Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Entertainment Announces Two New Hires

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment’s (SME) Global Podcast Division announced new executive hires that will lead the division’s advertising sales business, including seasoned media sales executive Nick Southwell-Keely, who has joined the company as Vice President of Podcast Advertising Sales. Southwell-Keely will be based in New York and report to Emily Rasekh, Senior Vice President, Podcast Business Operations and Development.

In his new role, Southwell-Keely will focus on building the division’s advertising revenue and developing strong relationships with a range of brands, agencies and ad-sales partners. He will also lead and execute innovative ad campaigns in collaboration with content partners and producers to continue growing the business globally.

Southwell-Keely joins SME after serving as head of US sales and Brand Partnerships at Acast, where he played an instrumental role in diversifying Acast’s revenue streams and helped build the company’s insight hub for customers. Southwell-Keely has more than 16 years of experience selling integrated media solutions to premium global brands and agencies, across digital, programmatic, video, and social.

“As we continue to expand our podcast division, we are excited to welcome a new team of experienced executives to grow our advertising business and bring in new revenue streams,” said Rasekh. “Nick has a vast understanding for the podcast ad sales space and we are confident in his vision for building and exciting our strategy globally alongside a great team.”

Southwell-Keely added: “I am thrilled to take the next step in my career by joining a company that has been a leader in audio entertainment for decades and I greatly look forward to developing new ways to highlight why our roster of premium shows is the number one destination for advertisers.”

In addition to Southwell-Keely, Steph Beran-Sanderson will join the Company as the new Head of Branded Podcasts in the US, where she will prospect, develop and manage branded podcasts for exciting and new clients. With over a decade of digital media experience, Beran-Sanderson was most recently the Head of Marketing for Meet Cute, where she led brand and growth strategies. The team based in New York will also include Brett Schreiber, who recently joined SME as Account Executive, Podcast Ad Sales.

Sony Music Entertainment’s Global Division Makes Announcements

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment’s (SME) Global Podcast Division announced the appointment of Serita Wesley to the newly created role of U.S. Entertainment Podcasts. Wesley will be based in New York and report to Tom Koenig, Vice President, U.S. Podcasts.

In her new role, Wesley will spearhead the Division’s entertainment podcast strategy and oversee the development of new shows across a range of genres, including comedy, pop culture, self-care, chat and more. As SME focuses on building a robust slate of always on and returning series, Wesley will also help build and manage the growing entertainment team that includes several new producers, starting this spring.

Wesley has more than 15 years of experience in the entertainment, marketing and podcasting industries. She was previously an Executive Producer at Fresh Produce Media and Senior Producer at Westbrook Inc., working across shows such as Red Table Talk Podcast, Positively Gam, and more. She is also the co-creator and sole writer for the forthcoming scripted series Un-Lesh for Love, which debuts on Audible in 2022 by way of Charlamange Tha God and Kevin Hart’s audio production company, SBH Productions. Wesley also co-founded, produced, and hosted the iHeartRadio Award-nominated podcast On She Goes – a travel and lifestyle podcast for women of color.

In addition, Sony Music Entertainment’s Global Podcast Division announced it has formed a podcast partnership with leading film critic Mark Kermode and iconic host and movie fanatic Simon Mayo. The seasoned broadcasters will present Kermode and Mayo’s Take a new twice weekly podcast series focusing on theatrical, streaming, and physical film releases, as well as high-level global television in the UK and US beginning Thursday 5th May.

Sharing their expertise worldwide, Kermode and Mayo’s Take will feature the finest reviews and previews, big guest interviews and a cornucopia of audience correspondence in every episode. Listeners can expect discussions about current and classic releases, recommendations and warnings, as well as special episodes that respond to big news and events across the industry.

For the first time, the duo will also bring their much-loved dynamic to the world of TV with Kermode extending his estimable powers of critique to high-level serialized fiction, giving audiences the best reviews from binge-worthy streaming series to terrestrial TV. The world’s flagship film and television podcast, Kermode and Mayo’s Take will be an essential guide to listeners for everything they need to know on the big and small screens.

Kermode and Mayo’s loyal listeners can also go deeper into the world of film and television by subscribing to Take 2 on Apple Podcasts. Exploring a wider variety of material and listener correspondence, Take 2 will feature an hour of recommendations for undersign movie and televised gems and the pair’s discussion of big recent movie and TV releases in a spoilertastic fashion.

Neon Hum Announces Second Annual Podcast Editors’ Bootcamp

~ jen

Neon Hum Media, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, announced the launch of its second annual free Editors’ Bootcamp, which will began accepting applications starting December 15, 2021.

Created as a free podcast training bootcamp for aspiring podcast editors from underrepresented groups, the eight-week course led by Neon Hum’s Executive Editor Catherine Saint Louis is designed to provide an opportunity for Black and Indigenous storytellers, LGBTQ, Latino, AAPI, people with disabilities and all communities of color, to help drive their rarely heard, yet critical, stories in podcasting.

The eight people selected for this year’s course will learn and develop relevant skillsets from some of the industries top editors and experts. At the conclusion of the course, one graduate will be offered a staff editor position at Neon Hum. The program is designed to develop the selected students into top candidates for employers and to also consider hiring as editors after graduation.

The eight prospective editors for this year’s bootcamp will be announced in early 2022 and the course will run from mid-March to mid-May 2022. The application portal for prospective editors is open now through January 21.

The first bootcamp series in 2021 received an overwhelming response with more than 250 applications from longtime producers, print reporters and editors, documentary filmmakers and people in public radio interested in switching to narrative podcasts. After participating in the course, Nevada based journalist Stephanie Serrano joined Neon Hum as a staff director in June and has worked on several top series for the Company, including Smoke Screen: The Sellout and the upcoming season of Spectacle. Other graduates of last year’s program went on to work on hit shows across the industry, including Snap Judgement’s Spooked and Witness Docs and VPM’s Seizing Freedom.

Catherine Saint Louis said, “The audio industry still lacks representation from so many groups and voices, so we are thrilled to be bringing back the Bootcamp for another year and creating a way for people to become story editors.” She added, “It’s free and an incredible opportunity to learn from peers as well as the industry’s top editors. And at the end of it all, one lucky graduate will get a full-time job working at Neon Hum.”

Funding for the bootcamp is made possible by Sony Music Entertainment. To learn more about Sony Music’s commitment to supporting communities globally and locally, click here.

Sony Music Entertainment Appoints Yvonne Gerald and Monico Toribio

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) announced of the appointment of Yvonne Gerald as Vice President, Podcast Marketing and Monica Toribio as Vice President, Podcast Finance. They will both be based in New York. Gerald will report to Emily Rasekh, Podcast Business Development and Operations and Toribio will report to Steve Ackerman, EVP and Co-Head, Global Podcasts and Jez Nelson, EVP and Co-Head, Global Podcasts.

In her new role, Gerald will oversee the planning and development of innovative marketing strategies to launch, brand and develop podcasts throughout the product life cycle. She will work closely with platform partners, internal production teams and external partners to build awareness and drive audience expansion for the company’s growing podcast slate. Gerald joins SME from TIME where she focused on developing new touchpoints to enhance consumer engagement and revenue growth. Prior to TIME she led brand strategy and marketing initiatives for NBCUniversal, Viacom and Kraft Foods.

In addition, Toribio will lead the newly expanded Global Podcast Division’s financial operations. She will work with SME leadership to guide strategic initiatives and manage various ongoing operational aspects across all podcast productions. Toribio joins SME from Disney Theatrical Group where she managed the production accounting and analysis team. She’s held several leadership roles after beginning her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in assurance and business advisory.

Sony Music Entertainment Announced Ad-Free Offerings on Apple Podcasts Subscriptions

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) announced its initial ad-free podcast channel offerings available with the launch of Apple Podcast Subscriptions beginning today. With shows from its podcast partners all around the world and across all genres, the first SME subscription channels will offer listeners a range of ad-free listening experiences and exclusive bonus content.

Ad-free channels will include shows from SME production partners Neon Hum Media, Somthin’ Else, Three Uncanny Four and Campside Media. Additional pricing and free trial information is available for each channel at their respective links below.

Listeners can subscribe to all channels on Apple Podcasts. For more information on all Sony Podcast shows, follow @SonyPodcasts on Twitter and Instagram.

Broken: Uninterrupted: Investigative Reporter Julie K. Brown exposed Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes to the world. Now his survivors are fighting for the truth. This season, host Tara Palmeri follows the women who are making their own justice.

Production Partner: Three Uncanny Four and Hyperobject Industries

Chameleon: Uninterrupted: Deceit, scandal, lies – it’s Las Vegas. It’s the FBI sting you have to hear to believe. Chameleon is back for a second season and this time there’s even more scandal and deceit. From Campfire Media comes the story of a two-year FBI undercover investigation the went bust.

Production Partner: Campfire Media

Cheat! PLUS: Hosted by storyteller Azlo Slade, Cheat! tells the stories behind some of the biggest scandals in contemporary history and the flawed protagonists at their heart: controversial and contentious figures from the world of pop culture, business, sport, music, politics. Why do people cheat? Is it ever justifiable? And most importantly are cheats – these people we think of as the dregs of society – actually not so different from ourselves?

Production Partner: Something’ Else

David Tennant Does a Podcast With… EXTRA: David Tennant, start of Doctor Who, Good Omens and Broadchurch, gets talking with the biggest names from TV, movies, comedy, and elsewhere. Featuring superstar names like Olivia Coleman, James Cordon and Whoopi Goldberg.

Production Partner: Something’ Else

Death at the Wing Plus: Hosted by Adam McCay, Death at the Wing examines the shocking number of promising basketball stars who lost their lives in the 80s and early 90s. At the dawn of the 1980s, the world was moving faster, the media was growing bigger, and greed was finally good. For the NBA, it was a chance to finally step into the spotlight. But all that wealth and stardom came at a deep cost.

Production Partner: Three Uncanny Four and Hyperobject Industries

More information about additional SME Ad-Free Podcasts HERE.

Sony Music Entertainment Unveiled 2021 Show Slate

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment (SME) unveiled a robust slate of new original podcast titles and announced the official return of several high-profile series from some of its leading global creative partners during the 2021 IAB Podcast Upfront.

The company, whose podcast monthly downloads monthly downloads have grown more than 200% year over year (in April 2021), showcased several of its chart-topping podcasts from the past year, many of which will return for new seasons starting this summer. SME also previewed a range of upcoming projects from its creative partners around the world while highlighting core genres including kids and family, emerging audiences, true crime, and entertainment superfans.

In the presentation, SME previewed several upcoming true crime series from veteran investigative journalists, including two-time Pulitzer Prize winner John Carreyrou, who will debut Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, a podcast with Three Uncanny Four following the upcoming trial of Teranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes and Trevor Aaronson and Vanessa Grigoriadis of Campside Media, who will debut Chameleon: High Rollers, the second season of hit podcast series Chameleon, in June.

The company also previewed season two returns of chart-topping series Smoke Screen and Power, which will return with new seasons soon. Other new shows from SME’s creative partners around the world will debut in coming months across a range of genres, including politics, culture, history, entertainment and more.

Highlights from the presentation included appearances from sixteen-time GRAMMY-winning artist, songwriter and producer Kirk Franklin who announced the return of Good Words with Kirk Franklin. Model, activist and entrepreneur Leomie Anderson also previewed her new podcast Role Model, and Emmy Award winning and Academy Award nominated storyteller, filmmaker and podcaster Marc Smerling discussed his upcoming project Firebug, and the power of true crime storytelling. Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas also shared details about their media company Tinkercast, noting the kids and family genre as one of the fastest-growing podcasting sectors.

Sony Music Entertainment Seeks Podcast Producer for Neon Hum Media

~ jen

Sony Music Entertainment is seeking a Podcast Producer for Neon Hum Media, an emerging, passionate West Coast podcast production company that creates cinematic, top quality, and wide-appeal audio programming.

They are based in Los Angeles, and have helped create multiple podcast hits including the duPont Award-Winning Bag Man with Rachel Maddow, The Thing About Pam, Room 20, Crooked Media’s This Land, and L.A. Times Studios’ Larger Than Life.

We are currently looking for a producer with high-quality audio production and editorial skills to help develop and produce original and partner projects.

The ideal candidate for this position will bring leadership, organization, and exceptional storytelling skills to a wide breadth of podcast products.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Pitching story ideas for feature and interview programming
  • Booking guests
  • Producing and editing both talk-driven, mixed-format and documentary style segments
  • Writing scripts (examples: scripts for show and hosts)
  • Providing production and editorial support as-needed
  • And more!

    Qualifications Include:
  • 3+ years audio production or related storytelling experience
  • Experience producing audio in tight deadlines. Public media or journalism background a plus
  • Experience working with talent, including host coaching in studio
  • A clear track record of producing innovative, diverse, and complex audio works
  • Experience cultivating talent from multiple creative sectors and backgrounds
  • And more!

Those who want to know more about the responsibilities and qualifications of this job should visit the Sony Music Entertainment page where this job is posted. You can apply for the job through their website, but must sign in with LinkedIn to do that.

Somethin’ Else and Sony Music Announce New Podcast Ventures

~ jen

Somethin’ Else, Britain’s leading independent audio producer, and Sony Music Entertainment announced they have formed a new global content partnership to expand their development of podcast shows across multiple genres.

Somethin’ Else is the acclaimed production company behind hugely popular series such as David Tennant Does a Podcast With…, Unheard: The Fred & Rose West Tapes, and The Sun King with David Dimbleby. The team have produced content across audio, TV and social media for the past 25 years and their previous work has seen them win numerous awards including eight BAFTA’s.

Under the agreement, Somethin’ Else will work with Sony Music to expand its leadership position in the UK market. In addition the companies will pursue a range of new international podcasting opportunities including in the US where Somethin’ Else has opened an office in New York.

Newly-launched series that will form part of the Sony Music deal, include How Did We Get Here? With Claudia Winkleman and Professor Tanya Byron, which provides listeners with insight and advice in family and parenting issues. Peaking at no.1 in the UK Apple Podcast Charts at launch, the topics range from parental estrangement, gender identity, mental health issues, and challenging family dynamics amid hardship.

Also included with the partnership is The Last Post, produced with The Bugle, which was at the vanguard of satirical comedy podcasts when it launched in 2007 with John Oliver. The Last Post, which launched January 1st 2020, is a daily satirical news fantasy that delivers 365 days of fake news, alternative facts and wildly predicted half-truths hosted by comedian Alice Fraser and guests from the full line up of Bugle co-hosts.

As a partner in podcasting, Sony Music will provide its expertise in content creation, marketing and monetization to help enhance the scale and scope of Somethin’ Else’s work.

Initial releases for February and beyond will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sony Music Entertainment and The Onion Announce a Podcast Partnership

~ jen

The Onion, the leading comedy and news satire brand, and Sony Music Entertainment announced a strategic partnership to develop original podcast content. The companies will co-create a daily satirical podcast focused on current events called The Topical, which is set to launch in January 2020.

This partnership will bring to comedy fans a whole new way to experience The Onion’s distinctive voice and insightful commentary on a daily basis across a wide variety of platforms. The Onion will oversee all creative aspects of the podcast, including writing, production, and recording.

Commenting on the announcement, Jordan LaFlure, Executive Director at The Onion said:

The Onion is thrilled to have found a stalwart ally in Sony Music Entertainment to help it dominate yet another medium in the world of journalism. A daily news podcast provides an opportunity for The Onion to access and inform billions of presumably illiterate people previously deprived of the finest reporting the world has ever known.

Tom Mackay, President, Film & TV A&R, Sony Music Entertainment said: “The Onion is synonymous with great topical and cultural satire and we are thrilled to be working with them to further expand their presence in podcasting. We look forward to bringing their highly impactful brand of humor and commentary to fans everywhere and maximizing the commercial opportunities for this exciting new comedy podcast format.”

The agreement further advances Sony Music’s creator-first approach to collaborating with unique, creative talent. As a partner in podcasting, Sony Music provides its expertise in content creation, marketing and new technology monetization to help storytellers enhance the scale and scope of their work.

Renay Richardson Launches Joint Venture with Sony Music Entertainment

~ jen

Award-winning podcast producer Renay Richardson and Sony Music Entertainment announced the launch of a new multi-genre podcasting joint venture focused on the development and distribution of original programming.

Richardson is a producer who has previously worked for leading podcast platforms including Acast, Audible, and Panoply and a successful independent podcast creator whose credits include About Race with Reni Eddo-Lodge and The Receipts on 1xtra from BBC Radio 1Xtra.

The London-based joint venture, called Broccoli Content, will develop a wide range of original scripted and unscripted podcasts under the leadership of Richardson and drive an expansion of opportunities for unique storytellers around the world to broadly connect with listeners. The agreement further increases Sony Music’s support of global podcast community and marks its first podcasting production joint venture outside the US.

In addition, the Broccoli team will work with 4th Floor Creative – Sony Music UK’s creative division, comprising of Brand Partnerships, Content, Creative, Sync, Podcasting and Digital and Audience Development – to explore a range of podcasting opportunities originating in the UK market, supporting Sony Music artists and podcasting talent.