AudioUK, the trade association for podcast, radio and audiobook producers, has launched a new four-point manifesto, detailing policies to grow the UK’s audio production sector.

The manifesto, entitled ‘The Sound of Success’, calls for political parties to support audio production in the way that successive governments have already given a boost to other content production sectors, for example, high-end and children’s TV, animation, video games and film.

An Audio Production Tax Relief, would, according to the calculations of Communications Chambers, deliver a net gain to HM Treasury through attracting international investment into UK-made podcasts from brands, broadcasters and platforms.

Audio-specific funds will grow the sector both internationally and domestically. A Global Audio IP Fund would mirror the success of the Global IP Fund, to which the current government has just re-emphasized its support, in developing international podcast formats and IP. Audio IP has already been used to develop spinoffs including TV, books, live shows, merchandise and more, examples being Happy Place, Help, I Sexted My Boss, The Girlfriends and others. Meanwhile, reinstating finance for the Audio Content Fund would reinvigorate the plurality of PBS content for UK audiences on commercial and community radio, as it did so successfully from 2019 to 2023.

Skills funding for the audio sector, previously used to set up AudioUK’s now self-support Audiotrain programme, would enable skills and training in podcasting production and entrepreneurship to allow the sector to meet the anticipated increase in demand for audio in the UK grows, both in audiobooks and podcasting.

Lastly, as the BBC takes its place in the wider podcast market through its expansion of BBC Studios’ audio production arm, a commitment to, in the next BBC Charter, introduce 100% competition to make non-news BBC radio and audio content would ensure UK independent producers were able to contribute fully to the BBC having a wide range of viewpoints, stories, ideas and perspectives.

Chloe Straw, Managing Director of AudioUK, said: “As the global podcast and audiobook industries show sustained exponential growth, coupled with the enduring strength of radio reach in the UK, it is imperative for the government to actively champion and foster this thriving creative sector. Aligning it with other creative industries in the UK will empower the sector to fully capitalize on the vast domestic and global opportunities available.”

‘The Sound of Success: A Manifesto for the UK independent podcast, radio and audiobook industry 2024’ can be downloaded from here.

AudioUK, the trade body for independent audio production companies, has responded to the BBC confirming that it will be moving a significant part of its speech audio production to BBC Studios by April 2024.

This will mean the BBC will be competing against the independent audio production sector to make audio content, including podcasts, for other commissioners such as Amazon, Audible, and Wondery.

This element is not covered by Ofcom requirements in approving the move, which instead focused on a level playing field when Studios competes against production companies for BBC commissions.

AudioUK is therefore calling for further investigation and for all of BBC Radio and Audio’s non-news programme commissions, including BBC Sounds, to be open to competition for external producers, in the event of this key part of BBC speech audio production moving to BBC Studios.

Whereas there is 100% competition for BBC TV programmes, in audio commissioning, the BBC must currently open up 60% of ‘eligible hours’ in its network radio commissions to external competition by the end of this year. This lower target was based on the fact that much of the BBC’s radio and audio production remained in-house and they could not make programmes for other buyers.

Chloe Straw Managing Director of AudioUK, said:

“While we respect the BBC’s right to explore other opportunities, this does nevertheless have competition implications as it involves moving a production arm built with public funding into the wider commercial market to compete with creative SMEs, a market largely built over the last 20 years by hard work and creativity of those SMEs. This aspect is not covered by Ofcom’s approval requirements and so has not been effectively scrutinized.”

“We are disappointed that the BBC has not taken our concerns on board and we will continue to push for a review of the wider market implications of these plans with the relevant governmental and regulatory authorities. In particular, as we have previously stated, we believe this move should be accompanied by creative SMEs all around the UK being given the opportunity to compete for 100% of BBC audio non-news output.”

Trade association AudioUK has launched its latest Audio Production Census, which aims to capture the state of the audio production sector through the activity of the UK’s podcast, radio and audiobook producers; both companies and freelancers making their own audio content.

The Census results will be used to promote the sector in terms of attracting more investment and to help secure policy gains such as tax relief and skills funding. It will cover the financial year 2021-22, and follows on from the exercise carried out in 2020, which showed that production companies were diversifying into an ever-growing range of audio-led activity.

AudioUK’s Census, now expanded to include all independent audio production rather than just that made by dedicated companies, aims to capture the activity of all those involved in producing their own podcasts, radio programmes, and audiobooks, asking them what kind of activity they are engaged in, plus a ballpark figure of their turnover for one year. This figure will include ad and subscription revenues, as well as income from live events and other spinoff activities, commissions from radio stations, brands and digital platforms.

The Census is being conducted independently by an external researcher who will anonymize and collate all the data prior to it being shared with AudioUK, who will publish results in June.

The survey is being conducted independently by an external researcher who will anonymize and collate all the data prior to it being shared in production facilities and equipment.

AudioUK Managing Director Chloe Straw said: “The economic value of independent UK audio production is becoming harder to assess, due to an increasingly wide range of audio professionals involved in producing and monetizing their own content. This is an expanded exercise to see if we can capture that. It’s incredibly important that every professional involved in creating and distributing their own independent audio content takes part, as we will use the anonymized information to seek benefits for our sector such as skills funding and tax relief.”

The 2022 Audio Production Census is open to UK audio production companies of all sizes, as well as freelancers and those otherwise working independently to produce their own radio programmes, podcasts and audiobooks. It will be open until Monday 23 May and available at https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90441295/audio-radio-production-business-census