Whose Voice Are You Listening To?
Plus: 40+ standout links on sound design, podcasting, and audio AI from this week
Hello!
Over the past few weeks I’ve been writing about how AI is shaping podcast discovery. From algorithm-led feeds that mirror our own interests back at us, to the rise of summarised and repurposed audio content - it’s clear that automation is already changing how we listen.
But what happens when AI doesn’t just help shape the content - it becomes the voice delivering it?
I’ve said before that AI tools can play a helpful role in editorial workflows - trimming, transcribing, summarising. So how is AI stepping behind the mic any different?
Well, if the voice in your ears is artificial, what does that mean for trust? For editorial integrity? For the relationship between podcaster and audience?
While pulling together links for this week’s Rewind section I came across this from The Debrief (h/t Imriel Morgan via LinkedIn). A study in Belgium has used Notebook LM to create audio from academic research papers. The authors were asked to verify the information and comment on the way it was presented - many were shocked they were listening to AI.
The power in this is the ability to take masses of written information and easily (and cost-effectively) create a podcast from it. The article highlights the potential for integrating a listening option to students. It also notes the importance of tagging the content as being made by AI.
So, as an academic companion, verified by experts and improving accessibility - yes, I see it. But, I think it would be a sad world where we start to replace podcast hosts with AI as a matter of course.
Podcasting’s power has always been in its intimacy. In its connection forged through voice, presence, pacing, personality. It’s not just about what’s said, but how it’s said, and who’s saying it. Synthetic speech is improving all the time and those human markers will become harder to spot.
A final thought for now - a good podcast can make you feel like you’re part of a conversation - does it matter if that conversation isn’t with another person? Let me know your thoughts…
Smart links for sound people - this week we Rewind on local podcasting gaps still up for grabs, the gendered psychology of sonic branding, and how AI voices are reshaping both production workflows and audience connection…
🎧 #Podcasting
Radio’s biggest podcasting opportunity? It’s still local and still open! | Radio Ink
Why brands are investing heavily in podcasts right now | Radio Today
AudienceLift relaunches with bigger premium publisher network | Podcasting Today
Can a podcast cross borders? The challenge of reaching global ears | News Decoder
New digital library serves global podcasting community | DW Akademie
London Podcast Festival 2025 gears up with a spotlight on creators and community | RedTech
How to get your podcast reviewed by the media—according to publicists | Podglomerate
Why Gen Z turns to podcasts for comfort and company | The Hindu
Rogan, Pod Save & the reshaping of news: what DNR 2025 says about podcast power | Reuters Institute
The rise in influencer podcasts and what it means for trust | The Boar
How three publishers are finding new audiences with podcasts, newsletters & apps | Journalism.co.uk
Africa’s podcast revolution, one radio workshop at a time | CJR
New US audio measurement standard aims to close ad spend gap | PPC Land
Video podcasting is booming and Hollywood is paying attention | Business Insider
Behind the scenes of video podcasts: a new job market for producers | Business Insider
Malaysia’s Media Prima Audio retools radio with a podcast-first strategy | RedTech
Gen Z is reshaping podcasting - on screen, not just in ears | eMarketer
Two podcast legends on sound, story, and what makes a great voice | Centre College
Dallas doc on the rise of podcasting premieres at Oak Cliff Film Festival | YouTube
Two decades on, Apple Podcasts still shapes the audio landscape | Straight Arrow News
85 indies gather for IMAA’s first Sound Byte audio conference | Campaign Brief
🎶 #SoundDesign
Study reveals how sound and music shape gender cues in toy marketing | Queen Mary University of London
Sonic branding to sonic seasoning, the art and science of sound with Steve Keller |
via Seeing Senses podcast7UP produces sonic logo earworm | Creative Bloq
Music meets metrics: SoStereo decodes what makes sound resonate | LBB Online
The future of sports audio: immersive, inclusive, and intelligently mixed | TV Technology
80 years of sound: how Sennheiser keeps shaping the audio world | Inavate
🔮 #AudioFuture
Audio-to-text in 2025: what business professionals need to know | TechBullion
AI voice cloning helps Quebec researchers detect ALS earlier | CBC
Meta eyes voice cloning startup Play AI in next big audio tech move | TechCrunch
Podcasting science: researchers use real data and real voices to tell complex stories | Nature
Oxford NHS Trust pilots ambient voice tech to ease hospital workflows | HTN
AI voiceovers threaten work for foreign-language dubbing artists | The Guardian
Scammers using regional AI accents raise red flags for voice cloning ethics | Tech Xplore
AI gets louder: researchers decode how we perceive voice authority | Tech Xplore
New Google Assistant voices show off Gemini’s evolving tone and texture | 9to5Google
Where is sound? A philosophical deep dive meets audio tech reality | AV Interactive
Voice tech that speaks your language—literally | Punch
Mastercard drops Afrobeat sonic anthem to engage Nigerian youth | Business Insider Africa
Adobe debuts Firefly Sound Generator - custom SFX, controlled by your voice | CineD
AI vocal remover is revolutionising music and audio production | Vocal Media
In the latest episode of the Stop Rewind Play podcast…
🎧 The Hidden Cost of Personalised Podcast Feeds
If your podcast feed never surprises you, maybe it’s not a feed - maybe it’s a mirror.
The Digital News Report 2025 shows growing interest in curated, digestible content - but it also reveals audience anxiety: 59% of people are worried they’ll miss important stories if AI keeps filtering what they see.
This doesn’t just apply to written news but to podcast apps, smart speakers and streaming platforms - anywhere that serves up audio algorithmically.
In the pod I talk about…
🤔 Whether we are surfacing new voices or reinforcing old patterns.
🔍 What happens when AI-generated audio summaries start replacing human journalism? (Coming to a Google search near you...)
And the age-old challenge...
📣 If the algorithm only ever amplifies the noise, how does anyone hear the whisper of something new?
▶️ Hit play on the 7 minute episode here 👇