The Audio Academy Podcast

In the final episode of our Summer Shorts series this week, we hear some previously unheard audio from the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield. We hear thoughts and reflections from the BBC Sounds Garden, the Loose Lips local podcast stage, the Gangster Podcast, comedian, musician and podcaster David Eagle, and BBC Radio Sheffield. 

Festival tickets are on sale now for the Audio Academy Festival on 1st October - check out the amazing guest speakers we have announced already on the website audioacademy.org.uk/festival/  

We look back at Radio Days, held in Riga, Latvia, in March, with previously unheard audio from the conference. We hear from Mohit Bakaya, Controller of BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra; Dave Riley Jones of Aiir; Matt Deegan and Nikki Burch from the BBC, as they explore audiences’ connection with radio and the evolving role of public service broadcasting. 

Who and what would you like to hear in future podcasts? Let me know - you can email me at podcast@audioacademy.org.uk 

This years 30 Under 30 scheme has been extended to 24th August so get your...

Fellowships of the Audio Academy are awarded each year at the festival and represent the highest honour the Academy can bestow on a member of our industry. In 2025, Bernard Achampong, Nick Pitts, Rachel Barton and Chris North were all made Fellows of the Academy. This week’s podcast brings together some highlights from the conversations they shared across their individual episodes giving advice for people wanting to get into audio and how to be different in the industry. 

Who and what would you like to hear in future podcasts? Let me know - you can email me at...

Stephanie Hirst is a Fellow and former trustee of the Audio Academy. She's one of the UK's most recognisable and respected voices on the airwaves, from Spinnin' the Decades on Greatest Hits Radio to Belters on Hits Radio, which celebrates its fifth anniversary at the end of August. Stephanie has built a loyal audience with her passion for great music and infectious enthusiasm. In this previously unheard conversation, Stephanie joins us to share her lifelong love affair with vinyl, which inspired the vinyl request hour on Spinnin’ The Decades, and reflect on the phenomenal success of Belters.

Ap...

We’re looking back at our Meet the Experts podcast series, featuring industry leaders who took part in last year’s Festival 1-2-1 sessions. The 1-2-1s offer a unique opportunity to spend valuable time with station heads and commissioners, ask questions, and gain insight into the industry. In these conversations, our experts share their top tips on creating standout demos, writing compelling pitches, and developing the skills needed to succeed in the audio industry.

Bournemouth Social is tonight 29th July 2026 and we have a Newcastle Social on 4th August 2026. There’s still time to book y...

It's the first episode of our Summer Shorts series, and we begin with previously unheard audio featuring Lady Unchained, recorded earlier this year. In 2024, Lady Unchained, from the Prison Radio Association, won a Gold ARIA Award for Best Specialist Music Show for FreeFlow. In this episode, she reflects on her personal journey from prison to joining the Prison Radio Association, and how that experience has shaped her work and passion for giving others a voice. 

You can buy Audio Academy Festival tickets here  and book your 1-2-1 session. 

In February, Alice Nagendran took on the newly created role of Head of Business, Radio & Music Commissioning at the BBC, bringing together commissioning for speech and music radio and podcasts for the first time. In this interview, Alice explains the thinking behind this new approach, outlines how the BBC is strengthening its engagement with independent audio producers, and shares practical advice on what to do—and what to avoid—when pitching ideas.

Bok here for the London (16th July) and Newcastle (4th August) Summer Socials 

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 conversations with Nicky Campbell, Marianna Spring from Top Comment, Dilly Carter from Sort Your Life Out: Unpacked, and Fun Kids' Dan Simpson.

Apply or nominate for 30 Under 30 here 

Book tickets f...

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.

The Aiir Audio Academy 30 Under 30 for 2026 is open now - apply or nominate here

Check out our social events in Birmingham, Crossed Wires in Sheffield and London her

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 Academy Members can view Valerie's Festival Session here and access the 30% discount code for Valerie's book Beyond Powerful Radio here

If you are not a member then details of...

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 

You can book London Summer Social tickets for 16th July - here

Audio Academy Festival tickets for 1st October and details o...

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 on SXSW tickets - here. 

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 the ARIAS Awards ceremony at The Roundhouse on 21st May here 
Vote for the Radio Times Moment of the Year here by 8th May 2026 

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/ 

To live stream the Arias Nominations party on Wednesday 22nd April go to audioacademy.org.uk/

 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 Council.  

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 Youth Fund, which assists early-career audio professionals aged 18 to 25 in radio, podcasting, and digital audio. 

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 vinyl on the radio and what she thinks aspiring presenters should all be doing.  

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 Easton Riley, Head of Radio and Events for BBC Scotland. 

Book now for our Foot in the Door event 12th March at the University of Essex in Colchester audioacademy.org.uk/training/

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 Colchester 12th March - https://www.radioacademy.org/events/foot-in-the-door-university-of-essex/ 

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 important winning was to them. You can enter the ARIAS here The deadline is 23.59 on Monday 16th February. 

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, Rebecca Maxted, Head of Development at Blanchard House and Steven Rajam, Creative Director at Overcoat Media. 

This week’s podcast is another 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 Speech Audio and our experts are Managing Editor of BBC Radio 5 Live Julie Cullen, Programme Director at Times Radio Tim Levell, Commissioning Editor, Comedy and Entertainment for BBC Radio 4 Julia McKenzie, Head of Radio at RNIB Yvonne Milne and Global Content Partnerships Director at Acast Sophie Herdman. 

We start 2026 by kick starting your career with the first episode of our new Meet the Experts series. Back in September, at the Radio Academy Festival, we asked some leading industry experts for their knowledge and advice on making a demo, pitching an idea, skills sets you need and getting yourself prepared for a career in audio. This week our topic is Music Radio and our experts are Sam Moy, Rebecca Frank, Paul Sylvester, Sarika Unadkat and Sam Jackson. 

For our last podcast of 2025, we look back at some of the amazing events we have held or attended this year. From our Foot in the Door days to the big night of the Oscars of the radio and audio industry, the Arias, the EPOD and Crossed Wires festivals, the International Women’s Podcast Awards, SRA Con, and of course our own Radio Academy Festival, we have been there, getting the best stories and chatting to the people at the heart of it. 

A look back at the best of the Radio Academy podcast guests from 2025. Georgy chats with Academy Fellows Adele Cross and Liam Fisher, and she finds out what it's like to record in the Arctic with Oceans: Life Under Water, plus Ahmed Hussain, head of BBC Asian Network, talks about their new news and current affairs show. She also chatted to Scout Tzofiya Bolton from Prison Radio Association about her double Gold Arias win, to Radio 1 Xtra’s Fee Mak about women in broadcasting, and Ed Moorish from Lead Mojo talks about radio comedy. 

The story of the very first radio drama is not what many people think; it was actually a children’s drama and was written by a woman. The Truth About Phyllis Twigg, written by Paul Kerensa and directed and produced by Helen Quigley from B7, airs on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Eve and tells the story of the very first radio drama, which had been forgotten until now. Paula and Helen talk about the process of writing and commissioning the new play, and how other female firsts in radio have been wiped from the history books. 

How do you successfully mix podcasting with daily reporting? Broadcaster Anoushka Mutanda Dougherty chats about her style of podcasting with the shows Diddy on Trial and Fame Under Fire, and how she cuts through the hype of showbiz’s biggest stories to get to what’s really going on.  Contains Strong Language. 

How do you capture the sounds of Christmas across the UK? Overcoat Media have produced ‘A British Christmas’ for the BBC Radio 4 Illuminated strand of programmes, which is made up entirely of a montage of WhatsApp voice notes from Christmas Day 2024. Amy Wheel, from Overcoat Media, and freelance producer James Bonney, discuss the show’s social history concept and how they gathered the audio. 

Our 2025 class of The Aiir Radio Academy 30 Under 30 were all surprised with phone calls to let them know they had been successful. This week on the podcast we share some of their reactions as they received the exciting news. We also hear more from Ricki Lee, CEO of Aiir, who has sponsored this year's 30 Under 30, about how he got started in the industry.