Hello again!
This week I have been at The Publisher Podcast Summit. It’s become a must-go to for me, probably even more so than The Podcast Show. In fact, the more I reflect on The Podcast Show and its evolution, the more I see an event struggling to know what it is and who it is for (I guess that’s largely reflective of podcasting itself over the last four years, but still…)
Not so at The Publisher Podcast Summit where every year the schedule is thoughtfully curated and expertly delivered. It doesn’t get distracted. It knows exactly who it’s for: people in publishing who care about audio. Media Voices does a brilliant job each year of programming speakers you genuinely want to hear from on the topics that actually matter.
This year the event was split into four streams over two days with each stream hyper-focussed on its topic. I stayed in my lane in the podcast track but in the room next door they spent the day learning about apps. The two tracks on Tuesday focussed on newsletters and print.
Oh - and I got to step on stage too, which was lovely. I joined New Statesman Executive Producer Chris Stone and video producer Rob Le Mare to pick up the Best Commercial Strategy award at the Publisher Podcast Awards. I’ve been working on their sponsored episodes for the past year and it was great to see the team recognised for all the work that goes into them. They also won Best Culture Podcast — so yes, I whooped very loudly.
If you’re serious about audio as part of your editorial or commercial strategy, make sure you’re in the room next year. The 2026 event will be one to watch!
Smart links for sound people - this week we Rewind on news about award-winning voices, premium video podcasting, and fresh audio frontiers from YouTube to the skies…
🎧 Podcasting
YouTube’s podcasting dominance may be overstated, says new research | Inside Radio
Winners revealed at 2025 Women Podcasters Awards, celebrating standout voices in audio | Women Podcasters
DAZN partners with The Rest Is Football for FIFA 2025 coverage | Ministry of Sport
Audacy proves audio-first strategy can boost streaming platform tune-in | Inside Radio
Last few days to enter the Independent Podcast Awards | Independent Podcast Awards
What will podcasting sound (and look) like in 2030? | The Drum
Video is helping podcasts command premium ad rates | Digiday
Spotify highlights new features to help podcasters grow audiences | Spotify for Creators
Spotify axes staff at The Ringer and Podcast Studios in latest cuts | Variety
Black Effect backs new hip-hop podcast network from Drink Champs hosts | Inside Audio Marketing
How podcasts have transformed sports media, with The Final Word's Adam Collins | Sports Gazette
Williams sisters to debut video podcast exclusively on X | Adweek
Audio Flux is carving out space for shortform sound — three minutes at a time | Nieman Lab
US Audio engineer pay, job trends, and the skills that matter most in 2025 | SonicScoop
Fans crown Mexico’s top podcasters at Spotify’s first Podcast Awards | Spotify Newsroom
Podcast ads pack twice the punch of streaming for niche brands, says Podscribe | Inside Audio Marketing
The British Audio Awards launch to celebrate standout UK podcast and radio talent | InPublishing
How one podcast sparked the biggest buzz in years for a European lottery | Inside Audio Marketing
🎶 Sound Design
Money talks—but what does your brand sound like? | Transform Magazine
From jingle to sonic logo – how audio branding is evolving | The Grocer
All eyes on the sound of Golowan as Penzance festival returns | Falmouth Packet
AI isn’t music’s saviour — but it’s not the villain either | Creativepool
Lessons learned in year one of running a music company for ads | LBBOnline
🔮 Audio Futures
Google is testing voice-powered search in AI Overviews mode | Digital Watch
United adds Spotify streaming to seat back screens in airline first | CNBC
Cutting podcast promos with AI is the new social media shortcut | Premium Times
Sony expands access to its 360 Virtual Mixing tech for immersive audio creators | Variety
Spatial audio hits high notes (and a few bum ones) in a full day of Oasis | What Hi-Fi?
In the last episode of the Stop Rewind Play podcast I looked at how to repurpose strong editorial content into podcasts by starting small and using what already works.
But even when something reads beautifully, that doesn’t mean it’ll sound right.
That’s where a lot of publishers stumble. Audio is a different beast and often simply reading your article out loud isn’t enough.
I’ve written scripts for daily podcasts that needed completely different tones across shows. One formal and polished, another chatty and off-the-cuff. The writing process had to shift each time - shorter sentences, direct address, pacing for the ear.
I’ve also worked with creators repurposing livestream content into podcasts - and it quickly became clear: you can’t just copy and paste. What works live doesn’t always land without visuals or a chat window. The audio needed reshaping, not just reusing.
I’m even going through that process myself, adapting Stop Rewind Play from written newsletter to audio.
In this week’s podcast I talk about…
🖊 How to rewrite for the ear - conversational, clear, and punchy
🎙 Why your mic should feel like a one-to-one conversation
🎧 How to add texture - through music, ambience, and voice
Repurposing doesn’t mean recycling. It means reconnecting with a new audience, in a new format.
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