, really the whole room felt like one big hangout, complete with Katherine Ryan herself reminding folks when to get the last train home (even though the show was going longer), and Emily Dean’s adorable dog Raymond roaming the stage (apparently Sheffielders left a good impression on Emily Dean – we are more dog-friendly than Londoners).

Katherine Ryan and Emily Dean (and her dog) thanking the audience – Photograph: Chella Quint

And then, for those who didn’t have to worry about the last train, the festival ended. The verdict? Sceptical at first, but completely won over. Crossed Wires had Big DocFest Energy for me, and that is an excellent thing. The three-year commitment from both the council and SYMCA means there’s a plan for the future. The curation ticked a lot of boxes for me, and clearly even more for everyone else – there were a bunch of sold-out events in both the paid and fringe programmes.

My only critique would be the costs of the paid shows. My experience of having comps for the shows I wanted was unique, and I might not have spent that cash otherwise, but the ‘feel’ of being welcome everywhere was too good not to share with other festival goers in future. I hope next year it’s possible to offer a festival pass, allowing access to all shows for one price (perhaps supplemented by external sales to big draws). Actually, here is my full wishlist as the festival grows: more indie and emerging podcasts, offering an even bigger platform for local voices, improving access by including live captions, and programming in more themed strands, such as my own nerdy faves, plus other popular categories like true crime and politics.

My weekend was filled with laughter, learning, and a strong sense of community, leaving me eager for next year’s event. The festival’s organisation, venues, and overall execution were commendable, and the staff were attentive and ensured accessibility throughout. It has the potential to become a staple in both the podcasting calendar and the Sheffield festival diary. Roll on, Crossed Wires 2025!

Were you at Crossed Wires Festival 2024? What did you enjoy? What would you like to see more of? Let us know in the comments or on social media!

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The podcast waters have been especially choppy in the past couple of months. A few of the bigger ships have cut their crews in half, others appear to be sinking. But, I think bigger waves are on their way. As a freelancer, my only option is to innovate, upskill, and try to catch a tube ride. To that end, this Revelation is a reflection on all of the columns I’ve written this year and how they might help us stay afloat.

In my very first column, I advocated for a one-year moratorium on the production of true crime podcasts. I felt the genre had morphed into something slightly grotesque – trauma porn. But the genre is lucrative and companies are never going to stop making true crime shows, so for the industry to survive ethically it felt like time for a pause. A chance for storytellers to find fresh angles and narratives. I see hope in shows like Short Cuts ‘Small Victories: The Gouging’ in which a thoroughly hilarious investigation is conducted into an unforgivable crime, Please Protect Abraham which explores the flaws in Britain’s witness protection system, and I Am Not Nicholas which investigates whether a convicted sex offender had faked his own death and moved to Glasgow. Could these true crime shows attract the same budget as the more violent stories, and save podcasting? Not on their own, but it might be a step towards repairing the industry.

My second column highlighted the growing number of celebrity-fronted podcasts. Whilst some talent choices make sense, spending half the budget on a celeb host purely in the hopes that their existing following will flock to the podcast does not. Often this celeb-first-approach results in a show where the host is going to ‘talk about anything and everything with my celeb friends’ – a format that is not only lazy but also boring. The budget might be better spent on funding more development time or paying the production team better wages, resulting in more nuanced narratives and innovative formats that elevate the medium…and in turn attract more advertisers. Love + Radio and Have You George’s Podcast being perfect examples of genre-bending, innovative podcasts that are pushing and evolving the medium.

We’ve lamented this creative stagnation, but alas we were recently hit with some bad news that I fear will only send us further down this path. A few of the creative avant-garde podcasts, such as Invisibilia, have recently been axed despite their acclaim and dedicated fan base. Production company Somethin’ Else recently handed back a few BBC contracts ‘amid concerns of diminishing commercial returns’ and quietly cancelled the podcast High Low with EmRata as Sony laid off podcast staff for a third time in two years. Following the news of cuts and layoffs at WNYC, the CEO of New York Radio pointed to Edison Research’s statistics showing that AM/FM radio’s reach is three times greater than that of podcasts, and so they will be focusing less on podcasts.

That doesn’t mean that podcasts are dead. They can still be wildly successful, but I wonder if these future successes will come from independent creators. Creators who are unencumbered by bureaucracy and company politics, who have full control over creative decisions, ownership over their IP, and a genuine connection with their audience. (Just typing that sentence brought me a flutter of excitement.)

To reiterate, podcasts are here to stay. Many times they were just used incorrectly, rinsed for profit (we’ve seen it happen in many industries), and often the people in charge of making the big decisions have never made a podcast or built an audience. So, I am trying to view this period of time as a difficult rebirth of the medium. An opportunity to make something different.

This creator autonomy and financial independence might be achieved through subscription platforms like Substack and Patreon – a concept I examined in my most recent column. The essence of podcasting lies in the connection between creators and listeners. When creators are empowered, it leads to more authentic and engaging content. Which is why I’m particularly interested in Patreon’s app overhaul. Patreon provides creators with tools to build a dedicated following and cultivate stronger bonds with their audience with features like direct messaging, exclusive content, and live chats. And of course there’s the added benefit of not having to worry about your show being axed out of the blue. In combination with other sources of financial support, a show could be more stable independently. A great example is Drunk Women Solving Crime, which is now being adapted for television!

I’ve been using this column to try and reveal the shows worth listening to and if you (like most listeners) engage in podcasts mostly through listening platforms, you might think that the shows that are featured in your favourite app are the best shows. Some of them are, some of them just had a good PR strategy and a big marketing budget. But hopefully I’ve shown that the best podcasts aren’t necessarily at the top of the charts, they aren’t always fronted by a celeb, and they may not have been produced by a podcast company. Sometimes, the best podcasts are the ones that are a little bit wild and a little bit accidental.

Of course, as creators, there are many benefits to building your show with a company – their network and existing relationships, a team of talented creatives to create with, access to a knowledge/skill pool far greater than your own, a legal team etc. But the truth is, there’s a lot of guesswork and experimentation behind company doors too. I’ve seen companies publicly dissect what an independent creator is doing well and retrospectively apply a strategy, but in reality there wasn’t a 45-point plan behind that creator’s success. They were small and independent and they tried something and it resonated with other people who came back for more, take Madeline Argy for example.

So, paddling out into the podcasting waters alone might seem terrifying and it might be harder and take longer to get out there but you might end up being more successful than you ever expected.

Useful Links:

In my second column, I called for the new age of audio to begin. Something that inspires me is looking outside of the podcasting industry. Recently, I was blown away by Los Santos +3°C – an experience that turned a server of GTA Online into a climate change simulator. I’ve also referenced VICE’s The Unfiltered History Tour in a previous column but it’s too good not to mention again.

I also wrote a column about audio and incorporating video into projects. I personally can feel a little bombarded with everyone using video in a similar way but projects like this one about the true story of Pocahontas inspire me to think outside the box.  [Ed. for more on that project, check out this episode of Stuff The British Stole]

Meera’s Recommendations:

Short Cuts – Series 33 – Small Victories

The Gouging sees a true crime being investigated – an academic conducts a study into missing forks and three friends search for the right note. The Gouging is Produced by Steven Jackson, Original music by Steven Jackson and Cue Shop, a music library and scoring co-op.

Please Protect Abraham

In Hackney, 2007, 15-year-old Abraham saves a stranger from a brutal attack. That split-second decision and act of astonishing bravery changes his life forever. Journalist Sam Holder has been following Abraham’s story for years. Together with Abraham’s friends and family, they retrace how this young boy finds himself in fear of his own life. Listen here >>

Invisibila

Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently. In their final episode, Invisibilia searches for the right way to say goodbye. Listen here >>

Love + Radio

Nick van der Kolk’s Love and Radio features in-depth, otherworldly-produced interviews with an eclectic range of subjects, from the seedy to the sublime. Get inside the mind of a rogue taxidermist. Listen here >>

Have You Heard George’s Podcast

In Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, spoken word artist George The Poet joins producer and composer Benbrick to create this narrative-style podcast where the narrator, George, delves into different themes and topics. Find out the best way to start listening here >>

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The Podcast Show 2023 took place at The Business Design Centre, London from the 24th to 25th of May. This was my first Podcast Show and I managed to attend the last day coming down from the Midlands. When you walk into the venue, you’re greeted with a massive purple wall with the names, locations and time of panels and talks. Even though there was a handy app to help you plan your day, this wall did help as I have to admit I did feel overwhelmed with the choices, almost cautious that if you blinked you missed everything.

Nevertheless the app and wall were both a great opportunity to feed your curiosity, as well as filter out and focus on your aims. In between talks I visited some stalls and had some really insightful conversations with independent companies about their goals for the audio industry – each sharing their unique perspective for content. I loved hearing about Whistledown Productions and their process of making a documentary and making my way to Curly Media to discuss their reality TV approach to podcast production. Lastly, I finally met the Pod Bible team in person and attended their “Creating A Community” panel led by Francesca Turauskis. This panel highlighted the importance of collaboration and listening to your audience – Tom Dark (Monkey Tennis – The Alan Partridge Podcast) mentioned getting a Whatsapp number so the audience could send in voicenotes as an example of this.

The “Interviewing The Interviewer” panel on The Rise Up Stage was actually the first talk attended. Hosted by Sali Huges from the Guardian and the panel were Oloni (Laid Bare), Chian Reynolds (from YouTube podcast Grilling) and Char Ellesse (Founder & Director of Girls Will Be Boys). The main aim was to have a conversation regarding the interviewing process – all the way from the research, to the interview and post production. Members of the panel were adamant to point out their platforms were about championing marginalised voices – Char said on her podcast Say It With Your Chest her main concern is not necessarily about the biggest names, “It’s less about profile and more about who’s got something to say.” Oloni agrees that the profile of a guest is not important on Laid Bare. “What I truly wanted was someone who has a story to tell, I don’t care about visibility.”

These approaches can truly be admired considering the current state of the audio industry. Though at surface level it is truly a joy to see numerous independent companies push to welcome something different. And there is a plethora of freelancers connecting and showing a genuine curiosity regarding audio. However we cannot ignore the evidence showing how the diverse output is not matching the numbers.

Takudzwa Mudiwa – the writer – at the Podcast Show

At a session called “UKAN State of the Audio Industry 2023 – Time to give up on DE&I”, Content is Queen Founder Imriel Morgan launched an Open Letter calling on the audio industry to “Say Less Do More” before Head of UKAN (UK Audio Network), Laura Blake, announced findings of the UKAN State Of The Audio Industry Survey 2023, which included the average salaries of people working in audio. The conclusion was “If you are not white and not a man, you are earning less than you were in 2020.”

This is an even more disappointing finding if you note the promises that numerous companies made during the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd – to put diversity at the forefront of their decision making. As Content is Queen is no longer able to do the International Women’s Podcast Festival due to a lack of funding and support – you have to ask yourself where is the action? The Podcast Show showed the range of women hosting, producing and editing, so the issue is not a lack of talent. So as we reflect on these exciting two days and celebrate the moving and shaking of the podcast industry it will be redundant to not acknowledge its shortcomings – to echo Content Is Queen “Let’s value these voices for what they indeed are – not just diverse but essential contributors to the richness and growth of our shared audio landscape.”

Were you at The Podcast Show 2023? What did you enjoy? What would you like to see more of? Let us know in the comments!

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Festival organiser Nina Robinson sent us over a few words on her own Festival experience:

“I’m genuinely overwhelmed at the response to the Podcast Festival, so many people who I don’t know have been emailing and contacting me to say how useful they found the day and that it was really valuable and inspiring. For me there were so many highlights, you can watch the opener recorded by Hamza Syed of the Trojan Horse Affair Podcast here and the keynote speech by Sangeeta Pillai here.

Hamza Syed from the Serial Productions show The Trojan Horse Affair phoned in from New York

The decolonising podcasting conversation was a real eye-opener and I think it’s a conversation that is ground-breaking and important as the panellists gathered, brought their own unique and immensely insightful observations about what is going on in terms of power structures and dynamics which fit the same old colonial models designed to keep large sections of people OUT. Marcus Ryder MBE, Jade Benn from Stormzy’s Merky Books and Shelina Janmohamed whose news & current affairs podcast The Shelina Show on GlobalPlayer is brilliant.

Thanks to all those who took part – special mention to workshop leads Lisa Hack, Roifield Brown and Ninna Makrinov and the crew – the video team, Dylan Hayward, the PodFest ambassadors and our brilliant audio wizard who ensured everything ran super smooth, Pete Crowther. Hopefully see you all next year!”

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Today we’re learning more about Alex Jungius, Director of  This Is Distorted, a multi-award winning content agency with audio at its heart. The company has a real focus on the power of audio to emotionally connect people, but it’s also forward looking and embracing the developments in podcasting, new technologies and video options for the audience.

We asked Alex to tell us more about his love of podcasting and where he thinks the future of podcasting will take us…

Tell us a bit about who you and your role at This Is Distorted!

For the past 25 years, I’ve been immersed in the world of audio and radio, working in everything from hospital radio to commercial radio, and now in the realm of podcasts and on-demand audio. I started out focusing on imaging and sound design before transitioning to show production, executive producing radio programs, and eventually overseeing entire radio stations.

In 2015, I took a leap of faith and left mainstream radio to launch Distorted, which at the time was still a relatively new venture in the burgeoning world of podcasts. However, that risk has paid off, as it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. At Distorted, my primary responsibility is to expand our speech-based offerings, working with companies, brands, and individuals on their audio projects.
Nowadays, we refer to ourselves as an audio agency, as we’ve evolved beyond being a production house. We aim to solve our clients’ problems by utilizing audio as a solution, and we’ve expanded our services to encompass everything on the periphery of an audio project, including video, social media, marketing, and more. The audio landscape is constantly evolving, and it’s a thrilling time to be a part of this industry.

This Is Distorted podcast studio is based in the North of England, at the centre of Leeds

Why podcasts? What is it you love about the medium?

Having spent many years working in the highly structured and regulated world of radio, the freedom and flexibility of podcasts have been a breath of fresh air for me. I’m fascinated by the fact that there are no set rules or conventions to follow, and that the medium provides an almost limitless canvas for creativity. This has led to an explosion of diverse styles, approaches, and voices entering the audio space, many of whom may never have considered working in audio if not for the world of podcasts.

Despite the fact that podcasts have been around for some time now, I believe we’re still in the early stages of the medium’s evolution. Looking back, we will likely view this as a period of growth and experimentation, and the landscape of podcasting will undoubtedly be very different in the years to come as the industry continues to mature and establish itself as a significant player in people’s content consumption habits.

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

Apart from dabbling with creating podcast content for the radio stations I was working at, the first main podcast I listened to as an avid fan was the The Ricky Gervais Show. It felt so different to what you’d hear on air and like a new format had been born.

You recently were part of the team behind Synthetic Stories, the first AI created podcast – where did that idea come from?

The idea came from a conversation over lunch in our office. We’d been chatting about how AI could influence our industry and I suggested how easy it would be to piece together an AI podcast series. From there, the idea snowballed into a quick project that the whole team got behind and within 24 hours the project was live and in people’s ears.

While it was easy to put together and a lot of fun, the resulting product was still worlds away from what humans can create. Nevertheless, I believe that AI will soon become an integral part of the production process, if it isn’t already, for many people. It’s a powerful tool for generating ideas and streamlining production processes, although it cannot replace human creativity (at least, not yet).

What do you think the future of podcasting holds?

Two things for me, I’d like to see podcasting double down on niches. It felt like the beginnings of podcasting allowed anyone to create content on the subject matter they were most passionate about and that created a home grown ecosystem of super niche podcasts serving passionate listeners across the globe. I feel like the medium has become too much about big names and dumbed down mainstream content. It might have an audience but does it really add anything to the content you can get elsewhere.

The other area is video. This can be a polarising subject but I think video has a huge part to play in podcasting’s next phase of growth. To help with discoverability is the obvious answer but also to elevate the audio content and compliment it, rather than replace it. I’d like to think of podcasting as a style of content now rather than treating it purely as audio only. Podcasting needs to break free of the RSS feed if it’s going to evolve and thrive and video and new platforms will help push the medium into more people’s ears (and eyes).

And what would you like to see more of in the podcast space?

Crafting compelling fiction content for podcasts is a challenging task. It can be expensive and difficult to create a show that sounds both professional and engaging. However, despite the difficulties, I believe there is a vast potential for original fiction content in podcasts that is yet to be fully realized.

At Distorted, we have considered developing fiction podcasts in the past. However, we have always been hesitant due to the high costs involved and our desire to produce content that meets our standards. I am hopeful that new developments in production technology will make producing high-quality fiction podcasts more accessible and cost-effective in the future. With the right resources and creative talent, I believe that original fiction shows have the potential to become a significant part of the podcasting landscape.

What is something you haven’t managed to do yet, but you would really like to work on?

True crime! I love a true crime podcast and we’ve got a folder of original true crime ideas I’d love to bring to life one day!

This Is Distorted is a multi-award winning content agency with audio at its heart. Passionate about emotionally connecting brands, artists and businesses with audiences through the power of sound.

Distorted content is broadcast across multiple platforms from traditional radio to online streaming services. Reaching an audience of over 10 million listeners each month, working with over 450 partner radio stations and networks, and regularly take the number 1 spot in the itunes podcast charts. Find out more at thisisdistorted.com.

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This article was produced as part of a paid advertising package. To enquire about advertising with Pod Bible email info@podbiblemag.com.

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Wanting to share the skills behind his success, Jo recently started the podcast A Voiceover’s Audio Adventure to shares insights to the industry. We asked him more about this work and the show…

Who are you and what was your path into voiceover work?

My name is Jo Troy and I am an award-winning voiceover from London. I got into voiceover in 2020 after putting it off for years. I finally had the time and the motivation to be like “let’s go”. It was something I was always told I’d be good at but didn’t have the slightest idea what a voiceover actually did apart from acting in animated films. Little did I know it was one click away and once I got my first job on a freelance site, the rest is history and I entered Narnia aka the world of VO.

What do you love most about being a voiceover artist?

I enjoy the freedom. I can do my work from anywhere and make my own hours. I love bringing scripts and characters to life, telling stories and hearing my voice in the real world.

Tell us about your podcast! What’s the elevator pitch?

It’s a biweekly show teaching listeners about the voiceover and audio industry, hearing amazing stories and learning tips & tricks along the way. Season 1 focuses on building basic skills and nohow on how to start, maintain and develop your career.

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I have always been a creative person coming from music and when you receive other people’s scripts every day sometimes you can feel like you want to do more. I have always found podcasting interesting and was a medium I had never worked on in terms of creating. I always wanted to create tools and resources for other voiceovers to use and have already written an e-book so creating a podcast was a no-brainer. It allowed me to create, learn and educate all at the same time.

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

I can’t remember the first podcast I listened to but I can remember a handful. The thing with me is I consume my podcast visually on YouTube so that already narrows it down. Some of the first few pods were HC Pod Original, The Joe Budden Podcast and of course the OG – the Joe Rogan Experience.

What’s your number one tip for budding voiceover artists?

Buy my book and it will make life easier ha. But to be honest, apart from that I would say invest in yourself get a coaching session or two, create a demo and then go. Don’t wait just get stuck in. The more you do the better you will get. The more you do the more you’ll understand.

Lastly, where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

You can find everything about me, my ebook about VO and my podcast at www.jotroy.com.

Listen to A Voiceover’s Audio Adventure on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other popular podcast apps >>

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I am very proud to have been named Best Entertainment Producer in last year’s APAs, but that moniker feels inaccurate considering my body of work consists almost entirely of factual narrative storytelling. So, I started to scrutinise the hypothesis that my work is prioritising entertainment. Is it journalism with flair or just a potboiler? Are we telling stories ethically and with purpose or are we just doing it to sell the intellectual property rights to the book/TV/streaming spin-off?

The stories our ancestors told, whether through song or creepy fairy tales, had purpose. They entertained us but they also taught us life lessons like ‘don’t share your home address with strangers when visiting grandma’. Oral storytelling transmitted knowledge that saved our lives and preserved history. Studies have even shown that stories help us process concepts differently compared to when the same concepts are presented to us as facts.

Now podcasts are the oral stories we use to elevate truths that are in the public interest, but we tell them with high production value compared to traditional journalism. This and the explosive growth of our medium is why I question how we tell stories now and whether we’ve strayed too much towards entertainment, prioritising big stories that make big money.

Many podcasts balance entertainment and purpose, with success. A handful of chart-topping true crime podcasts have even uncovered flaws in original police investigations and led to 40 year old murders being solved (The Teacher’s Pet) or freed a wrongly-convicted person from jail (Serial). Furthermore, both the teams behind Serial and Sweet Bobby received evidence and information from listeners during their investigations, which contributed to the resolution of the stories. These live investigations drummed up a lot of excitement, audience participation and attention. They were entertaining but they also did some good in the world.

That being said, these few successes may not justify the trending unwieldy ‘investigations’ and witch hunts. Often we’re ruthless in our pursuit of the best tape and the best access, with some podcast hosts recording phone calls (we don’t hear whether the person knows they’re being recorded for a podcast before the conversation, which is illegal in the UK if you intend to share them with a third party) and knocking on people’s doors out of the blue – completely disregarding a person’s right to privacy. But the more dramatic the tape, the higher the chance that the podcast will be featured on Best Of lists and the TV people will come knocking and ask to buy the IP. After all, every production company wants to follow the podcast to TV examples of Missing Richard Simmons, The Shrink Next Door, Song Exploder, and Limetown. That’s where the money is, I’m told (but not for the real people we’re actually telling a story about who never see a penny). The possible IP sale at the end of the rainbow is a massive driving force behind which stories get greenlit by companies and which gather dust in the Notes app on my phone. It’s a worrying sign that money is increasingly driving our editorial decisions, instead of whether the public needs to hear a story because of its potential real life impact. The ethics of buying and selling true stories was recently challenged on an episode of Lights Out, highlighting that contributors aren’t always aware of how a show is made or how their involvement may affect them, which is something that Ofcom is trying to address. There have been cases like S Town, in which the producers were sued for invasion of privacy, revealing personal information (including about a contributor’s sexuality, suicidal tendencies and financial affairs), and for not getting adequate consent from the contributor. The case was settled but the podcast is still widely debated for being more voyeuristic than journalistic. And yes, it is in development to be turned into a movie.

There are also worries that podcast productions are skewing actual justice, as in the case of The Teacher’s Pet trial where it was recorded that “the unrestrained and uncensored public commentary about the applicant’s guilt, is the most egregious example of media interference with a criminal trial process”. Mere months after the podcast was released the suspect was finally charged, but it very nearly jeopardised the case. It meant that there could be no jury in the trial (for fears that they may have been biased by the podcast), the trial was delayed in order to let speculation die down, and the suspect’s lawyers could use it to request that the judge permanently halt the prosecution. The judge claimed that the podcast was unbalanced and pushed a particular narrative using evidence that couldn’t be used in court. More worryingly, the judge said that the show “may in whole or in part have completely deprived some evidence of its usefulness”.

Podcasts may have the power to aid justice but they rarely start from a presumption of innocence until proven guilty and much of what is shared in a podcast would never hold up in court and would be discarded as hearsay. Whilst these deep dives into what a neighbour may have heard are captivating, it can be a dangerous and unethical presentation of a story – both for the people involved in the story, and for the producers who may be held liable in court. This is an even bigger risk for indy podcasters who may not check their scripts with lawyers prior to publishing, and may not have access to insurance. Take Only Murders in the Building for example – it’s a great streaming show but in reality their podcast could get them convicted of criminal contempt.

The concerns discussed above aren’t isolated to a single genre. Regardless, we want the most exciting tape and the as-yet-untold reveal but we have to be aware of the power of our shows over listeners and how every word we write could damn or distress a person, and – in some cases – subvert the course of justice. Indy producers in particular need to be cautious about how much personal information they reveal about contributors, be clear about getting consent, and be aware of the journalistic and legal principles that will keep their story from overstepping the line.

The line between ethical storytelling and entertainment is a line we draw ourselves as Producers. Yes, it would be great to sell the IP and then be able to tell more stories, but that shouldn’t be the deciding factor in which stories we tell or how we tell them. Yes, a show needs to be dramatic and entertaining in order to retain listeners but that needs to be balanced with journalistic integrity. And yes, it feels great when you get emotional tape and spicy rumours, but not at the risk of abandoning our duty of care.

Listen to Meera’s Podcast Recommendations:

Check out these episodes for more insight to ethical considerations in podcasting…

Ep 3 | Podcasts —> TV = Big Money? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This episode of Shameless Acquisition Target explores the podcast to TV phenomenon if you want to delve into it a bit more. Laura Meyer’s show has received lots of praise for its look at the podcast industry. Listen on your podcast app >>

Lights Out – ‘Accounts and Accountability’

Lights Out is a new show on BBC Radio 4 that explores a different topic each episode and encourages people to take a close listen. In this episode,  a documentary-maker hosts an open-call audition for subjects to star in her next project. Accounts and Accountability offers a dive into the ethics of buying and selling true stories. Listen on your podcast app >>

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Meera is an award-winning Producer and Content Development Exec. She was selected as one of the Rising Stars of 2022 in the British Podcast Awards, was named Best Entertainment Producer in the 2022 Audio Production Awards, and has won two Lovie Awards. Meera has produced stories for the BBC, Sony Music, Universal, UK Parliament, Waitrose, and other well-known brands. Meera is Ambie nominated, and has had her work featured in The Guardian and The Times and selected as one of Spotify’s Best Episodes Of 2021.

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The Podcast Show has been rescheduled to 25 + 26 May 2022, rather than July this year as previously planned. The international festival for the business of podcasting, taking place in London, is all about people from around the world gathering in person, doing business and enjoying a huge variety of shows and events. The date change into next year will allow for its show features to really come to life – from pop up stages, networking bars, a preview night, special guest appearances, activations, off site marquees, emerging talent showcases, and a full in ‘person’ conference programme in all of its superb theatre spaces. By night, the show’s LDN LIVE evening programme will take over London for an unparalleled series of live podcasts, with BBC Sounds being the first to confirm they will be bringing a range of some of their favourite BBC podcasts.

As a media partner we at Pod Bible are extremely excited about the event and look forward to seeing, taking part in and reporting on all aspects of the show. Hopefully we’ll see a lot of you there!

For all the latest news and updates, sign up at thepodcastshowlondon.com

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The Podcast Show organisers aim to invite one internationally recognised podcast to guest curate a part of the festival each year. Today they announced that podcast sensation My Dad Wrote A Porno will be the inaugural guest curators for 2021. The award-winning podcast trio, Alice Levine, Jamie Morton and James Cooper will appear at the show and curate a special programme of events that will feature some of their favourite podcasters and creators.

Alice Levine, Jamie Morton and James Cooper from My Dad Wrote A Porno said:

“We’re super excited to be curating The Podcast Show, the biggest podcasting event in Europe and cannot wait to reveal what we’ve got planned for the event in 2021. After years in the podcast space we are bringing together some of our favourite creators to make this a truly unmissable day. That, and we like the website now has to have “Porno” written all over it.”

The Event Director of The Podcast Show 2021, Jason Carter, said:

“The Podcast Show 2021 is shaping up to exceed our expectations as the No 1 festival covering every facet of the podcast world from business to entertainment. We are delighted to announce even more major partners through to the super exciting news of our evening ‘LDN Live’ podcast festival for fans across London. If that’s not enough, we are so honoured to have the blockbusting ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno’ guys curating part of our daytime show too, and this is just a taste of what’s to come at the biggest show of its kind for Podcasting.”

We at Pod Bible cannot wait for all that’s in store at the Business Design Centre in July next year. From speakers to workshops to live podcast shows, we’re looking forward to sharing our expertise, meeting lots of wonderful people and of course covering it all in our magazine and online!

Tickets will be available and the full Podcast Show 2021 line up will be announced in February.

Read the full Press Release below:

WORLDWIDE PODCAST SENSATION
MY DAD WROTE A PORNO
JOIN THE PODCAST SHOW 2021

‘LDN LIVE’ IS ANNOUNCED, A CITY-WIDE PROGRAMME OF LIVE PODCAST EVENTS

ORGANISERS ALSO ANNOUNCE MORE PARTNERS:
AUDIOUK, IAB UK, POD BIBLE, SJM CONCERTS,
THE RADIO ACADEMY, INSANITY GROUP, MARSHALL, MEGAPHONE, SHURE, ZOOM, REBEL BASE MEDIA, RESONATE RECORDINGS, FRESH AIR PRODUCTION, ELGATO & ALLIANZ MUSICAL INSURANCE

JOINING PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED PARTNERS INCLUDING SPOTIFY, BBC SOUNDS, ACAST & AUDIOBOOM

TICKETS ON SALE FEBRUARY 2021

The Podcast Show 2021 are delighted to announce additional partners join Spotify, BBC Sounds, Acast and Audioboom for the inaugural festival at The Business Design Centre London on 21-23 July 2021.

Further partners announced today include Pod Bible, SJM Concerts, Insanity Group, Marshall, Megaphone, Shure, Zoom, Rebel Base Media, Resonate Recordings, Fresh Air Production, Elgato & Allianz Musical Insurance. UK Radio & Industry bodies also partner the show, the first to be announced including The Radio Academy, AudioUK and IAB UK. IAB UK is the industry body for UK digital advertising, and have partnered with The Podcast Show 2021 to deliver a track of sessions focused on the unique opportunities that podcasting offers to brands and agencies, and how content creators can take full advantage of working with advertisers. Sessions will feature exclusive insight into consumer listening habits, provocative debates, creative workshops and more, bringing together many of the biggest players in the commercial podcasting space.

Organisers have announced that each year, they will invite one internationally recognised podcast to guest curate a part of the festival, and proudly announce that podcast sensation My Dad Wrote A Porno will be the inaugural guest curators for 2021. The award-winning podcast trio, Alice Levine, Jamie Morton and James Cooper will appear at the show and curate a special programme of events that will feature some of their favourite podcasters and creators. The full Podcast Show 2021 line up will be announced in February.

Alice Levine, Jamie Morton and James Cooper, My Dad Wrote A Porno said: “We’re super excited to be curating The Podcast Show, the biggest podcasting event in Europe and cannot wait to reveal what we’ve got planned for the event in 2021. After years in the podcast space we are bringing together some of our favourite creators to make this a truly unmissable day. That, and we like the website now has to have “Porno” written all over it.”

By night, the LDN LIVE evening programme takes over London for an unprecedented series of live podcasts, making this the biggest festival of its kind. Top promoters SJM Concerts will partner to bring favourite voices to life in venues across the city. LDN Live will run from 21-25 July 2021.

Alex Simmonds, Promoter at SJM Concerts: “We are really pleased to be involved as a partner for The Podcast Show 2021. The festival will be a pioneering event to showcase how podcasts work successfully in the live arena. We have a lot of exciting, interesting and entertaining shows to announce, so watch this space.”  

The Podcast Show 2021, produced by AV Media & Events (AVME), a joint venture between SME London and GetOnMedia, will deliver the biggest festival for the business of podcasting in Europe and will welcome the entire podcasting community from around the globe. Held over three days, the event features a series of industry panels with over 350 speakers and more than 100 sessions, workshops and masterclasses. New creators can also up their game and fill their little black books by soaking up the many ‘Podvice’ masterclasses or bespoke networking sessions. For those not able to soak up the atmosphere in person, the show will be live streamed to reach podcasters around the world. 

Jason Carter, Event Director of The Podcast Show 2021 said: “The Podcast Show 2021 is shaping up to exceed our expectations as the No 1 festival covering every facet of the podcast world from business to entertainment. We are delighted to announce even more major partners through to the super exciting news of our evening ‘LDN Live’ podcast festival for fans across London. If that’s not enough, we are so honoured to have the blockbusting ‘My Dad Wrote A Porno’ guys curating part of our daytime show too, and this is just a taste of what’s to come at the biggest show of its kind for Podcasting.”

Centrally located in London’s media district, moments away from the Eurostar and rest of Europe, The Podcast Show will be the largest podcast B2B and consumer show outside of North America. The Podcast Show is the ultimate networking event, whether you are in the business of podcasting, new to podcasting, an independent creator, publisher or IP owner, or looking to innovate and improve your craft. The Podcast Show will play host to a series of standout show features including the ‘Brands & Advertising Exchange’ and the ‘International Pavilion’, as well as a series of stages created to both inspire and showcase emerging podcasting talent, including ‘Rise Up Platforms’, ‘Pitch A Podcast’, and the ‘Creator Centre’ – full programming information will be announced in February 2021.  

The Podcast Show 2021 are committed to supporting the future of the industry by creating meaningful opportunities for the next generation of creators.  Working with partners, The Podcast Show has developed Project Amplify which will open up the industry for new creators who want to make an impact through podcasting.   More information about the extensive plans will be released in the new year.   

Will Jackson, Managing Director of AudioUK, said: “As the trade body for UK audio-led production, AudioUK sees The Podcast Show as a natural home for our 100+ member companies across the UK. We’re looking forward to playing our part in exploring how our sector can best develop as we look to a bright future for podcasting. This will also include developing skills in this space which we have already been working to do via our Audiotrain programme.”

James Chandler, CMO of IAB UK said: “Podcasts offer advertisers the ability to connect directly with audiences and give their brand a voice in a very real way. By collaborating with content creators themselves, brands can deliver entertaining and engaging offerings that add value for audiences, while always respecting the relationship and trust that exists between podcasters and listeners. We’re really excited to be partnering with The Podcast Show to further explore the potential for further growth in this area.”

Adam Richardson, Editor of Pod Bible said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with The Podcast Show 2021 and cannot wait for all that’s in store at the Business Design Centre. From speakers to workshops to live podcast shows, we’re looking forward to sharing our expertise, meeting lots of wonderful people and of course covering it all in our magazine!”

Nick Pitts, Deputy Chair of The Radio Academy said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with The Podcast Show 2021. The Radio Academy is here to support everybody in the audio and radio sector, and the creativity and accessibility of Podcasting makes it a really exciting part of our industry. We welcome Podcasters with open arms, and we can’t wait to be part of The Podcast Show in May.”

Andy Varley, Founder & CEO, Insanity Group said: “We are delighted to be partnering with The Podcast Show in its inaugural year.  Podcasts are undoubtedly one of the most popular and powerful media platforms, and we have had a huge amount of success exploiting titles in a plethora of genres.  Whilst we all enjoy consuming podcast content, The Podcast Show will delve into the business side of this fast-paced industry, and the team and I look forward to contributing creatively to the editorial of this brilliant new event.”

Alex Coombes, Commercial Director at Marshall said: “Marshall are privileged to be part of The Podcast Show. For the best part of a decade we’ve been transferring our iconic sounds from the main stage into personnel audio devices to help music lovers connect closer to the artists they love. Podcasts are the next evolution of how we consume sound and explore our passions, and Marshall can’t wait to be part of a fun show that will help the next generation find their voice.”

Matt Turck, Chief Revenue Officer at Megaphone said: “We are excited to be a part of the largest gathering of podcasting professionals in Europe. On behalf of our partners in The UK and across the continent, ware excited for these few days of learnings and what’s going on in our rapidly changing medium.”

Jay Walpole, Sales Director UK Musicians and Consumer Audio at Shure said: “Our microphones are the go-to for live performance, and we’re honoured that many leading podcasters from around the globe have chosen them to capture their words. We’re excited to be a part of The Podcast Show in 2021, and it will be a great opportunity for us to give everyone a closer look at our new MV7 Podcast Microphone. We look forward to supporting the next generation of podcasters.“

Martin Pohl, VP of Sales and Marketing at Sound Service GmbH, UK distributor of Zoom said: “We are looking forward to exhibit at  the Podcast Show 2021 and introduce our new line of products which had been especially developed for the needs of podcasters and podcast production enviroments. The brand new ZOOM PodTrak P4 and PodTrak P8 will be available soon and we are excited to show them at the Podcast Show 2021 and get the opportunity to meet podcasters from all over Europe. See you next year in London!”

Mark Asquith, CEO of Rebel Base Media said: “I’m thrilled to be taking part in The Podcast Show 2021. The team and I have been in podcasting for over 6 years now and have watched the medium go from strength to strength. Whether you’re podcasting for business, for community or for passion, there’s no better time to be a podcaster. It’s an incredibly diverse, dynamic space to be in so we’re really excited that there is an event like this – bringing together thought leaders, professionals, creators and fans from across the globe – right here on our doorstep.”

Jacob Bozarth, President & CEO of Resonate Recordings said: “The business of podcasting is rapidly evolving, and The Podcast Show in London is uniting businesses and creators during a critical point in the growth of this industry. We are honored to sponsor this breakthrough event and can’t wait to see where it leads.” 

Neil Cowling, Founder of Fresh Air Production, said: ‘With podcasts becoming such a powerful part of any good business’s marketing and communications plan, we’re thrilled to be showcasing the very best in branded podcasts at The Podcast Show.’

Michelle Ferniza, Marketing Manager at Elgato, said: “At Elgato we are constantly exploring ways to enable and support content creators everywhere. Partnering with The Podcast Show is not only a great way to engage even more podcasters, but also to learn from and empower budding talent. We look forward to being a part of this uplifting experience, enriching the community, and connecting with the great minds of this thriving industry.”

Clarice Goff, Marketing Consultant at Allianz Musical Insurance said: “We’re so excited to attend The Podcast Show 2021! 2020 has shown us the real power of podcasts and how they’ve become an important part of our everyday lives. It’s about time that podcast creators are being celebrated and to be given the opportunity to meet and collaborate with each other at the show is going to be an amazing experience.”

Pledging to support the Equality in Audio Pact, The Podcast Show encourages, and nurtures continued opportunities, including supporting gender balance, minority groups including LGBTQIA+ and ethnic diversity among panellists, speakers and those in attendance. For more information about the act, visit equalityinaudiopact.co.uk. 

Day tickets for The Podcast Show will be on sale from February 2021 and start from £55.

Visit www.thepodcastshowlondon.com for any partner & exhibitor enquiries, as well as further announcements on speakers, live shows, on-sale dates and to sign up to their newsletter.  

Ensuring the best experience for everyone, The Podcast Show will be adhering to the Government’s current social distancing rules to protect members of the public, crews and staff at all times, if applicable, in July 2021.

For more information please visit http://www.thepodcastshowlondon.com/.

ENDS

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