The Audio Academy Podcast

Crossed Wires Festival in Sheffield is now in its third year and has doubled in size, welcoming 50,000 people from around the world to 80 live podcast shows across 11 venues and stages. How does taking a successful podcast from the studio to a live audience change the dynamic of a show? We bring you highlights from across the weekend, including the festival Creative Director Greg James and convers...

As we launch this year’s Aiir Audio Academy 30 Under 30, 2019 alumnus Darby Dorras, Chief Content Officer at Platform Media, chats about what the accolade meant to him and how it can be your ‘calling card’ for the year you’re chosen. Leanne Alie, a 30 Under 30 in 2020 and now a freelance podcast producer, talks about the network of creatives 30 Under 30 can bring you and what she’s working on now....

Journalist, talent coach, and mentor Valerie Geller delivered one of our most popular sessions at last year's festival, and on the podcast this week she talks about making powerful radio and her latest book, Beyond Powerful Radio - a guide to the digital world. She shares her thoughts on how she approaches podcasting and video podcasting, and on how to connect, keep, and grow audiences. Audio Acad...

This week, we meet the last of our new fellows, Chris North, founder of North Media Talent and the Audio Academy Executive Director of the festival and Foot in the Door. Last September, Chris was surprised by the honour and chats about the accolade, how he started in the industry and his long association with Demo Factor at the SRA Con. You can book Birmingham Social tickets for 1st July - here  Y...

We find out what happened at our Liverpool Foot in the Door day, with guest producer Ella Eastaway from Moore Student Radio. Ella chatted to Aria Gold winner BBC Radio Merseyside breakfast presenter Kevin Duala, Mike Wooller, Head of Strategy and Podcasts at DMG Media and Julie Cullen, Managing Editor, BBC 5 Live, along with other students and delegates from the day.  

It’s part 2 of the ARIAS 2026, and we continue with the winners of the next 11 categories, including a Special Recognition Award for Trevor Nelson, the Radio Times Moment of the Year, the John Myers Local Station of the Year and UK Radio Station or Network of the Year. There are also backstage interviews with Gold Award winners and what happened at the after-party. 

It’s part 1 of the ARIAS 2026. We start with some Purple Carpet interviews before the ceremony, followed by the winners of the first 11 categories, including Best News, Best Speech Breakfast, Best Factual Series and Best Event Coverage, plus backstage interviews with Gold Award recipients. Early Bird Festival Tickets are available to buy on the Audio Academy Website 

South by South West Festival in Shoreditch, London, is a global festival of business, technology and creativity, packed with conferences, talks, a live music showcase and a film and screen festival. Adem Holness is Head of Music for SXSW and tells us how and when it all started, and how festivals like SXSW can shape what music stations play on the radio. Audio Academy Members can claim a discount...

It’s Eurovision week, and as the competition turns 70, we ask the UK Head of Delegation, Andrew Cartmell, how they choose our entry, what kind of influence the Eurovision Song Contest has on music radio and how it evolves and stays relevant for the next 70 years. Arias tickets, for the awards night on 21st May at The Roundhouse Camden, are available from our website audioacademy.org.uk

Jason Carter, the founder and festival director of The Podcast Show, which celebrates its 5th year this May, talks about how he first came up with the idea for the show, and how it’s changed and grown over the last 5 years. He also tells us how he keeps the content and stages fresh as podcasting continues to develop. 

This week’s podcast features highlights from the Arias Nominations party at Spotify. We speak with Nick Pitts, Chair of the Audio Academy, Bob Shennan, Chair of Judges, and our host for the evening, Sophie Kay, presenter from Absolute and Kerrang. We also hear the instant reactions of some of the nominees in the room that night. You can see the full list of nominations here  Book your ticket for t...

Adam Skinn gives us a flavour of the 3 days of SRA CON 2026, where he chatted with some of the delegates and the winner and judges of Demo Factor. We also hear from TV and radio presenter Simon Rimmer and keynotes speakers, KISS presenter Nick Bright and Stephanie Hirst from Greatest Hits and Hits Radio.  If you’d like to know more about the Student Radio Association go to studentradio.org.uk/   T...

 Chloe Straw has recently become Director of Operations for Goalhanger , but before that, she was CEO of Audio UK , the organisation instrumental in lobbying for a seat for podcasting on the Creative Industries Council . Chloe chats about both of her roles, what a day in the life of Director of Operations is like and why it’s so important that audio is represented on the Creatives Industries Counc...

Anna Doble is digital editor for the BBC World Service and chats about how her role has expanded and changed with the ever-increasing visualisation of audio. She also talks about how some of the stories from the World Service Witness History series have been visualised on YouTube using generative AI animation and what the future holds for visualising podcasts. 

We meet another of our new Fellows of the Audio Academy this week on the podcast. Bernard P Achampong is Chair of AudioUK, and an award-winning podcast founder with his company Unedited. He chats about his passions for storytelling, encouraging new talent and why he’s known as 'Che Guevara with headphones on.'

This week, the podcast was recorded at Radiodays Europe in Riga. We hear from keynote speakers, including Peter Niegel, CEO of Radiodays; Mohit Bakaya, Controller of BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra; and Rachel Quester, Supervising Producer for The Daily at The New York Times. Additionally, we hear from public service broadcasters from around the world and from young attendees supported by the RDE Yo...

This week’s episode comes from our Foot in the Door event at the University of Essex in Colchester. Guest producers Amos and George chatted to Fee Mak, BBC Radio 1Xtra, Henrie Kwushue, KISS Xtra, Ore Olukoga, BBC Radio 1, Kizzi, BBC Asian Network and Connor Knight from Radio Essex and Fun Kids. They also spoke to some of the delegates to get their reaction to the day. 

Fellow of the Audio Academy and former trustee, Stephanie Hirst, has been in radio for over 30 years and calls herself a ‘radio nerd’. She’s taken over the 4-7 pm Saturday afternoon show on Greatest Hits Radio, called Spinnin’ The Decades, which includes an all-request vinyl hour. She talks about the honour of taking over the slot from radio hero Paul Gambaccini, what she loves about the sound of...

This week on the Audio Academy Podcast, we have a panel of leaders in Scottish radio, recorded at BBC Scotland in Glasgow. Hosted by Lynne Hoggan from BBC Scotland, we hear from Andy Everett, Managing Editor for Scotland and Wales at Global, David Robertson, Director of Content for Scotland and Northern Ireland for Bauer Media Audio, David Treasurer, Programme Director for STV Radio and Victoria E...

This week on the podcast, we meet another of our new Fellows of the Academy, Nick Pitts, who has been in the radio and audio industry for over 30 years. He chats about being Content Director at Magic Classical and Jazz FM for Bauer, the surprise of being made a Fellow of the Academy and his earliest memories and love of radio.  Book now for our Foot in the Door event at the University of Essex in...

This week, we meet the first of our new fellows from last September’s Radio Academy Festival, the founder and MD of We Are Grape. Rachel Barton. She talks about winning a competition to work at Radio 1, her love of music, and what becoming a fellow of the Academy means to her. 

What impact can winning an ARIA have on your career? Lady Unchained from the Prison Radio Association won Gold for the Best Specialist Music show in 2024 for FreeFlow. She talks about how perceptions change once you’re an ARIA award-winning broadcaster and why you should apply. Former ARIAS winners, Iain Lee, Mylo and Rosie, Jayne Morgan, Justin Dealey and Louis Timpany also talk about how importa...

How does BBC Radio 1 find new presenters for the Christmas Takeover, and what are they looking for in a new voice? Georgy chats with Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, Alex Rata, Assistant Commissioner for BBC Radio 1 and Rachel McHalroy Commissioning  Executive for Radio 1 about the process and how this opportunity has been a springboard for successful radio careers. 

This week we’re answering your questions about the ARIAS. We have lots of tips and advice on what to enter, how to enter and how to win. Dixi Stewart, Acting Radio Academy MD, puts all your questions to Bob Shennan, Chair of Judges, and Victoria Easton Riley, Head of Audio and Events at BBC Scotland, also a Head Judge of the ARIAS. 

This week’s podcast is the last in our Meet the Experts series where we ask leading industry experts for their insight and advice on having a lasting career in radio and audio. This week our topic is Production Companies and our experts are Paul Fernley, Business Development Director at Audio Always, Rachel Barton, founder and MD at We Are Grape, Rachel Simpson, Podcast Partner Manager at Spotify,...