Tag: AudioUK

AudioUK Launched 2022 Audio Production Census

~ Jen Thorpe

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

AudioUK and Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund Announce Partnership

~ Jen Thorpe

UK Audio producers’ trade body AudioUK has been announced as a media partner to introduce and publicize the Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund in the UK.

The Fund has already been running in the U.S. and Canada, supporting independent audio creators to submit work to U.S. and Canada competitions, by covering submission fees for producers, editors, and others.

The Fund supports independent BIPOC and LGBTQ+ audio producers to submit high-quality work to media and journalism awards. The resulting creation of a more diverse set of award nominees and winners increases the diversity of award entrants, and the opportunities that winning an award brings.

The Fund welcomes reimbursement requests throughout the year for awards applies to in the previous 12 months from the application date.

The Fund’s primary partners include Spotify, Acast, AIR and SiriusXM.

It will enable producers to apply for the UK’s many podcasting awards, including the Audio Production Awards (APAs) run by AudioUK.

If any companies or individuals would like to contribute to the fund, they can do so via Patreon.
Chloe Straw, Managing Director of AudioUK, said:

“Supporting initiatives like this is part of our ongoing commitment to making our sector more diverse and inclusive. This Fund has already been working well in the U.S. and Canada and has major backing from some leading podcast platforms and partners. We really hope people will use it to put themselves forward to gain recognition for their work in audio and make our awards ever more diverse and inclusive”.

Nina Robinson, a supporter of the Fund in the UK and owner of AudioUK member company Soundtruism, pictured, said:

“I have been working with Juleyka Lantigua, the founder of the Podcasting Seriously Awards Fund in the US, to expand the fund to the UK. My personal experience as a South Asian woman from Birmingham has motivated me to use my privilege, as a recipient of industry awards, to foster inclusion to benefit others in a meaningful and practical way. My hope is that innovatively and carefully crafted programmes by a whole range of producers and journalists can be recognised and rewarded.”

Juleyka Lantigua, who founded LWC Studios four years ago after a long career in media, said:

“I see the Fund’s UK extension as a natural next step in helping global podcast talent rise, so we can all benefit from their work and enjoy their creative gifts.”