Author: Francesca Turauskis

Content is Queen is a women-led business. Uplifting women-led shows and initiatives in podcasting and audio is our day-to-day, but every year we like to mark International Women’s Day…

This year, International Women’s Day lands on Saturday, 8th March. This year’s theme set by the United Nations (UN) is “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, aiming for a feminist future where no one is left behind.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a document that was created at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing that ensured that women’s rights included legal protection, access to services, youth engagement, and more.

So for this year’s International Women’s Day, I wanted to suggest some listening based around three topics that are crucial to consider if we truly want a feminist future where no one is left behind.

Find Out About the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action

It’s one of the pivotal documents in the global fight for women’s and girls rights, and yet I had never heard of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action until I started researching for this article. I can maybe be forgiven as I also found it very difficult to find anyone talking about it – there were very few podcasts that came up when I searched, but what I found was fascinating:

• You can start by listening to this very short episode from a podcast by the European Parliament that explains what the Declaration and Platform for Action is. In less than five minutes, it gives an overview of how it commits countries to work towards gender equality and empowering all women and girls around the globe.
• For a more in-depth conversation that looks at how the Declaration’s goals fit into our world today and in the future, I found an episode from 2020 on Parenting for the Future by Petel Modeste. Petel speaks to Chidiogo Akunyili, who is the founder of She ROARs which is working to fulfil the promises of the Beijing Declaration with a focus on pan-Africanism. It’s a beautiful conversation that spans motherhood, how colonialism is tied into sexism and much more.

Finally, whilst it’s not a podcast, I found this explainer about the Declaration from the UN Women website useful as well.

Learn More About UK Foreign Aid

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced that the government will be halving its foreign aid budget in order to increase the defense budget. When there are multiple domestic issues and crises, foreign aid spending can often be put at risk (we last saw foreign aid cut during COVID). However, foreign aid often goes into supporting initiatives such as sexual health programmes, keeping children in education, and specific issues like stopping female genital mutilation. Cuts to such initiatives will affect women and girls on a far greater scale and so it is important to understand more about the need for foreign aid.

Unsurprisingly, many news commentary podcasts have been talking about Keir Starmer’s announcement. With the speed of the news cycle, commentary podcasts such as this date fairly quickly but I’ve still found these episodes as a good introduction:

• In the episode of the PoliticsJOE Podcast, ‘Starmer Cuts Foreign Aid’, hosts Ava and Laura react to the announcement. It’s a short episode, where they share what they think of the cuts with a focus on the moral argument and a bit of context.
• Over on one of our favourite shows, Pod Save The UK, journalist Zoë Grünewald joined Coco Khan for the episode ‘Dear Donald: Can Starmer Tame Trump?‘ where part of the discussion focused on the foreign aid cuts. There’s some really important comments on how foreign aid should be seen as part of the UK’s defence because it helps with things such as vaccinations (viruses don’t stop at borders after all).
• Lastly, in one of our favourite Women-Led Politics Podcasts, Over The Top Under The Radar, co-host Gary Younge chose the increase of defence spending as his ‘Over The Top’ news story last week, and it led onto a conversation around the cuts to foreign aid and how that ties into immigration, reparations and more.

Empower the Next Generation

One of the things that the UN is emphasizing in this year’s International Women’s Day is that empowering the next generation is “central to this vision” of a feminist future. My final recommendations are a few podcasts that might be especially useful for those who are bringing up the next generation:

• As well as covering the Declaration and Platform for Action, Petel Modeste speaks to many incredible people in Parenting for the Future. In her recent episode, she speaks to Claudia Santi F. Fernandes from the Born This Way Foundation (the non-profit founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta.) The conversation covers aspects such as the public health approach to mental wellness for young people, the importance of youth advisory boards and more.
• For a UK-based podcast about parenting, Teenagers Untangled won the Parenting category in the 2024 Independent Podcast Awards. It describes itself as a “huge audio hug” for parents of teens and tweens. It’s a great mix of personal stories from the hosts and others, alongside professional insight and research. There are episodes on specific circumstances, such as parenting ADHD teens, but also general family relationships that could be useful to anyone in proximity with young people.
• Finally, a recommendation of a podcast for young people to listen to is The Mix Six, a podcast from the young people support service, The Mix. It is aimed at people aged 11-25 years old, and talks about a range of topics including LGBTQI+ rights, relationships, drugs, discrimination and sex through six questions asked to their guests each episode.

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Do you want to support women-led podcasting? Find out more about the difference your brand could make to the future of audio on our Festival website.

In the traditional sense, gatekeeping refers to individuals with the institutional power to decide who gets access to resources, money or opportunities – and of course, who does not. But Francesca Turauskis is asking us all to consider what we might be unknowingly gatekeeping in audio…

Back in 2023, we shared an interview with Content is Queen Founder, Imriel Morgan, as part of our International Women’s Day content. One of the things that we asked her was what equity in podcasting looks like to her, and part of her (on-point) answer was the idea that we need “a massive reduction in gatekeeping…”.

Gatekeeping is so prominent in our society that it was even named Vogue’s word of the year in 2022, and one of the reasons it gained that honorific was that it isn’t just budget-holders and boardrooms that can be gatekeepers: to some extent, we are all capable of it. Gatekeeping is fairly innocent when it’s keeping quiet about where you bought a cute dress, but if you are an organisation publicly pledging $100M to create equity and don’t tell grassroots how to access it – that’s a very different matter.

Very few of us in audio have control of multi-million dollar budgets, but I still think that in 2025, it’s about time for everyone in audio to take a moment and ask themselves, “what am I gatekeeping?”

Here are five ways I think we can all open the gates in audio.

Share grant opportunities

Grants are something of a holy grail in all creative industries. Being given money to create work without having to answer to external stakeholders? It’s the dream! The Content is Queen Micro-Grant has been running for four years now, and every year we get many hundreds of people telling us their idea for a podcast.

All grants are highly competitive like this, and I know people who are otherwise generous that have kept grant opportunities to themselves to be in with a ‘better chance’. I understand the desire to be secretive when you find something that would be perfect for you – but in my book, if I apply for a grant and don’t get it, I’d love to see someone I know get it instead. That person might later share something with you, but even if they don’t it helps us all to be generous.

Explain hidden processes

I think there is a lot of assumed knowledge in the audio industry, and I am constantly finding idiosyncrasies and processes that no-one has explained to me. One of the biggest hidden processes is that of pitching, particularly when it comes to pitching the BBC. Like many people, having a BBC show on my CV is an aspiration, but it took me years to learn that individual freelancers could pitch ideas via a production company who was a BBC supplier. What’s more, I only found out by speaking to someone I knew at an in-person event – a testament to how important it still is to know the ‘right’ people. I could very much have done with this guide to pitching the BBC that Talia Augustadis wrote last year, and it’s been nice to see more production companies making it known that they are suppliers and can help individuals pitch.

It’s not just pathways to pitching that are difficult to find. When I wrote about actions to make audio a more accessible career last year, I suggested that companies should explain career progression more clearly. There are many different roles within audio, and knowing how your path could progress can help you develop the skills that could lead to a top job.

Post job opportunities widely

It’s not enough for someone to know the job in audio they want when companies make it difficult to find their jobs. The big companies might be able to afford an advert on LinkedIn and more informal postings in audio networks like UKAN can be really good for targeting audio-professionals. However, there is no industry standard with where audio jobs are posted or how long they are advertised and this means it’s often only the fortunate or the connected that get a chance to apply.

Some of this comes down to capacity, and smaller companies might not have enough staff to dedicate much time to the recruitment process (this is one of the reasons that the Content is Queen Marketplace aims to streamline the process of recruitment). But being thorough at the application stage and searching widely will make it more likely you find the right employees, and save a lot of headaches at a later date.

Tell us where you find good podcasts

One of the things that we constantly hear about podcasts is that they have a ‘discoverability problem’. There are certainly several reasons it is tricky to know how people find your podcast – host platforms can’t track where people land on your show from, there isn’t very much podcast journalism and podcast apps only have a certain amount of space for recommendations.

This is why I was so excited to see that Lauren Passell from Tink Media has started adding a short “how I discovered it” line for every recommendation she makes in Podcast The Newsletter. I think we should all share our favourite shows more anyway, and if podcast journalists tell us where they find good podcasts, it gives podcasters a chance to get their shows in front of them and other listeners.

But remember – protect the threshold of safe spaces

I wanted to end by saying that it’s worth remembering that there is a positive face of gatekeeping: protection. DE&I practices – such as the International Women’s Podcast Festival – are crucial for a future-proof industry, and we need individuals with institutional power to continue supporting such initiatives. There are some spaces and communities that have been traditionally underserved, and if your job puts you in a position to decide where resources and opportunities are directed, think about how you could use that to help to rebalance the industry standards.

What are the best podcasts of 2024? For the second year, we’ve asked Francesca Turauskis to analyse the listicles, the podcast apps and the awards winners to see what the most celebrated podcasts of 2024 can tell us about the podcast industry…

Last year, I started a new tradition – I tried to work out what the actual best podcasts of 2023 were, so that listeners could find them and podcasters could learn from them. However, whilst the podcasts that came out on top were good, the 2023 list ended up telling me much more about the podcast industry than the shows themselves.

I found out good things (such as that both narrative and conversation podcasts can be popular) but over all, there was a collective bias towards podcasts that were similar, male, white and occasionally problematic. Is that really the best podcasting has to offer?

So once again I’ve spent my December with my ear to the ground for the shows we’re being told to listen to. Will the 2024 results once again be serving the same stories? Or will we be pleasantly surprised with what is on the menu this year? Read on to find out!

Methodology

Whilst I tried to use similar method and sources to last year’s list, 2024 has seen some big changes in the podcast journalism landscape, so there are a few noticeable absences that might have affected the overall list:

• With Haymarket calling it a day on PodPod in February 2024 (after less than two years) we don’t have The Earworms articles from the PodPod website.
• Pod Bible also hasn’t run the Pod Bible Polls this year and they appear not to have written a ‘best podcasts of 2024’ list either.
• There were no Irish Podcast Awards this year.
• At the time of publication, there are currently no lists from Financial Times or The Guardian, which are often the most high-profile UK-based lists. Last year, their End of Year list came out on 15th and 16th December so I’d have expected to see them by now. (The journalists at The Guardian have been on strike recently so hopefully this just means the lists are delayed, but they have boosted their list from June, which I’ve currently used instead).

THE 17 ‘BEST’ PODCASTS OF 2024

I found 66 shows that were in at least two places, and here are the seventeen podcasts that were featured in at least four places.

17. 99% Invisible

Sharing stories about design that is everywhere in our lives, 99% Invisible is a long running show getting some love this year. It was actually two short series that were highlighted in different places – ‘The Power Broker’ and ‘Not Built For This’, which were recommended in Vulture, TIME, HuffPost and Tink’s Audio Delicacies. Listen here.

16. Cement City

Two journalists in the USA try to answer the question of what it’s like to live in a small town “with a Smog Museum and a mayor named Piglet… and not a whole lot else”. This new show is an Audacy Original, and loved by New York Times, Tink Audio Delicacies, Life Hacker and Samantha Hodder at Bingworthy. Listen here.

15. Shell Game

A ‘strange and immersive AI experiment’ where journalist Evan Ratliff explores what would happen if he combined a clone of his voice with an AI chatbot. Vulture, The Economist, Tink and Bingworthy felt this hit on something of current concern. Listen here.

14. The Wonder of Stevie

An exploration of how Stevie Wonder released five groundbreaking albums in the space of five years. As well as the investigation, there is a bonus episode with Stevie Wonder himself in conversation with the host, Wesley Morris, and Barack Obama. The Week, TIME, The Economist and The Irish Times loved this. Listen here.

13. The Lonely Island and Seth Meyes

A podcast about the SNL Digital Shorts, from the people that created them. ‘The Lonely Island’ are comedy-music sensations Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone (in case you, like me, are unfamiliar with them!). Vulture, TIME, HuffPost and the Audible Blog were fans of this. Listen here.

12. The Rest Is Entertainment

The first UK show on the list, The Rest Is Entertainment is a commentary show about the world of entertainment, and one of the Goalhanger ‘Rest Is…’ series of shows. It launched right at the end of 2023, and The Economist recommended this, but it is biggest on the apps: it was a ‘Best New Show’ on Spotify (in the UK), hand-picked by the Apple staff in the UK, and one of the Apple Podcasts top shows with listeners. Listen here.

11. Miss Me?

The first (and only) BBC show on the list, Miss Me? is a chat show between real-life childhood friends, Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver. Part of the BBC’s slate of celebrity shows launched this year, it’s been very popular with listeners, and is one of the ‘top new shows’ on Apple Podcast and Spotify, as well as a hand-curated choice by the Apple staff, and winning an award at the British Podcast Awards. Listen here.

10. The Competition

A behind-the-scenes look at America’s Distinguished Young Women program (formerly known as America’s Junior Miss), this show from Wondery gives an insight to a world that feels like a microcosm of America. I found I didn’t want to spend too much time in that world myself, but the show is fascinating to many and has been recommended by the Audible blog, Mashable, Tink’s Audio Delicacies, plus it was in The Guardian’s June list. Listen here.

9. Finally! A Show

The full title of this podcast is ‘Finally! A show about women that isn’t just a thinly veiled aspirational nightmare’, and it describes itself as “reality TV, just on radio”. Finally! lets listeners hear from real life women such as a water ski instructor, a soundbath practitioner or a death care provider. The title of the show feels to me like a subtweet on other podcasts on offer – but I would argue for the most realistic take on ‘real women’ we could listen to more indie podcasters, who already do niche so well. Listen here.

8. Broomgate

One of the seven podcasts we picked to keep you entertained in the Summer, Broomgate investigates a scandal in the close-knit sporting community of curling. Hosted by semi-professional curler, and comedian, John Cullen, it is a fairly wholesome take on investigative journalism, but also shows how money can corrupt even the humblest of sports. Vulture, The Economist, Esquire and the Audible blog also recommended this. Listen here.

7. Serial

Ten years after the first series took the world by storm, Serial is still clocking up recommendations for its most recent series about the controversial events at Guantánamo. Still showing their storytelling skills, Serial was recommended by Vulture, The Week and The Guardian’s June list, and it was one of the top series with listeners on Apple Podcasts this year. Listen here.

6. Noble

Journalist Shaun Raviv looks into a 2002 case where police discovered more than 300 bodies buried on one property in the small town of Noble, Georgia, USA. As well as the investigation itself, there is the question of the culture around death.Separating itself from previous pods in this list, Nobel has found five recommendations with Bingeworthy, Tink Audio Delicacies, The New Yorker, Vulture and it was also one of the top new shows in Apple podcasts. Listen here.

5. In The Dark

After this Peabody-winning podcast was cancelled in 2022, many are keen to show their support now it has found a new home at The New Yorker. This year the show turned its investigative journalism onto two subjects: series three looked into the death of a man’s family in Haditha, Iraq, and a four-part series called The Runaway Princesses highlighted the attempted escape of an Emirati princess, and the connections to the UK. Listen here.

4. Embedded

“NPR’s home for audio documentaries” shares in-depth reporting and investigation on topics that are often overlooked, or purposefully hidden. This year, three short-series made waves: ‘Supermajority’ was a look at the politics of one state in America, ‘Taking Cover’ was about a potential cover-up surrounding a deadly explosion during the Iraq War and ‘Tested’ digs into the history of controlling women’s hormone levels and bodies in sport. The first two are perhaps more interesting to those in the USA, but I found ‘Tested’ and the nasty origins of a very current topic to be an important topic of interest to many. Embedded counts recommendations in Vulture, The Week, New York Times, HuffPost and The New Yorker, plus a win at the Ambies. Listen here.

3. Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)

A weekly show from comedian Jamie Loftus, Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) looks at the internet’s main characters, the enduring memes, and the stories behind them. A show about pop culture is often going to be popular, but the structure of this show is creative – Jamie gives an engaging overview on the story behind the cultural phenomenon before we get an interview with someone connected to it. It is relevant, it’s quite nice to see a fun show so high on the list, and if you need examples of when video wouldn’t add to a podcast, just listen to Jamie’s wonderful explanations of the memes, videos, reels et al. Seven places agree – Lifehacker, HuffPost, Tink, Mashable, Audible Blog, Esquire and Vulture all recommend this. Listen here.

2. Empire City: The Untold Origin Story of the NYPD

“The first person to use the term ‘organised crime’ didn’t mean it in the sense of Don Leone and the Mafia, he meant it in terms of the police department’. This quote in the first episode of Empire City is a succinct insight to the show, which takes listeners on a journey to uncover the roots of the NYPD. Chenjerai Kumanyika is the perfect person to tell the story, not only because he is a Peabody Award-winning host, but he’s also the son of Black rights leader Makaza Kumanyika. Empire City is personal, it is political and it is professional journalism in podcast form. Eight other places encourage you to listen to this one: Bingeworthy, Lifehacker, Tink Audio Delicacies, the Audible Blog, The New York Times. The New Yorker, Vulture and TIME. Listen now.

1. Hysterical

With an overall tally of fourteen recommendations, Hysterical is the runaway ‘podcast of 2024’ – according to everyone else. The show by Wondery and Pineapple Studios has some similarities to last year’s widely-revered The Retrievals, and it is an investigative series about a mysterious illness that spreads among a group of high school girls in the American town of LeRoy in 2015. I can see why it is being widely regarded. However…

As someone with a history of seizures, I found myself reacting with anger at the lack of sensitivity when it comes to archive footage used in the series. When talking about teenage girls having seizures on TV, host Dan Taberski laments about being denied footage of one seizure, before playing graphic audio from another. It is difficult to convey the lack of bodily control and stigma there is around having a seizure and to me, using that audio feels like another way a teenage girl has lost control of her body for ‘good audio’.

Hysterical has been widely regarded for its sensitive reporting, and there are great nuances to the way it explores the sexism behind ‘hysteria’. For me, it does not balance the lack of respect in the audio used, and it saddens me that this was not thought about by everyone on the show, fourteen podcast professionals, and those picking Apple’s Podcast of the Year. Listen here.

And One Universally Derided Podcast

The Spotify Wrapped Podcast

Whilst it is difficult to agree on the best shows, there was one podcast released this year that has been pretty much universally derided by listeners and journalists. Spotify Wrapped offered all users a personalised AI Podcast to comment on their music listening. It was meant to be a fun and futuristic edition to the Spotify Wrapped experience. However, there was an uncanniness to the whole thing, with the AI failing to take into account context and making “distasteful” remarks. A real miss of the mark.

WHAT DOES THIS SELECTION OF PODCASTS TELL US?

We’re Being Told About More Podcasts

On my tally sheet, there were nearly 300 podcasts recommended at least once, which is about 100 more than last year (with a similar number of sources). There were also sixteen more shows that were mentioned in at least two places, and there were very few shows that featured overly repetitively. It all suggests that the podcast recommenders are branching away from the limited amount of shows the apps and press releases are suggesting to them.

There Is A Wider Range Of Podcasts In 2024

Even more refreshing to see is the wider range of stories and demographics on display in this list. Last year there was a noticeable lack of people of colour and this year we have a much more balanced representation across a range of shows from ‘Entertainment’ to in-depth investigations on systemic racism. LGBTQIA+ stories just missed out though – Queer The Music and Blood On The Dance Floor were two of the shows on the longlist.

UK Podcasts Have Lost Out This Year

Whilst last year there was a pretty even split between UK shows and shows from the USA, this year we have just two UK shows. It’s difficult to say why for sure, but the fact that we’ve lost the podcast coverage from PodPod, the Pod Bible Polls and both The Guardian and The Financial Times seem to have delayed their list might have something to do with this.

If the newspaper lists are released before the end of the year, I’ll check to see if they can boost any UK shows. But I can’t help but think it’s getting increasingly difficult for UK podcasts to get write-ups (and therefore to filter into the consciousness of those writing in the USA).

Award Wins Don’t Mean Wide Recognition

Of the top fourteen shows, only two of them have won an award over the past year – Miss Me? which won a British Podcast Award for Best Entertainment show, and Embedded won an Ambie for the ‘Taking Cover’ series. This could be because this year’s shows missed the award deadlines and we’ll see them get awards next year, but it might also mean that award-winning shows are not always the most-liked shows.

When You Launch Is Important

A lot of the short series that have done well in this list were released around a similar timeframe – not too long ago to be forgotten but not too late to miss the write-ups. Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? and The Good Whale both nearly made it into this list (three recommendations each). Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? ended in April, but it was one of The Guardian’s top shows mid-year. The Good Whale has received universal praise but it has only just finished on general release (those with a New York Times subscription could listen to the whole series at once). Perhaps if they came out at a different time they would have been list worthy.

Are We Over Politics Podcasts?

Despite the fact that 2024 saw podcasts play a large part in politics, with big download numbers and notable influence on political campaigns themselves, there is not one ‘current affairs’ that made the list. Perhaps we are just a bit tired now we’re getting to the end of democracy’s biggest year.

It Is Harder For Indie Pods To Break Through

Last year we had a couple of independent shows sneak onto the list (and at high rankings too.) This year, there is not one indie podcast that has been widely recognised. Every show comes from a big production house, a celebrity, or both.

We Need To Talk About The Ethics of Audio Sources

Hysterical is an example of how my lived experience gives me an insight to the unsuitability of the audio used and I believe that the way ‘interesting audio’ is sourced is a topic we need to talk about more. Whilst I want to be able to trust that Producers will go through the processes of getting permissions for audio used, we can also assume that not everyone will. I think because so much is in the ‘public domain’ now, we’ve forgotten that doesn’t mean they are ‘creative commons’. We need to be using audio in an ethical and credited way.

List Sources:

Thank-you for reading this year’s analysis. If you are interested in reading the full lists, they are:

LifeHacker, Mashable, The Week, Time, Tink Media Audio Delicacies, Audible Blog, GQ Magazine, New Yorker, NY Times, Vulture, Spotify App (UK), Bingey List, The Guardian (June list), The Irish Times

Plus these awards: International Women’s Podcast Awards, Ambies, British Podcast Awards, Ambies, Webbys, Australian Podcast Awards

Charts: The Edison Top 25 UK podcasts, Apple Podcasts 2024 charts, Spotify 2024 charts

And there are few lists yet to be released at the time of writing: The Great Pods ‘Master List of 2024’ (released on 30th last year), Podcast Review (released on 22nd last year), The Guardian and FT.

As we come to the end of the year, it’s exciting once again to see the Micro-Grants for Podcasters Programme open for applications. The Micro-Grants programme has been running for four years now, and it is a unique initiative offering both monetary and production support to creators here in the UK and around the globe.

Thanks to the support from Audible, this grant asks podcasters to pitch ideas based on their creativity and potential impact to the communities they are aimed at – the type of ideas that might not find a home elsewhere as podcasting becomes evermore commercially -focused. The research and development phase of creating podcasts is something that independent podcasters so rarely get support with, so it is no surprise that each year the number of Micro-Grant applications grows.

To help you with your pitch, we offer you this article in three parts: first we share some insights from previous grant recipients; next there are some tips from our Content is Queen team about the new application process via Marketplace, and lastly you can find a playlist of inspirational episodes from previous recipients.

We hope it helps you with your application and can’t wait to read your ideas!

Insights From Previous Recipients

We asked two Micro-Grant 2023 recipients three questions to learn more about their thoughts on the process. Katie Stokes asked for support to develop a new show idea, Wandering Spirit, where ghosts and magic lie on the other side of belief. Meanwhile Renee Kapuku is one half of the duo behind To My Sisters, who wanted to offer their listeners a different type of episode on their current podcast. Here’s what they each wanted to share:

CIQ: The Micro-Grants offer monetary and production support — what elements of your project benefitted the most from the grant?

KATIE: My podcast, Wandering Spirit, was a seedling of an idea and it hugely benefited from both the production and monetary support. The wonderful Amber Miller [Content is Queen’s Studio and Production Manager] was a supportive and instrumental editor, helping me develop and narrow down my idea. She gave constructive and useful feedback, helped me stay on track, realise and deliver my pilot.

I used the monetary support to hire a composer to create original music. Because my podcast is grounded in a specific culture, it was really important to find and work with the right composer who understood the intricacies of the music and instruments.

And then there was the support I hadn’t even thought of asking for, like studio space, legal and contract advice, pitching advice – Content is Queen were superstars in making sure my idea was nurtured and cared for.

RENEE: The grant was instrumental in enabling us to hire and outsource production help for the mini-series of our podcast, To My Sisters: From the Brothers and Fathers. This support allowed us to elevate the quality of the series and focus on the creative aspects, knowing the technical side was in expert hands.

CIQ: If you hadn’t pitched to Micro-Grants, what do you think you would have done with the idea?

KATIE: I think the idea would have just mulled in my head for a while longer. Being awarded the grant was not just validating for my pitch but also to know that someone else believed in my story of oral histories, cultural heritage and the very real experiences of people in Malaysia – that those things were valuable and exciting enough to be shared. Also, the reality is that the act of pitching personal stories is very scary, let alone pitching then losing the IP [intellectual property]. This grant is unique because it is a supporter and champion of indie creators.

RENEE: If I hadn’t pitched the idea for From The Brothers and Fathers to CiQ, it’s likely that it would have remained on the back burner for much longer! The Micro-Grant gave us the resources to bring the idea to life in a way we might not have managed on our own. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see it come to fruition and we’ve had such great feedback from our listeners.

CIQ: As a grant recipient, would you give any advice to people applying this year?

KATIE: I can’t speak to what exactly Content is Queen and Audible are looking for, but from my own experience I would encourage people to be bold and really back their stories. The closer the idea is to your heart, the more passion and excitement comes through when you talk about it and share it. This grant is so special because of the real range of stories that are produced – nothing is too niche, nothing is too different. I’d also encourage applicants to practise talking about their idea to as many people as possible. The more you talk about it, the more you’ll refine it, get people’s reactions and find the logline that really hits home.

RENEE: My advice would be to really hone in on the impact of your idea—what change or story are you trying to bring to the world, and why does it matter? Also, be authentic in your pitch; the passion and purpose behind your project are just as important as the logistics.

How To Apply Via Marketplace

For the first time, the grant process is via Content is Queen’s new Marketplace – the community and platform where creators, advertisers, and commissioners converge to redefine the audio industry. The Marketplace is a new offer from Content is Queen, and this has been a great way to introduce Creators to the platform. We wanted to make the Micro-Grant pitching process as easy as possible, so by creating a profile on the Marketplace, you can showcase your previous work and credits easily.

As this is a new platform, and a different way of pitching your Micro-Grant idea, here are some pointers:

• Apply in 3 steps: Sign up to the Marketplace, set up your profile and then submit your pitch under the ‘opportunities’ tab. That’s it! We only need a few sentences for your pitch, as all the rest of the information we need will be in your profile.

• Complete your profile as fully as possible. In the ‘Edit Your Profile’ section of the settings, make sure you give as much information as you can. Use your Bio paragraph to highlight any relevant or transferable skills in eg. community building or what you’ve worked on before. You can add up to six different episodes and tell us your role in creating the audio.

• Explain your idea in an elevator pitch. We want you to practise explaining your idea quickly, so unlike previous years, we are specifically asking for clear and succinct pitching. Keep it tight and don’t go over the 3-5 sentences. There is no specific word count but try to keep it under 100 words.
• Choose your best idea. We know you have loads of ideas, but no multiple entries please! Pick one idea for a captivating trailer, an original pilot, or a standout episode for an existing series – whatever your best idea is.
• No edits or amends after the submission! Once you have sent your proposal, it’s not possible to amend it. (For that reason we recommend editing in a Google doc first then copying over). You will be able to see your application in Marketplace but we are unable to provide you with copies of your application.

• The Marketplace is still in BETA. Marketplace is a new platform, and this is the biggest test we’ve given it so far, so we’re fine-tuning things as we go. If you’ve experienced difficulties or any technical issue, please use the ‘report problem’ function if it appears and this will go to our development team. Otherwise you can try:

 

• • Clearing the cache on your browser – this will reboot the app
  • Login at a quieter time. The Micro-Grants scheme is very popular this year and there are more new profiles than we expected! We’re increasing the bandwidth but if you have had issues, do try again later.
  • If you are still having issues, send us an email to studio@contentisqueen.org and we’ll look into it!

 

• Check the FAQs and don’t leave it to the last minute! Make sure you sign-up to Marketplace, set up your profile and submit your pitch as early as possible. Content is Queen HQ is closed from 21st December to 6th Jan, and whilst we’ll be monitoring the platform and inbox intermittently, you don’t want to be stressed at the last minute. You’ll find all the information you need on how to apply in our FAQs and Instagram live, as well as this article so please do read through everything first – we’ll do our best to respond to any urgent enquiries.

Listen to these podcasts for inspiration

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your Micro-Grant pitch, listen to our playlist of shows that have been supported in the past.

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We hope this has been helpful for you. You can find answers to many other frequently asked questions over on our Micro-Grants FAQs page. Ready to apply now? Head to Marketplace! The deadline is 17th January 2025 at 6PM but get it in as early as you can. We can’t wait to read your ideas, and GOOD LUCK!

In the final article in our short series on the power dynamics of interviews, Francesca Turauskis recommends five episodes to listen to for a masterclass in interview techniques…

Over the past few articles I’ve been exploring how podcasters can recognise the power dynamics in interviews, and how they can mitigate any awkwardness that may create by making an interview more equal.

To finish off our exploration of interviewing, I wanted to share a few examples of interviews where you can hear that the production team have been considerate of the social, political and personal contexts that surround the interview. Here are five masterful interviews to explain the power dynamics of podcasts.

1. Bloodlines – ‘Breakthrough’ and ‘DA’s Secret’

The host and reporter of Bloodlines, Poonam Taneja, has conducted interviews in Syria, Afghanistan, Bosnia, India and many more countries besides. In Bloodlines, she is investigating the disappearance of a young boy called Salmaan during the war against the Islamic State. When she heads into a prison camp in Syria Poonam speaks to a woman that she calls DA for the purpose of the series and who Poonam suspects has information about Salmaan. We can hear how guarded DA is – she doesn’t trust any media, she is worried about the legal ramifications of speaking out, and she is even more guarded around the male members of the production team.

I would recommend listening to the whole series because Poonam’s reporting is a masterclass but it is the episodes ‘Breakthrough’ and ‘DA’s Secret’ in particular that show her consideration. What’s more, she talks the listener through her process – she confirms that all recordings will be anonymous, the episodes won’t be aired before DA’s legal hearings and she reassesses the situation constantly depending on DA’s response. A worthy multi-award-winning show. Listen here.

2. British Scandal – ‘The Krays | Interview – The Krays’ barrister, Nemone Lethbridge

Nemone Lethbridge was one of the first women barristers in the UK and often defended the infamous Kray twins in court. This interview between Alice Levine and Nemone is very delicately done, and has an air of being quite relaxed despite Alice confronting Nemone about aspects of her working relationship with the twins. This interview was recommended to me by Naomi Miller when I was asking about the most influential people in podcasting. She said:

“I think a lot of people underestimated her journalistic capacities and that was really emphasised to me on an episode of British Scandal not that long ago, where she interviewed a, it must be said, relatively elderly woman who had been involved around the time of the Krays in East London. And this woman was an absolute powerhouse, and Alice interviewed her in a way that I think any journalist at any publication in the world would’ve been really proud of”.

It’s interesting that Naomi used the word ‘powerhouse’ and listening to the episode, there appears to have been a lot of consideration around the aspects of power dynamics. Firstly, interviews on British Scandal often involved both hosts, but in this case Alice spoke to Nemone without co-host Matt Forde. She also went to meet Nemone in a location that was best for her guest. This takes into account comfort, but it also gave them something extra to talk about because the location was relevant to the topic. I agree that this is a great example of journalistic skill. Listen here.

3. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative – ‘Release’

I’ve mentioned Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative as an example of good podcasting several times over the past year. The reason it comes up a lot is because the show is so meta in the way you are taken through the process of creating a narrative podcast – I’d go so far as to say that this show is more for podcasters than listeners.

When it comes to the power dynamics between the interviewer and interviewee, this whole series addresses that very topic. Every episode is riddled with examples of good and bad practice, and host Jess Shane will point them all out as you listen, but for one standout example episode I would say listen to the final one, ‘Release’, by itself. Unlike other examples in this list, ‘Release’ has an example of when a guest tries to take more control of the episode than Jess was comfortable with. Allowing her interviewee a chance to feedback on her edit throws Jess’ whole production schedule. It is a great example of the awkward situations that can occur if power dynamics aren’t – essentially – agreed by all parties, and hearing how Jess responds to this is a lovely example of trying to rebalance a situation. Listen here.

4. The English Disease | Legacy – ‘The Englishman’

Listen with caution to this podcast – both guests and talking heads use racist and misogynistic language readily. This is partly why I put this on the list, as The English Disease explores the legacy of football hooliganism (and the violent subculture to football that exists in 2024) in a way that is transparent and gives voice to characters in that world without condoning what they are saying. We often hear host Sam Diss and producer Nicky Anderson talking about the best way to report on the subject, and who to speak to for the series. Sometimes they admit they don’t get it right – in particular, we hear the different levels of comfort between them. In this episode, when interviewing ‘The Englishman’ of the title in a pub in Nottingham, Sam admits he barely notices the sexist comments, whilst Nicky wonders how much worse they would have been if she were not there.

Later in the series, we get some more background on the production process between the team, and how often they checked in with each other. At one point, Nicky decides to put her welfare before the reporting and it’s great to hear. A really interesting series that is difficult to listen to and must have been difficult to make. Listen here.

5. The Quilt – ‘The Unravelling’

The latest series from our friends at Aunt Nell, The Quilt is sharing living memories of queer Britain & Northern Ireland. Produced and hosted by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith, the series automatically has what I call the ‘affinity interview’ aspect, as Tash and Adam are creating a podcast for a community they identify as part of. In the first episode, ‘The Unravelling’, we also get a lovely example of a ‘happening interview’, where Adam meets Serena James and asks her to talk us through some of her possessions, including ‘the most fabulous dress’ and how it felt when she put it on for the first time. This is a beautiful way of talking about the significance of clothes to Serena as a trans woman, and lets us hear her joy from wearing it.

The rest of this series gives some great examples of choosing good locations for interviews – from significant venues in queer history to Pride events and more. It creates a lovely topic of conversation, and an interesting tapestry (or quilt!) of different audio sources for the listener. Listen here.

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Even if you are a confident podcaster, the power dynamics at play during interviews can lead to very awkward situations if you don’t manage them well. Francesca Turauskis shares how podcasters can make interviewers and interviewees more equal…

In my last article, I explored how interviewers and interviewees are never really equals – at least at the point the interview is agreed. There are always power dynamics at play that will affect your interview, and sometimes that can mean that you end up with recordings that don’t answer the questions you set out to ask.

The good news is that you can conduct an interview in a way that helps you gain more control over the situation, or in a way that lets your interviewee take some control themselves. Here are four ways to help make an interview more equal.

Choose the Right Location

One of the most important jobs for a podcast producer is picking the right location for an interview. This is true from a practical sense (e.g. picking the best option for good audio) but it also helps manage the dynamics of an interview.

If you want someone to have an easy experience, interviewing them at home can be a great way to meet them where they are. Sarah Koenig of Serial said during An Evening with Sarah Koenig that “sometimes it’s great to be in a source’s house.” However, she cautioned that “it is like you’re a guest. So sometimes it’s not the best venue, especially if you’re going to be confronting somebody.”

Picking a neutral space can be a good option and could also help keep the conversation civil if you are confronting someone. However, bear in mind that public spaces might be inappropriate for some conversations. In her class for the Broccoli BUILD series, broadcast journalist Alice Bloch pointed out that “if you’re going to be talking about something sensitive… don’t do it in the middle of a noisy café or co-working space.”

If you want to control the space, inviting someone into the studio can be a great choice for a professional and private venue. Do think about the vibe you want to give guests when they are there – you can keep it professional but you could also make it welcoming or relaxing. In the Structure of Intimacy panel at the International Women’s Podcast Festival this year, Natasha Miller from the Bitter/Sweet podcast talked about how she tries to make guests comfortable using different scents and candles.

Wherever you choose to do your interview, the main thing to remember is to choose with purpose, and think about how the guest might feel in that place with you.

Explain the Interview and Production Process

Explaining the interview and production process is a great idea with lots of guests, and I would recommend making this a regular part of your interview flow. If someone isn’t used to being interviewed, talking through how you edit the show can be a great way to reassure them or prepare them that only a small section of an interview might be used. This is something that producer Jess Shane covered in detail in Radiotopia’s podcast, Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative, and it helps avoid misunderstandings or upset when the interview is released.

Talking through the next steps can also help indicate your control over the show if an interviewee is trying to have more power over the conversation than you are comfortable with (such as if they avoided answering your questions). For example, explaining who else you are speaking to during an investigation might encourage a guest to be more honest with probing questions.

This is also where you can cover editorial or legal aspects such as the fact the interview will be edited or offering the right of reply. This is especially important if you are running an investigation but could also be useful to consider for other podcast styles.

Consider an Activity

When you think of an interview, you’ll likely picture two people sitting down but including an activity in your interview could be a great way to break up the Q&A style. It can add some interest for the listener as it shows a different side to your guest and has the potential to include sound beyond the conversation.

Producer Leo Hornak spoke about this method of interviewing at my recent Tremula Festival, and he calls it a ‘happening interview’. “I think it’s a whole tool that people use a lot but maybe don’t give enough thought to,” he said. “There’s just so many ways in which you can make something happen in your interview that goes beyond just words”.

This is also a place to consider the dynamics of the interviewer-interviewee setup. If you are speaking to someone who is shy or uncomfortable with the microphone, doing an activity they know well can help put them at ease. “They can forget that the microphone’s there,” Leo says, “and they can become their real self rather than wondering what everyone’s going to think when they hear this”.

On the flip side, if you are speaking to someone that makes you nervous or has been interviewed a lot (such as your favourite celebrity) doing an activity can give you something different to talk about, and help you feel more at ease in that conversation.

Consider If You Are The Best Interviewer

One last thing that I think is always worth considering is whether you are the best interviewer to get the answers that you are looking for from a guest. There are some situations where you could be the most considerate interviewer in the world, but pre-existing power dynamics mean that someone just won’t answer you in the way you need them to.

Social and cultural dynamics can sometimes make a guest feel uncomfortable or guarded, especially if their experiences differ significantly from your own. For example, if you’re discussing sensitive topics like racism or sexism and you haven’t personally experienced them, the guest may feel less open. In such cases, consider arranging what I call an “affinity interview,” where someone who shares more common ground or lived experience with the guest conducts the interview instead.

On the flip side of the coin, you might also find there are interviews you don’t want to undertake because of how it will affect you. If a subject or guest feels too uncomfortable or personal to you, think about if someone else might be able to interview them instead. Remember that no matter how important an interview is, always consider your safety and welfare when you are arranging it.

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No matter what type of podcast you are making, considering the context and the options for your interviews is an important part of the process. We hope these tips can help you approach interviewing in a more purposeful way.

If you want more tips on successful interviewing, the video versions of the IWPF panels and workshops will soon be online, but in the meantime, make sure you are signed up to our newsletter to hear all our latest offerings.

Whether it is a relaxed conversation or a probing exposé, there are always power dynamics at play that can change how an interview goes. Francesca Turauskis offers some tips for helping you understand where you stand as an interviewer…

One of the themes that I really appreciated at this year’s International Women’s Podcast Festival was how many of the sessions gave space to the interview process. Conducting interviews is such a keystone of podcasting, but I think it can sometimes be forgotten that there is a lot of skill in doing it well. In particular, there is an aspect of interviewing that many of the sessions I saw touched on: interviewees and interviewers are not equals.

There are always power dynamics between people in our society, so there will always be power dynamics in interviews. Things such as job roles, the topic you’re talking about, and your relationship to each other can affect who feels most ‘in charge’ of the conversation. In a similar way, it is worth acknowledging aspects of privilege and power within society that could affect how you connect to the person you’re interviewing.

For many conversations, you and your guests will likely have an unconscious understanding of where you both stand, and approaching the conversation with a warm and friendly attitude will be all you need. However, for some interviews, it is worth considering the power dynamics more consciously as they might affect your experiences of the interview – and what your listener ends up hearing.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to start thinking about the different places power can lie in an interview.

Who is asking the questions?

Being the interviewer asking the questions automatically gives you a certain amount of power over the conversation. You have more idea of where the conversation will go, and you know what you hope your listeners will hear. For some guests, this could be part of the fun and they might not need more than a general idea of the topic, but you might find others want to have a bit more control over the conversation.

If your guests ask for the questions beforehand, put vetoes on topics or suggest and rewrite questions, it might suggest they want to feel more in control. How much of this power you do hand to your guests in this part of the process depends on the next question…

What type of interview is it?

When considering the power dynamics in your conversations, it is important to ask yourself what the purpose of the interview is. Are you asking an expert to share their knowledge? Are you challenging a politician for information? Or are you asking a guest about their personal life and traumatic experiences? The type of interview you are conducting really affects where the power lies, and also whether you want to try and equalise the interview (more on that in a future article!)

Interviewers have the power to make people feel comfortable or uncomfortable, depending on the purpose of the questioning. At An Evening with Sarah Koenig, Sarah was addressing how some interviewees found the process too aggressive or probing. She pointed out that interviews “aren’t always supposed to be fun”. When it comes to investigations in particular, interviews can be “uncomfortable, but that’s also our job”.

Who picked the location of the interview?

One good indicator of who is in charge of an interview is thinking about who picked the location. Did you suggest somewhere you are comfortable, or did they invite you to meet them somewhere? Did someone invite you to their home, or did you surprise them on the doorstep? Where an interview takes place can make a real difference as to how comfortable you both are, but if one person was leading more on that decision, it could show where the control in the conversation lies. You could be interviewing someone in their home – but if you invited yourself over, that is quite a powerful statement on who is in charge.

What are the social and cultural dynamics?

If you have a diverse list of guests (which hopefully you do!) you are going to speak to people who come from different backgrounds, and experience the world from a different perspective. Although your conversations might not be addressing their identity, politics or culture directly, it is important to have some understanding of how these aspects feed into the experiences of your guests. Try to approach all interviews with an awareness of the privileges and disadvantages that are inherent in our society.

How well do you know each other?

How well the interviewer and guest know each other can really affect all the other contexts: you might be interviewing the King in Buckingham Palace, but if you are the Queen it makes that interview much more equal. You might be very similar to each other and meeting in a mutual place, but if you don’t know the person the power is more likely to lean towards your professional status as the interviewer. Think about your relationship to each other, and how that might change the dynamics of the interview.

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Remember, you can’t know all of the context to an interview and who holds power could change throughout the course of an interview. However, by asking yourself these questions it will give you some more information to help you prepare for a successful conversation.

The video versions of the IWPF panels and workshops about interviews will soon be online, but in the meantime, you can head back to basics with Imriel Morgan’s Top Tips for Podcast Interviews.

Defining the podcast sector shouldn’t just be about topping the charts. Francesca Turauskis shares a list of people who are rolling up their sleeves to change the podcast industry for the better…

I have seen several lists over the years that try to pinpoint the ‘most influential people’ in podcasting, and I often think that such articles give too much importance to topping the chart, too much space to dangerous individuals, and too little thought to podcasting outside of the USA. Such people do have power and influence, yet it doesn’t mean they are giving anything to the podcast industry as a whole.

Here at Content is Queen we know that there are so many people working to change the podcast industry and actively influence what it will become. Like nudging an asteroid millions of miles away, there are people whose work now might be going unnoticed by many – but I think what they are doing will change the direction of podcasting and help it avoid crashing and burning.

So I wanted to create an alternative list of some of the most influential people in podcasting that celebrates not just personal success, but changing the podcast landscape. This list mixes my personal opinions with suggestions from some attendees at the International Women’s Podcast Festival last month. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but it just goes to show how many podcast professionals are rolling up their sleeves to create change.

Here is the Content is Queen suggestion of influential people in podcasting that you should know!

Leanne Alie

Leanne Alie is no stranger to the Content is Queen community, and she is the person behind many initiatives that open up the UK audio industry. In previous roles, she has been responsible for bringing Spotify’s Sound Up Bootcamp to the UK and launching the BBC Sounds Audio Lab open pitch and now in her role as Head of Podcasts with The Artists Partnership, she has created a new Amplify Accelerator as part of The Partnership Group.

Away from her day jobs, she’s been behind the scenes on several influential UK podcast events, she is a trustee of the Multitrack Fellowship and was recently the Head of Judges for the British Podcast Awards. You can find out more about Leanne and her path into podcasting in our interview with her earlier this year.

One of the people who recommended Leanne Alie was Laura Blake (who is herself an incredibly influential person as the co-lead on the Equality in Audio Pact and Head of UKAN/UK Audio Network platform). Laura told me:

“I think Leanne’s work through her own podcast Coiled, but then working as a commissioner at BBC and now what she’s doing with Amplified is, I think, groundbreaking and I think she is a guiding light in the audio industry.”

Alice Levine

Many people will be familiar with Alice as one third of My Dad Wrote a Porno, which has been described as the “most successful podcast in British history” after it was the first show ever to be inducted into the British Podcast Awards hall of fame in 2023. This in itself would put the whole MDWAP team into the running for influential podcasters, but whilst her co-hosts have mostly worked in theatre since ending the show, Alice has continued to grow her podcast credentials.

Alice hosts several podcasts, often on Wondery shows such as British Scandal and this year’s hit The Price of Paradise. Taking her influence beyond the talent aspects of podcasting, Alice was also part of the team behind Crossed Wires, a new podcast event based in Sheffield that described itself as ‘The UK’s biggest podcasting party’. Launching such a big event in the industry is exciting to think about, and especially when they chose to do a regional event outside London (sometime I’ve previously encouraged.)

Alice was recommended by Naomi Mellor (Founder of Everybody Media and the International Women’s Podcast Awards) who said:

“As she herself said, when you have a podcast called My Dad Wrote a Porno, perhaps people don’t take you as seriously as they maybe should, but I think she has shown her true colours and is really emphasising herself as a true leader in the podcast sector”.

Thomas Curry (BBC Studios Audio)

A multi-award-winning producer, Thomas Curry has created podcasts for many of the leading companies in the podcast industry including Apple, Audible, BBC, CBC, Spotify, and Wondery amongst others. There is no doubt that Thomas is a talented producer, and this is why he was also part of a team that received a Content is Queen Micro-Grant 2023 (for Sissy, sharing in-depth interviews about queer life.)

Thomas is elevated to ‘influential’ due to his job roles, firstly as Head of Podcasts at Vespucci, and now as Head of Production at BBC Studios Audio (a commercial production element of the BBC). In this role he will deliver the business and commercial strategy for the Audio unit, which means that he will be a big influence on the direction and types of shows that get developed and pitched by the Studios.

It is important that such roles are held by people that understand the purpose of things like the Equality in Audio Pact (EAP), and given that Thomas was one of the signatures of the 2023 Open Letter to the Audio Industry about the lack of action after the EAP it seems like a good start.

Producer Meera Kumar recommended Thomas to me and she said:

“I know that for the next few years I’m going to see changes: I’m going to see more exciting things come out of BBC studios [sic], more creative things, different things, and it makes me feel hopeful and excited for the future of podcasting again… It makes a difference having that person in that particular position of power that they’re going to make creative choices that other people would be too afraid to or not understand. And I think that’s how we usher in the next era of audio.”

Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews (Shameless Media)

Like many podcasts, Zara McDonald and Michelle Andrews’ Shameless has a simple concept (a chat show about pop culture that is ‘for smart people who love dumb stuff’). So when Zara and Michelle’s workplace (the Australian-based women’s media company Mamamia) rejected the idea, they decided to start making the show themselves. They had 70 Australian dollars and recorded in a bedroom and six years later, Shameless Media is Australia’s biggest independent media company for young women.

The aspirational aspect of bootstrapping a podcast company is something we see quite often, particularly from people who have stepped sideways from other creative industries. However I think that Zara and Michelle have offered some content that was missing from Australia’s media landscape. In an interview with Forbes Australia, Michelle pointed out that the pair had noticed “a huge gap for pop culture through a smart lens. We felt a lot of people were talking about pop culture, but not with an analytical lens”. What’s more, there is an ethos in how they have refused corporate buyout, and it sets a precedent for the Australian podcasting landscape.

Leona Fensome (Founder of Inkslingers Media) was the person who recommend Zara and Michelle, and she had this to say:

“They’ve had lots of Australian companies and international companies try and buy in, but they’ve said ‘no. We know exactly editorially and from a vision perspective where we want to go with this’. And I think they’re definitely two girls to really put on that list of influential podcasters because they’ve set up an independent media company within the last six years. They’ve got 15 employees. They did it.”

Nicole Logan (Goalhanger)

In 2023, PodPod announced Nicole Logan as a ‘Face to Watch’ – at the time she was Head of Development at Reduced Listening, where she developed and produced works including The Sleeping Forecast for BBC Sounds and the video podcast Nailing It for Spotify. Her focus on content that appeals to Gen-Z is something that many media companies crave.

Nicole has very recently been hired as their first ever Executive Producer of Development at Goalhanger. Whilst influential shouldn’t just be about topping the charts, Goalhanger has so many shows regularly at the top of the charts that it is arguably one of the most influential and powerful podcast companies in the UK currently. In her job role, Nicole will be working across the company’s slate of shows and looking to develop and release new ones as well. It puts her in potentially a very powerful position based on previous Goalhanger shows, as new ones are likely to find a large and welcoming listenership.

She has also been a Member Board Of Trustees at Multitrack for more than five years, so you can see her dedication to creating something for the future of the podcast industry.

Chloe Straw recommended Nicole, as did Lisa Hack (Senior Technical Tutor for audio, radio and podcasts at Goldsmiths, University of London) who said:

“Watching how Nicole is navigating the industry and bringing her skills and talent through to different places has been great. Her energy is amazing. She always brings good vibes into a room. Again, privileged to work with her at Multitrack and always helpful and always looking at how to solve issues creatively, bringing people together, knowing who might be a good person for different things. So really a big talent, I think, and Goalhanger must be really excited to have her.”

Nina Robinson (Soundtruism)

The CEO and Founder of Soundtrusim, Nina Robinson is dedicated to telling diverse and authentic stories in audio. Based in Birmingham, she is another example of how the influence in podcasting can sit very comfortably outside of London, and the Birmingham Uni Pod Fest created by Soundtrusim is doing lots of work to prepare the next generation of audio professionals.

Her focus isn’t just on the future though, and Nina often does work with the Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, which works across media types to achieve accurate representation. She is a Board Member for AudioUK, and she was instrumental in bringing the Podcasting Seriously Audio Fund to the UK, which aims to make audio awards and competitions more accessible to underrepresented communities, independent producers and early-career aspirants.

Another person who was recommended by more than one person, Lisa Hack was particularly praising of her work around events:

“A big shout out for doing stuff outside of London as well in the Midlands, and what she’s been achieving with [Uni Pod Fest] so far has been really good… she also does really good wrap-ups of events that she goes to. If I haven’t been to something, I guarantee I’ll go to Nina’s Instagram and there’ll be a brilliant post of what’s been going on and who’s who, what’s been happening.”

Imriel Morgan (Content is Queen)

Imriel Morgan is CEO and Founder of Content is Queen, the home of the International Women’s Podcast Festival. In the past five years Content is Queen has been amplifying minority voices, and through initiatives such as the Festival and Micro-Grants. What’s more, Imriel has worked closely with the big players in podcasting such as Spotify, Audible and Acast to make these things happen –

In 2023, Content is Queen became the co-lead for the Equality in Audio Pact, and the dedication of the team behind the scenes to follow the ethos of equality and encourage other companies to do the same is incredible.

Imriel is the person I wanted to recommend myself for this – and it is not because of any employee obligation (this is when I can point out being a freelancer gives me a slight outsider view and a lot of freedom!). Instead, I just want to say that it is incredible to see the work and passion that goes on behind the scenes to bring important audio into the world. Imriel is a facilitator of the podcasting process for so many.

The Guests

One person (or group of people) that I thought was nice to mention was recommended by Karen Arthur from the Menopause Whilst Black podcast. When asked who the most influential people in podcasting were, she reminded me that there is a power in the ripples that come from listening to guests on podcasts that you don’t hear from elsewhere. As Karen said:

“I like to hear from people you don’t normally hear from, so I want to hear from women. I want to hear from black women. I love an intergenerational conversation, so I want to hear from older people talking to younger people. I want to hear ordinary, extraordinary stories because I think we’re all extraordinary and I think that a 1%, a small percentage of people get the most amplification.”

Honourable mentions:

As I said at the start, this list barely scratches the surface of those that deserve to be mentioned as ‘most influential in podcasting’. I have focused in this article on people who are actively working for change as we speak and those working within podcasting rather than audio as a whole.

However, there are several people mentioned by those I asked that are doing fantastic work across the whole of the audio sector, and others I wanted to point out have influenced the industry historically:

• Renay Richardson: Renay was the instigator of the Equality in Audio Pact, and her company Broccoli Production brought a range of innovative shows to the podcast scene. Since Broccoli closed down earlier in 2024, Renay has taken a step back from audio, but her previous influence still resonates.
• Lily Ames: As Head of Production & Culture at Chalk & Blade Lily still holds, but her mention here is for starting the UK Audio Network (UKAN). The Google Group has been a key place for posting and finding work in audio, and also provides a space for discussions about the industry.
• Laura Blake (UKAN): As the current Head of UKAN, Laura has been leading on the UKAN Pay Survey in 2023 and 2024 as a way to offer some transparency on the rates of pay in the audio industry as a whole.
• Bea Duncan & Tess Davidson (ELAN): As the Co-Founders of the Entry Level Audio Network (ELAN) Bea and Tess have created a community that welcomes new professionals into the audio industry. It is not too much to say that their work with ELAN is helping to shape the future of the industry, and from a place of inclusion and diversity.
• Aradhna Tayal Leach (The Radio Academy): As the Managing Director of The Radio Academy, the only audio and radio industry charity, Aradhna Tayal Leach’s work spreads into the podcasting side of audio and she is keen to welcome and share the resources and support that The Radio Academy can offer to all audio creators, with a passion for encouraging diverse practices across industries. Find out more about her work in our previous interview.
• Chloe Straw (AudioUK): In a similar role as the Managing Director of AudioUK, Chloe Straw’s work covers aspects of the audio industry that affect audio professionals at all levels, not just podcasting. She is a voice for audio in meetings from government departments to Spotify. Find out more about Chloe in our previous interview.
• Hannah Brankin (Rusty Quill): Now the Chief operating Officer of Rusty Quill, Hannah has been working with the company for seven years. Rusty Quill is the home of some of the most successful audio drama podcasts around, and Chloe Straw pointed to the business aspect of Rusty Quill being a big influence on the genre: “They take traditionally quite a tricky audio medium to monetise and they do brilliantly and live shows. They’ve got a board game merch, they’re an incredible, incredible business. She runs them really well.”
• Ella Watts: A true champion for podcast and audio dramas, Ella Watts works across big franchise audio and independent, micro-budget podcasts that share stories not heard in other media. She is well-known in the genre and wider podcast industry, and you can find out more about her in our previous interview.
• Leona Fensome: Another great recommendation by Chloe Straw, Leona is the Founder of Inkslingers Media and of particular mention I think is her mixing of media between oral history, audio art, journalism and podcasting, which highlights the importance of audio in the social and historical context (something she is exploring more in her PhD on the history of student-led, community radio stations).
• Megan Bradshaw (Amazon Music): Recommended by Chloe Straw, who pointed out the need for collaboration and support from such individuals in larger companies: “We need to rely on partnerships with places like Amazon to do a lot of the work that we do and she’s always just incredibly supportive as well as very, very involved.”

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Thank you to everyone who spoke to me and suggested people for this list. If you think we’ve missed someone obvious, you can let us know on social media.

If this article has influenced you, whatever level you are at in your podcasting career, Content is Queen can provide you with valuable tools, resources and expertise at your fingertips. You can find out more about joining our community of storytellers or sign-up to our newsletter at the bottom of the page to get the latest news and opportunities from Content is Queen and the wider podcasting scene.

The International Women’s Podcast Festival 2024 was an absolute feat of programming, with dozens of sessions from podcast experts teaching audio production, podcast promotion and discussing inclusive principles behind creating good shows. We are so excited to be able to share the sessions from our London event with a wider audience soon.

In the meantime we wanted to help you continue learning about podcasting, by signposting to some suggestions from our attendees. Here are six ways to upskill your podcast prowess.

Content is Queen’s podcast resources and talks!

“So… the Content is Queen newsletter comes every two weeks, and it’s really good” said Naomi Mellor from Everybody Media, without any prompting! We couldn’t agree more, as we work year-round to try and demystify podcast production for everyone. The other place we would point you towards for more podcast resources is of course the IWPF24 Global Voices sessions, which you can access for free on our virtual stage, right now. There is an abundance of learning, connection, and inspiration with podcasters from around the world, and sessions include ‘Podcasting for Activism’, ‘Boost Podcast Discoverability’ and a voice workshop for podcasters.

If you have zoomed through those sessions already, perhaps you can head back to some of our original generation of free resources to nail the basics.

AIR Media

Another recommendation from Naomi Mellor was AIR Media, which is the Association of Independents in Radio. “I’m quite a big fan of what’s provided through AIR in the States. A lot of that is online, ” Naomi told us. “Some of them are free, some of them are paid for, but they do some really good teaching with some really good international experts.” The ‘Toolbox’ section in particular has a number of resources, and whilst it is US-centric, there are some very specific webinars such as ‘Pitching NPRs National Desk’ that could give some much-needed inside advice.

Multitrack Masterclasses

“I would say that if you want to continue your learning, then there are some great events that Multitrack puts on,” Meera Kumar recommended, and it’s a favourite of ours as well. “They put them on in collaboration with great organisations like Audible or Audio Labs or AudioUK. A professional will come in, show you how they do things. You can upskill really quickly. And I think having access to sessions like that is invaluable – I came through Multitrack and I’ve done those upskilling sessions”.

Meera herself is now one of those experts running a session on ‘Creating a Sonic Identity for a Story’ on Friday 8th November, and she recommended keeping an eye on their social accounts to see when new events are announced (you can also follow them on Eventbrite itself).

BBC Academy Podcast

“The BBC Academy Podcast on podcasting” is a recommendation from Lisa Hack (who ran a talk on ‘Don’t Fix It In Post’ to help you set up good recordings). This podcast is for the broadcast production, journalism and technology communities, and it isn’t just about podcasting but instead aims to give practical advice on all aspects of TV, radio, and journalism. “It’s a bit of a sporadic podcast in itself. I found some good bits in there.” The recent ‘minipods’ series on smartphone journalism, in particular, is something we didn’t specifically cover in our festival this year but could help you make professional-quality audio journalism even if you don’t have the budget and equipment of big media establishments.

BUILD by Broccoli Productions

BUILD is one of the legacies of Broccoli Productions, who sadly closed earlier this year. If you want to work in podcasting, this is a great resource because it is an audio-first learning podcast platform. The classes cover aspects of audio creation across five pillars: marketing, production, business, personal development, and storytelling. This is especially good for those of you who want to work in audio and podcasting professionally, as you can learn more about navigating the industry as a whole, as well as creating good content. For some encouragement to get networking, Danni Haughan (who previously ran the Apple Podcasts business in Europe and produced the Penguin Podcast) will help you think about it in a different way, and figure out where you fit in the industry, and who you might want to work with.

Your Fellow Podcasters

Speaking of networking, we couldn’t neglect to mention one of the best resources for learning about podcasting and this is your fellow podcasters. It was such a joy to see the conversations that were occurring around the sessions on 4th October. We are keen believers that expertise is not limited to the speakers and panellists, and that includes you reading this! If you haven’t yet connected with people following the festival, pop over that email, send that DM or arrange a coffee. No matter where you are in your podcast journey, you have something to teach as well as something to learn.

Francesca Turauskis gives us the rundown from An Evening with Sarah Koenig at the Festival Hall, Southbank Centre as part of the International Women’s Podcast Festival 2024…

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The London part of the International Women’s Podcast Festival 2024 was spread over two days, starting with an ‘Evening with Sarah Koenig’ on 3rd October. A co-production between the International Women’s Podcast Festival and the Southbank Centre, it was a beautiful celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the iconic podcast series, Serial, and it was an enlightening evening for listeners and podcasters alike.

We got to hear the Co-Creator of Serial, Sarah Koenig, in conversation with Samira Ahmed, the award-winning presenter, journalist and herself the host of the podcast How I Found My Voice. The conversation covered so many areas of Sarah’s podcast journey, and I wanted to share some of the things that stood out for me during the conversation that might be useful to podcasters, and interesting to listeners.

SERIAL INVESTIGATES ADNAN’S CONVICTION, NOT THE MURDER

The thing Sarah said that was most interesting to me personally was something that may seem like a small technicality, but actually changes the entire way I think about the first series of Serial. At the centre of that series is the murder of Hae Min Lee, a high-school student from Baltimore. Serial investigated whether her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, was wrongly convicted of her murder and listeners might find themselves wondering if Adnan is guilty or innocent.

However, that wasn’t quite the line of investigation that Sarah and her team took – instead, they were interested in whether the conviction itself was unlawful, and if some aspects of the case were missed or ignored in the original police investigation. It is a small difference, but I think it differentiates Serial’s investigation style from other true crime podcasts that might be more interested in the human characters, and questions of innocence and guilt.

This interest in the criminal process is also something we see in Serial’s later series, and explains what may have seemed like a pivot away from the standard ‘true crime’ topics.

THE PRODUCTION TIMELINE

Sarah delved into some of the behind-the-scenes moments of producing Serial, including the production timeline for the first series. What was interesting to me was that she had been researching the case of Adnan Syed’s conviction for an episode of This American Life for months and it’s certainly a testament to how important development time and space is. (As a sidenote, this is one of the reasons I think initiatives like the Content is Queen Micro-grant are so important.)

Another thing that she shared was how close to the wire the final moments of production were. “I think we had made the first four episodes once we started,” Sarah said “But then we were really making them in real-time and that was horrible!”. So if you’re also someone who works towards deadlines a bit too tightly, you are in good company with the first podcast to win a Peabody Award!

JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY

With two journalists speaking together, it’s unsurprising that the conversation covered aspects of journalistic integrity. Sarah tackled how it was a learning curve to protect her sources from public interest after the first series of Serial became so unexpectedly popular. Another aspect when it comes to sources is the idea that interviews should be approached differently depending on the interviewee and the reason for interviewing them. Sometimes, an interview in the person’s house would make sense, and at other times, the interview venue should be more neutral.

Sarah also addressed some of the misunderstanding that her work is purely for entertainment rather than being a form of investigative journalism. The idea that Serial is entertainment has been a way to dismiss issues raised by the podcast, particularly in the third series about problems with the criminal justice system in Cleveland. “It is both good reporting and entertaining!” Sarah says, and it has highlighted important issues over the years.

SERIAL’S SUCCESS COULD BE ABOUT GOOD TIMING

One thing Sarah mentioned briefly that could be really interesting when it comes to the conversation of podcast discoverability was the timing of Serial’s first series. The release of Serial coincided with the release of the iPhone 6, which was the first time Apple Podcasts was pre-installed with iOS. This boosted the popularity of podcasts in general, and as Serial was a featured podcast on the app around that time, it boosted its visibility at precisely the right time. It will not have been the only reason Serial was a success – for one thing, people wouldn’t have continued listening if the podcast wasn’t good. However, this makes me interested to know what other podcasts were featured on Apple Podcasts simultaneously and whether they succeeded and endured similarly…

THE TRUE LEGACY OF SERIAL

A final theme that arose more than once during the evening was that of legacy. In the ten years since Serial defined the serialised storytelling technique, it has created something of a podcast zeitgeist. Samira asked Sarah how she felt about how her work has been mirrored in that time, but Sarah wasn’t too keen to claim a connection to podcasts that have followed in the wake of Serial. Instead, she is most proud of the individuals she has reached out to and who have reached out to her. “What has been really, really gratifying” she said, “is hearing people say to me, ‘I became a lawyer because of you”, or, ‘I became a journalist because of you’ or, ‘I’m working at the Innocence Project because of you’.” That is the true legacy of Serial – and what is lovely about that is it is something every podcaster can aspire to.

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‘An Evening with Sarah Koenig’ was made possible with the support of Spotify, and it takes a huge amount of work to put on events like this. We would like to thank everybody working on the event, including the captioning and BSL team who made the evening accessible, and Will Ireland for the photography. Make sure you are signed up to our newsletter via the bottom of the page to hear about opportunities or head to festival.contentisqueen.org/global-voices to find out more about the speakers and talks.