Spotify play count, lost accents, and seeing sound
30+ standout audio stories shaping podcasting, sound design, and the future of audio
Hello!
No new podcast this week - episodes will drop every other Friday. In the meantime, I’ll keep sharing a weekly roundup of what’s caught my ear in podcasting, sound design, and the future of audio. Head to Rewind for this week’s links…
Smart links for sound people - this week we Rewind on news from Spotify, Podcasting Today and Jedi News.
🎧 #Podcasting
Spotify debuts Plays; displaying podcast episode play counts to show what’s resonating with podcast fans | Spotify Newsroom
50 Best Independent Podcasts of 2024–25 ebook by
now available | AmazonFinal episode of Podcasting 2.0—the show that demystified the space—is out now | Podcasting Today
How The Standard is turning up the volume with a new audio strategy | Evening Standard
New podcast marketplace connects creators with industry experts | Podcasting Today
Chris Stone of The New Statesman shares podcasting tips, tricks, and pet peeves | Journalism.co.uk
Alas! The format lets new Daily Mail pod down | REVIEW: Ben Sixsmith The Critic
Would regulating podcasts endanger freedom of speech? | eNCA
Slate appoints new head of podcasting | Semafor
Asia’s podcasters are reshaping how audiences consume content | DW Akademie
In the Dark wins 2025 Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting | Inside Radio
The hidden costs of bad audio - and how to fix them | Big Tent Media
Podcast activity nears pandemic peaks -despite fewer new shows | Inside Audio Marketing
PodX Group to acquire award-winning podcast studio Lemonada Media | Podcasting Today
Podcast listening is shifting toward connected TVs | Digiday
🎶 #SoundDesign
Sonic branding experts from Trisonic and SoundOut share insights on mastering audio identity | YouTube/AdwantedUK
Custom music campaign secrets: from creative brief to brand banger | YouTube/AdwantedUK
Dax & Global: how data is driving better results for digital audio campaigns | YouTube/AdwantedUK
The Sound of Vodafone wins at 2025 iF Design Awards | Vodafone
Apple Music spotlights five influential African music cities | Music In Africa
Meta talks audio and innovation with Skywalker Sound’s Kevin Bolen | Jedi News
Full English Post founder on why sound design should never be an afterthought | LBBOnline
Seeing sound: How Dolby, RNIB, and a visually impaired composer turned paintings into music | LBBOnline
🔮 #AudioFutures
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek outlines AI-driven plans to expand reach | New York Post
“Oh no, I turned everything into an AI podcast” | The Verge
How Jared Gutstadt and Audio Chateau are reshaping the future of music | LA Times
Grok 3.5 rollout nears as xAI tests spatial UI for voice mode | TestingCatalog
Could artists keep creating after death? The future of music production tech | MusicRadar
SoundHound launches Amelia 7.0 with advanced agentic AI voice tech | Business Wire
Researchers develop brain implant enabling near real-time speech synthesis | Hackaday
AI tools help people with speech disabilities deliver jokes in real time | Cornell Chronicle
How a 'lost' accent was brought back to life through AI | BBC News
AI voice tech trialled by pre-op nurses to support patient care | Nursing Times
NBC uses AI to recreate late announcer Jim Fagan’s voice for NBA promo | The Hollywood Reporter
Last week the first episode of Stop Rewind Play the podcast, went live…
🎧 What your podcast is telling listeners - before you say a word.
It’s all about the message your audio quality sends - whether you mean it to or not! Because before a listener hears your carefully crafted intro or insightful interview, they’re already making a judgement based on how it sounds.
I shared a story of a real production challenge I faced, the kind that no amount of Adobe Enhance or AI tools could fully fix. And how the sting of that episode still lives on in an Apple review.
If you missed it, here are the takeaways:
🎙 Good gear can’t fix a bad room.
🎧 Sound quality isn’t about perfection - it’s about care.
🔊 If your podcast is part of your brand, then so is your audio.
▶️ Hit play on the 7 minute episode here 👇