Less than one month to go until the Eurowaves and / Podcasts Encandenados meet-up in Madrid. What better way to bring worlds together than being co-hosted by one of the best people in Spanish podcasting?

I met Ana Ribera through her work at WePod and we’ve been podcasting friends ever since. I have so much love and admiration for everything she’s built in Spain and for how she’s an advocate for cross-border, multicultural and multilingual podcasting.

More details below and on the (new) Eurowaves website.

See details on the Eurowaves website

Subscribe to IL FARO, an Italian newsletter on the world of podcasts, written by the lovely Rossella Pivanti who I met at The Podcast Show in London last month.

From the Eurosounds Google Group:

There is a new initiative for Italian audio creators! It is called GIARDINETTI (little gardens) and it is a space for independent audio producers in Italian - there is a bunch of us and we usually create in English for lack of an outlet, now we have decided to create something for us, inspired by initiatives like Small Audio Art and Audio Playground. A safe space where to experiment the short audio form in Italian, just for the fun of it.

More opportunities like these are shared in the Eurosounds Google Group. If you’d like to be added, reply to this email or leave a comment.

Now, let’s get into it!

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• ↗️ PoddRadio Nord is a new podcasting newsletter for listeners and podcasters deeply rooted in the Nordics!

• 📲AIR’s Community Survey aims to better understand the needs of the audio community and shape their advocacy priorities. You don’t have to be an AIR member to participate. As a thank you for completing the survey, you’ll receive a promo code that can be used toward selected discounted AIR memberships or renewal.

• 🇮🇪 GoLoud is looking for a Narrative Podcast Producer who is a natural storyteller with a passion for podcasts to work across narrative based content, documentary podcasts, true crime series, and mini-series.

• 🏆The BBC World Service has announced the winners of its International Audio Drama Competition for 2026. There were more than 800 entries from 87 countries around the world. (source: Podnews)

• 🌎The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) has announced its “cross-platform alternative to the podcast download” (source: Podnews)

• 🏆The entry deadline of the Independent Podcast Awards has been extended. You’ve now got until June 22. (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+37 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

Audience cross-pollination: Spain🇪🇸, Latin America🌎, and Latinos in the United States🇺🇸, with Nuria Net of Shake It Easy Media

Nuria Net is the Founder and CEO of Shake It Easy Media, a content studio working across formats for Latino audiences globally. Recent podcast productions include La Semanal Live for Amazon Music, Faith Curious for Trinity Church NYC, Reggaeton con La Gata for iHeart, and Grammofonías for the Latin Recording Academy. She is an executive producer of Corinna y el Rey, a nonfiction bilingual narrative series that became Spain’s most talked-about podcast. She is also the creator and executive producer of Punk In Translation, an audio documentary series in English and Spanish that won an Ondas Global Podcast Award.

Co-founder of Remezcla, a pioneering digital media outlet for Latin culture launched in New York in 2006, she also served as its content director.

Eurowaves is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, she has worked at Univision, MTV, and The New York Times, and has written for Rolling Stone, Billboard and El País. She is an adjunct professor in the Communications department of the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. In 2023 and 2024, Forbes named her one of the “50 Best in Podcasting” in Spain.

You can connect with Nuria on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcast origin story?

I’m a journalist who has gone through all the formats: I started in print magazines, then moved to blogs (started a big Latin culture site in NYC in the early aughts), and subsequently moved to radio and TV newsrooms in New York City. I became a podcast fan when I moved from New York City to Miami and started commuting to work by car, in 2011 and then was really attracted to the format as a storyteller. I was the music editor for digital at Univision (TV network) so I started my own music interview podcast as part of our entertainment coverage to experiment with the format. Without asking for permission or without any clear plan; I kinda sneaked it in.

How was Shake It Easy Media born and what did it teach you about the podcasting landscape, specifically about cross-border and multilingual podcasts?

Moving to Spain after living and working in the US in both English and Spanish gave me an advantage in understanding not only the big opportunities in audio but also the cross-pollination of audiences in Spain, Latin America, and Latinos in the United States. When I moved to Spain in 2018, I decided to start my own podcast studio because I saw the opportunity, especially in Spanish. It was hard to find jobs in Spain newly arrived and without a network, plus I became pregnant with my second child and had a toddler at home. How was I going to make it all work? I had all the entrepreneurial and media experience coming from the US and I saw how the podcast industry had grown. In Spain, there was everything to be done. Then the pandemic came and naturally with my US-based network I started getting commissions and projects in podcasts for clients there, so I decided to start my company in the US even though I am physically based in Spain. I hire people across the US, Latin America, and Spain based on the project or production.

Leave a comment

Introduce us to Las Cosmos. What was your initial strategy and mission?

Once I moved to Spain in 2018, I realized that Latin music and culture was really the dominating youth culture. Yet, I saw a complete dissonance with mass media and institutions who were ignorant of Latin American culture. Despite Madrid having over one million people of Latin American descent, I still see a lack of representation in the voices, faces, accents and bylines of Latinos in Spain. It’s just very obvious that this is a huge, underserved market. Again, I went through the same situation in the USA when I started Remezcla in 2004, which is now one of the leading Latin-centered media platforms in the US. So my mission since the beginning has been to elevate Latin music and talent, much of which is already based in Spain and Europe. There are so many talented artists from Latin America or second-generation artists living in Europe and we’re here to celebrate them.

With Las Cosmos, was there a moment when you got a skyrocketing growth momentum? As an independent podcaster, what advice do you have for maximizing that momentum?

I reached out to a Cuban orchestra conductor based in Germany after seeing her videos on Instagram. I thought she was a very cool, young, Afrolatina in the stuffy classical world and I wanted to know her story. Little did I know that she would end up working with Rosalía as the conductor on her tour. So my interview with Yudania Gomez Heredia at Las Cosmos podcast became the first interview she ever gave the day after the world tour kicked off in Lyon. The interview went viral. It was amazing. I ended up collaborating with El Pais newspaper and other opportunities that arose from it.

What are a few things the European podcasting industry can learn from the Latin American market?

Be flexible, adaptable, and open. Think about collaborations. It seems basic, but I’ve found that people in Europe tend to be very closed off, making it hard to connect. Maybe it’s shyness?

Finally, what are your predictions for the next few years in the podcasting industry?

Personality-driven short-form video content spins off into its own industry and we can be left alone to tell audio stories in artsy, long-winded, narrative and experimental ways. The audience is still there and there’s room for more. Not sure how we monetize though, jaja.

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite podcasts that deserve more love.

I will plug my own.

• Tumble en Español is a science podcast for kids and families about science discovery. It’s the Spanish adaptation of the popular English-language show Tumble Science Podcast for Kids from our partners at Tumble Media. Get your kids away from screens and listen to podcasts together in the living room, in the car! We recently premiered an interactive audio series around plastic pollution in oceans and rivers. You can take your kids out to help identify and clean up pollution in your community anywhere in the world. It’s making science and podcasting, interactive, fun and educational. Available in English and Spanish. Press release about the results of a study of our course applied to schools and families.

• American Colony is my new independent documentary audio series funded by the Mellon Foundation, a co-production between Shake It Easy Media and The Latino Newsletter. On the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence from British colonial rule we turn our attention to Puerto Rico still an American colony after 128 years. We examine how Puerto Rico’s political status as experienced by people on the island and in the diaspora, affects our every day lives. Premiering July 4th :)

Thank you, Nuria!

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

Office Real Talk with Tas Shares

Tasneem Bhamji, a British-Asian woman raised on free school meals who has reached senior exec level at a major UK bank, is sharing how success really works for women in corporate roles. As Instagram sells us the hustle of being a girl boss, Tas is the insider helping you grow your career from within. Released each Wednesday to get you over the mid week hump. Episodes are short and direct and Tas exposes the unwritten rules of corporate life that most ethnic minority women never get told.

Reisen Reisen - Bella Italia

“Bella Italia” is a love letter to the yearning for Italy. Friends, journalists, and authors Jochen Schliemann and Michael Dietz, alongside the queen of German travel television, Tamina Kallert (Wunderschön), love to podcast over a Pizza Quattro Stagioni, happily indulging in a tiramisu before or after. Together, they revel in the dolce vita as they reveal their favorite spots and dream destinations, debating with Italian passion what is truly better in the end... Sardinia or Sicily? South Tyrol or Tuscany? Felicità or Azzurro?!

The Hairy Chin Podcast

A women’s health advocacy podcast focused on the practical mechanics of self-advocacy. Because here’s the truth: women are constantly told they need to advocate for their health, but rarely taught how. Hosted by Spencer Moore, a patient turned advocate with more than 30 years of experience navigating complex healthcare systems in both the United States and Spain, this podcast helps women build real-world patient advocacy skills through patient education, expert insights, and lived experience. Each episode explores topics like doctor communication, navigating healthcare, organizing medical information, preparing for appointments, communicating symptoms effectively, and understanding how healthcare decisions are made.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇳🇴 Podcasts from Norway 🇳🇴

Kristin Ward Heimdal is the country manager for Podme in Norway, a podcast subscription service, where she oversees commercial operations as well as content strategy. With a background in business and strategy, she is passionate about helping grow the Nordic podcast industry and creating a sustainable business model for audio journalism.

• Aftenpodden USA: One of the best podcasts for understanding American politics from a Norwegian perspective. The hosts combine deep knowledge, strong reporting and engaging discussions that help make sense of a constantly changing political landscape.
  

  En av de beste podkastene for å forstå amerikansk politikk fra et norsk perspektiv. Programlederne kombinerer solid kunnskap, sterk journalistikk og engasjerende diskusjoner som gjør det lettere å navigere i et stadig mer komplekst politisk landskap.

• Svarttrost: Svarttrost consistently delivers some of the strongest documentary storytelling in Norwegian audio. The series combine meticulous journalism, outstanding sound design and gripping narratives that stay with you long after listening. While they have a large catalogue of great series to listen to, I can highly recommend one of their latest documentaries, Guttas drøm, which I found especially thought-provoking.
  
  Svarttrost leverer noen av de sterkeste dokumentarfortellingene i norsk lyd. Seriene kombinerer grundig journalistikk, imponerende lyddesign og historier som griper tak og blir værende lenge etter at episodene er ferdige. Podkasten inneholder en stor katalog med gode serier å lytte til, og jeg kan spesielt anbefale en av deres nyeste serier, Guttas drøm, som jeg opplevde som både tankevekkende og provoserende.
  

• Tore og Haralds podkast: In my opinion, one of the best conversational podcasts in Norway. Tore Sagen and Harald Eia have a rare ability to make conversations feel both intellectually curious and genuinely funny. The podcast moves effortlessly between philosophy, everyday life and cultural debates, always with warmth, self-awareness and sharp observations. This podcast is exclusively available on Podme.
  
  Etter min mening, en av de beste samtalepodkastene i Norge. Tore Sagen og Harald Eia har en sjelden evne til å gjøre samtaler både intellektuelt nysgjerrige og genuint morsomme. Podkasten beveger seg sømløst mellom filosofi, hverdagsliv og samfunnsdebatter, alltid med varme, selvironi og skarpe observasjoner. Denne podkasten er eksklusivt tilgjengelig hos Podme.

Thank you, Kristin!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• Galicia Podcast Summit (Galicia, Spain)

The space where creators come together to promote and share podcasting. Discover podcasts you didn’t know existed. Promote your content to discover new audiences. Find new formats and content to collaborate on. Participate in the talks and apply new strategies.

When? June 17.

• La Claque Podcast Party (Marseille, France)

La Claque Podcast Party is the first podcast festival in the South of France : two days of celebration where audio creators, brands and audiences meet. Born in Marseille in 2023, La Claque lives up to its name: it is a wake-up call for an industry ready to shift into high gear.

When? June 19-20.

• Plastic Language w/ Good Press - Open Call (Glasgow, Scotland)

Plastic Language (@plastic.language) & Good Press (@good_press) are looking for submissions of explorations in language, sound and music to fill a volume of Plastic Language on NTS Radio (@nts_radio), set to broadcast in the early hours of 25 November. Good Press is a Glasgow-based workers cooperative dedicated to the promotion, distribution and production of independent or self published printed matter, alongside co-projects Sunday’s Print Service and Lunchtime Gallery.

When? August 1.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

Co-founder of Remezcla, a pioneering digital media outlet for Latin culture launched in New York in 2006, she also served as its content director.

A graduate of the Columbia Journalism School, she has worked at Univision, MTV, and The New York Times, and has written for Rolling Stone, Billboard and El País. She is an adjunct professor in the Communications department of the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. In 2023 and 2024, Forbes named her one of the “50 Best in Podcasting” in Spain.

You can connect with Nuria on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcast origin story?

I’m a journalist who has gone through all the formats: I started in print magazines, then moved to blogs (started a big Latin culture site in NYC in the early aughts), and subsequently moved to radio and TV newsrooms in New York City. I became a podcast fan when I moved from New York City to Miami and started commuting to work by car, in 2011 and then was really attracted to the format as a storyteller. I was the music editor for digital at Univision (TV network) so I started my own music interview podcast as part of our entertainment coverage to experiment with the format. Without asking for permission or without any clear plan; I kinda sneaked it in.

How was Shake It Easy Media born and what did it teach you about the podcasting landscape, specifically about cross-border and multilingual podcasts?

Moving to Spain after living and working in the US in both English and Spanish gave me an advantage in understanding not only the big opportunities in audio but also the cross-pollination of audiences in Spain, Latin America, and Latinos in the United States. When I moved to Spain in 2018, I decided to start my own podcast studio because I saw the opportunity, especially in Spanish. It was hard to find jobs in Spain newly arrived and without a network, plus I became pregnant with my second child and had a toddler at home. How was I going to make it all work? I had all the entrepreneurial and media experience coming from the US and I saw how the podcast industry had grown. In Spain, there was everything to be done. Then the pandemic came and naturally with my US-based network I started getting commissions and projects in podcasts for clients there, so I decided to start my company in the US even though I am physically based in Spain. I hire people across the US, Latin America, and Spain based on the project or production.

Leave a comment

Introduce us to Las Cosmos. What was your initial strategy and mission?

Once I moved to Spain in 2018, I realized that Latin music and culture was really the dominating youth culture. Yet, I saw a complete dissonance with mass media and institutions who were ignorant of Latin American culture. Despite Madrid having over one million people of Latin American descent, I still see a lack of representation in the voices, faces, accents and bylines of Latinos in Spain. It’s just very obvious that this is a huge, underserved market. Again, I went through the same situation in the USA when I started Remezcla in 2004, which is now one of the leading Latin-centered media platforms in the US. So my mission since the beginning has been to elevate Latin music and talent, much of which is already based in Spain and Europe. There are so many talented artists from Latin America or second-generation artists living in Europe and we’re here to celebrate them.

With Las Cosmos, was there a moment when you got a skyrocketing growth momentum? As an independent podcaster, what advice do you have for maximizing that momentum?

I reached out to a Cuban orchestra conductor based in Germany after seeing her videos on Instagram. I thought she was a very cool, young, Afrolatina in the stuffy classical world and I wanted to know her story. Little did I know that she would end up working with Rosalía as the conductor on her tour. So my interview with Yudania Gomez Heredia at Las Cosmos podcast became the first interview she ever gave the day after the world tour kicked off in Lyon. The interview went viral. It was amazing. I ended up collaborating with El Pais newspaper and other opportunities that arose from it.

What are a few things the European podcasting industry can learn from the Latin American market?

Be flexible, adaptable, and open. Think about collaborations. It seems basic, but I’ve found that people in Europe tend to be very closed off, making it hard to connect. Maybe it’s shyness?

Finally, what are your predictions for the next few years in the podcasting industry?

Personality-driven short-form video content spins off into its own industry and we can be left alone to tell audio stories in artsy, long-winded, narrative and experimental ways. The audience is still there and there’s room for more. Not sure how we monetize though, jaja.

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite podcasts that deserve more love.

I will plug my own.

• Tumble en Español is a science podcast for kids and families about science discovery. It’s the Spanish adaptation of the popular English-language show Tumble Science Podcast for Kids from our partners at Tumble Media. Get your kids away from screens and listen to podcasts together in the living room, in the car! We recently premiered an interactive audio series around plastic pollution in oceans and rivers. You can take your kids out to help identify and clean up pollution in your community anywhere in the world. It’s making science and podcasting, interactive, fun and educational. Available in English and Spanish. Press release about the results of a study of our course applied to schools and families.

• American Colony is my new independent documentary audio series funded by the Mellon Foundation, a co-production between Shake It Easy Media and The Latino Newsletter. On the 250th anniversary of the United States’ declaration of independence from British colonial rule we turn our attention to Puerto Rico still an American colony after 128 years. We examine how Puerto Rico’s political status as experienced by people on the island and in the diaspora, affects our every day lives. Premiering July 4th :)

Thank you, Nuria!

A few updates before we get into today’s issue.

If you’re joining after The Podcast Show, hello and welcome!

Here’s a recap of the people because that’s what it’s about at the end of the day.

I also debriefed TPS with Elsie Escobar on the latest episode of In & Around Podcasting. The biggest takeaway: Podcasting is not dead. It’s going international. The European industry is promising and sought after from the independent level to all the key players.

We kicked off TPS with a Eurowaves meet-up:

Jullian Androkae and I spoke to James Cridland on Podnews Weekly Review about PodVision’s 500,000-download season of What Your Therapist Thinks and the practical launch levers: concept clarity, packaging, artwork and timing.

Now, let’s get into it!

Join Eurowaves on Instagram

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🇪🇺HBO Max is adding Podcasts in Europe. (Source: Podnews Weekly Review)

• ‍🌎The Global Podcast Economy generated $9.2B in revenue in 2025, up 23% from the year before, according to Owl & Co’s Global Podcast Economy Report.

• 🏆Ana Xavier of The Podcast Space, friend of Eurowaves, released a Podcast Awards Directory: 40+ global, local, niche & community awards for podcasters.

• 📲At Investor Day 2026, Spotify shared how they’re building the next chapter of podcasts with a plethora of new tools.

• 🏆The Women Podcasters Awards has announced the winners of its 2026 awards program, recognizing outstanding women-led podcasts and podcast professionals across a wide range of categories.

• 🌎The Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) launched to create “the first podcasting measurement framework”. Brought together by Oxford Road, it is driven by both a lack of standardized metrics and disagreement about where podcasts end and social videos (as well as other forms of video) begin. (Source: Podnews)

• 🇬🇧The biggest shows are getting even bigger, according to new research from Edison Podcast Metrics UK, presented at The Podcast Show London. You only need the top 27 shows to reach half of all podcast listeners. (Source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+52 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

The Connect With Purpose Project

Your purpose is not some distant destination reserved for a few—it’s already within you, waiting to be heard. Often, it’s in the quiet whispers we try to ignore that hold the key to our deepest calling. This podcast is about listening to those whispers and taking the first steps, even when it feels scary. Guests have faced the same struggles—feeling stuck, unsure, or burned out—but found their way by trusting that inner voice.

Las Cosmos

A space to chat with the cosmolatines who are at the forefront of culture. From here to the world. Cosmolatines who inspire us, who are fierce, who are the future. Now. You’ll find out about everything happening in culture and the arts created by Latinos in Europe: both those who live here and those just passing through. You’ll get to know emerging cosmolatines, hear about new projects and ideas, and find out which places are in and what’s coming next.

GIANNI

Inside an old, abandoned cardboard box, Caroline happens to find three audio cassettes recorded in the 1980s by her uncle Gianni, a psychologically fragile man who disappeared years ago. From the exact moment Caroline decides to press the play button on her tape recorder, everything changes for her. She gains access to the man’s inner, intimate, and visionary world, his words retracing the most tortuous chapters of his existence. From that point on, Caroline and Gianni’s destinies are intertwined forever.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇫🇮 Podcasts from Finland 🇫🇮

Henna Helske is the Country Manager for Podme Finland, recognized for her strong values and extensive experience in the streaming industry. She has been building Podme’s Finnish business from the ground up since 2021 and is a member of Podme’s leadership team.

• Nikotellen: One of Finland’s most popular podcasts released its 400th episode in January 2026. The amazingly successful show is hosted by a very well-known media personality, Niko Saarinen, who has been awarded as the Radio Host of the Year four times in a row. Nikotellen presents itself as Finland’s funniest, most sexy and beloved, most straightforward and undoubtedly most talked-about podcast.
  
  Suomen suosituimpiin podcasteihin lukeutuvasta Nikotellenista julkaistiin tammikuussa 2026 jo sen 400:s jakso. Menestynyttä podcastia luotsaa maan yksi tunnetuimmista mediapersoonista, peräti neljää kertaa peräkkäin vuoden radiojuontajana palkittu Niko Saarinen. Nikotellen-podcast esittäytyy Suomen hauskimpana, seksikkäimpänä, rakastetuimpana, suorimpana ja taatusti puhutuimpana podcastina.

• Antin matka: When you need a bit of lightness to your everyday life and don’t feel like taking things too seriously, a weekly dose of Antti Holma is the perfect remedy. The actor-host, who is also known as the host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, is a master of humour and distinctive storytelling who always guarantees his listeners a good laugh.
  
  Kun haluaa kevennystä arkeen eikä jaksa ottaa kaikkea haudanvakavasti, kannattaa ottaa viikoittainen annos Antti Holmaa. Haluatko miljonääriksi? -ohjelmastakin tuttu näyttelijä-juontaja on huumorin ja omalaatuisen kerrontatyylin mestari, jonka kanssa kuuntelija saa aina hyvät naurut.

• Uutiscast: Uutiscast podcast wraps up the week’s news clearly and entertainingly by focusing on three key topics every Thursday. In each episode, three experienced journalists offer the listener expertise, context, causes and consequences, as well as their direct opinions on the issues shaping the week. The podcast draws on MTV’s news resources, archives, and the expertise of MTV’s Social Affairs Department.
  

  Podmen ja MTV:n yhdessä tuottama Uutiscast tiivistää viikon tärkeimmät uutiset joka torstai kolmeen aiheeseen. Sarjan tuotannossa hyödynnetään MTV:n laajaa uutisarkistoa ja MTV Uutisten yhteiskuntatoimituksen asiantuntemusta. Äänessä ovat kolme kokenutta toimittajaa: MTV:n yhteiskuntatoimituksen päällikkö Jaakko Loikkanen, MTV:n politiikan toimittaja Alec Neihum ja vapaa toimittaja Adile Sevimli.

Thank you, Henna!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• So Many Voices 2026 Call for Speakers (München, Germany)

What did you learn over the past year? Who would you like to debate with on a panel? Which topic absolutely cannot be missed? Speakers will receive a free ticket, and travel and accommodation costs covered, unless your editorial team would.

When? June 20.

• Independent Podcasters Day (International)

Where would podcasting be without the grafters, the side-hustlers and the game-changers? Independent podcasting is a feat of endurance. You deserve your own day to celebrate, and to be recognised for how awesome you are. Orbit, a Mercury Network, was built to empower people just like you, because we believe every single podcaster deserves the best opportunities to succeed. We know how tough it is. And that’s why we’re taking July 4th, and we’re renaming it.

When? July 4.

• The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece, International)

The Thessaloniki International Film Festival is happy to invite podcasters from Greece and abroad to submit their works at the Podcast section of the 67th TiFF. Participating podcasters set their eyes on the Best Podcast award, accompanied by a 2,000-euro prize. The Nexus Section features podcasts that stand out for their topic, technique and use of podcast tools. Greek-speaking and English-speaking podcasts are eligible for submission, provided that they celebrate their world premiere at the 67th Thessaloniki International Film Festival and are not uploaded on any public or subscription platforms up until the end of the Festival (November 15th, 2026).

When? August 31.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

A few days to go to this year’s The Podcast Show, the most international one yet. Are you participating? If so, find me speaking at the sessions below. If you’re getting last minute tickets, use code EURW10 for 10% discount.

See you in London!

More information here

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🏆Tink Media will be co presenting International Women's Podcast Awards this year with Everybody Media, celebrating the creativity, innovation, and impact of women in podcasting across genres and geographies.

• 🇦🇹Get featured on a top 5% podcast, #impact created and hosted by Regina Larko from Austria, that has been amplifying voices for good since 2017. All it takes is 90 seconds.

• 🇬🇧AudioUK announced a landmark development for the UK podcast and audio industry, as the UK Government has confirmed that “Podcast and other audio publishing activities” will be formally recognised within the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 2026 framework.

• 🇨🇦🇦🇺🇬🇧CBC, ABC and the BBC announced that they are joining forces to bring back the beloved audio short-form documentary series Short Cuts as a podcast and radio series.

• 🇩🇪In Germany, ARD Media published “Audioversum 2026”, a look at audio consumption in the country. (source: Podnews)

• 🇬🇧In London, The Publisher Podcast Awards has just announced its shortlist. (source: Podnews)

• 🇬🇧The winners of The Golden Lobes 2026 were announced. (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+56 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

“Sound Artisans” of Morocco, with Mehdi El Kindi of Les Bonnes Ondes and AMWAJ Festival 🇲🇦

Mehdi El Kindi is an audio professional and the founder of Les Bonnes Ondes, an independent podcast studio based in Casablanca. After more than a decade as a host and producer on Radio 2M, he shifted his focus to immersive sound documentaries and audio storytelling in 2020. He positions his studio as a team of “sound artisans” dedicated to giving a voice to marginalized narratives. He is deeply engaged in structuring the Moroccan audio ecosystem through training and co-organizes the AMWAJ podcast and radio festival.

You can connect with Mehdi on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcast origin story?

My background is deeply rooted in traditional radio and music. I spent over a decade as a host and producer at Radio 2M, which taught me the foundational power of audio.

In 2020, driven by a desire to explore immersive, long-form storytelling, I founded Les Bonnes Ondes in Casablanca. This vision was truly cemented in 2021 when I created Rencontre en pays Bamanan, an audio journey to Mali exploring the roots of Gnaoua music. Sorting through the massive amount of raw audio material for that project reaffirmed my commitment to deep sound creation.

I also experienced the profound, therapeutic power of the medium when I recorded a piece for our Micro-confidences series about the 2003 Casablanca bombings. All of this shaped the DNA of Les Bonnes Ondes, not as a tech “start-up,” but as a studio of “sound artisans” dedicated, alongside other things, to giving the microphone to voices we aren’t used to hearing.

Share with us an overview of the Moroccan podcasting industry.

The Moroccan podcasting scene is transitioning from a marginal format to a central space for media expression. Moroccans naturally love to converse and debate, but the podcast format is allowing us to move past surface-level opinions into deep, emotional, and factual human stories.

There is a growing appetite for this alternative storytelling from independent creators, but also from NGOs and brands looking to touch new audiences (even reaching the Moroccan diaspora). The ecosystem is currently structuring itself. A big part of our work is dedicated to training this new wave of creators, to ensure we focus on rigorous journalism and finding our unique, local voices in a saturated global landscape.

How was the AMWAJ Festival born?

AMWAJ was born out of a simple conviction: sound brings people together and gives a voice to stories we no longer hear, or that are unheard.

The festival first materialized in December 2023 through a beautiful complicity and co-production between Les Bonnes Ondes, the Institut Français du Maroc who is the main organiser, and the Longueur d’Ondes festival based in Brest, France.

We wanted to create a dedicated space in Casablanca to celebrate audio craftsmanship and foster encounters between listeners and creators.

How does AMWAJ contribute to an international podcasting landscape?

AMWAJ acts as a Mediterranean and African bridge. By bringing together key audio professionals from Morocco, France, and beyond, we create a space for cross-border pollination. It allows for a multicultural dialogue where we tackle shared societal issues, like migration, identity, climate emergencies, and global conflicts, through multilingual projects. It’s also a platform to support emerging audio authors via networking, cultural exchange, and shared masterclasses.

What are some of the biggest takeaways from the last edition and what are your goals for this year?

Our second edition in December 2025 was incredibly moving. We explored heavy, complex societal themes like mental health, gender, the Middle East crises, and Amazigh identity. The biggest takeaways was seeing how receptive the public, especially the youth, is to immersive, sometimes challenging listening experiences, it was also seeing all the seeds from the first edition grow through more and more local production.

Amwaj is a biennale, but we’ll be represented this year in several festivals and events in France (mainly in Paris and Marseille) thanks to partnerships with independent institutions.

On a studio level, our goal this year is still to open up our infrastructure to the local creative ecosystem by offering our professional studio as a collaborative hub for training, audiovisual production, and thematic debates.

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite pieces featured in the festival.

• Live Music & Talk with Ilona Dip: We recorded this live during the festival. It’s a “mirror game” where classical pianist Ilona Dip resurrects the forgotten scores of female classical composers who were erased from history, confronting them with their famous male contemporaries.

• Entre nos mains (by Badr El Hammami): This was an incredible immersive sound installation at our last edition. Through suspended microphones, it broadcasted intimate stories, chants, and crossed memories, deeply exploring Amazigh identity.

• Des bruits de soi: A very rare and sensitive audio creation that tackles mental health and bipolar disorders, breaking taboos through a brilliant narrative form.

  Thank you, Mehdi!

Leave a comment

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

ITALIAN, FOR SURE

Your ultimate (and accurate) guide to Italian culture! ITALIAN, FOR SURE goes beyond the cliches and stereotypes to reveal the true Italian way of living. Catrin Skaperdas, an American living in Italy, hosts lively interviews with locals in an effort to give Italians the (befitting) stage to passionately share their wisdom, stories and insights about Italy.

In the latest episode, The Italian Podcast Market, get the inside scoop on the Italian podcast market, like what podcast genres are popular (or not) in Italy, how the non-verbal in Italian culture - like Italian hand gestures - affects podcast listening, and growth and monetization techniques.

La Memoria en Ruinas

A podcast about Spanish heritage that refuses to disappear. With José María Sadia and Andrea Morán. In the first episode of the podcast “Memory in Ruins,” José María Sadia and Andrea Morán seek answers to one of the most enigmatic cases of the 21st century in the field of historical and artistic heritage. In 2012, an art history professor rediscovered a Romanesque-style cloister on a millionaire’s estate in Girona. Is it an authentic building or merely a modern reproduction? Are we looking at a medieval monument, some 800 years old, or a forgery designed to profit from the antiques market?

No Ordinary Life

Season 1: Scarface — The true story of Al Capone. A five part series. No Ordinary Life is a cinematic history podcast series. Each season brings one legendary figure back to life. In Brooklyn, young Capone drops out of school and joins the Five Points street gang. The New York underworld becomes his classroom...

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇧🇪🇪🇺 Podcasts from Brussels 🇧🇪🇪🇺

Aimée Duprat-Macabies is the Advocacy and Communications Coordinator at the Centre for Democracy & Technology Europe, while also coordinating the work of the NGO on tech-facilitated gender-based violence. A tireless advocate for gender equality, she supervised the communications strategy of the Brussels Binder, a volunteer-run organisation that seeks to increase the diversity of voices in the EU policy debates. She is now supporting the advocacy work of the NGO. Aimée is passionate about accountability and rights in the digital age, from how media operates around EU institutions through to how technology shapes equality.

• EU Scream: Those are really thoughtful, in-depth conversations with the people shaping European policy. It’s serious without being stiff, and you often get a sense of the personalities behind the politics, which is rare in EU coverage. My fave last one: the Geopolitics of whiteness.

• À quoi tu sers ? Le podcast des métiers de l’Europe: I love this one because it focuses on the people behind the big EU machinery that oftentimes feels super opaque. It demystifies the jobs, the paths, and the day-to-day reality of working in and around European institutions. It's a great listen especially for students and early-career professionals. My fave last one: Sevim, Klaudia, Chiara et Annelies, des influenceuses de l'Europe.

• Europod, Europe talks back: I really enjoy this one for its storytelling energy considering it brings real issues and debates to life. Episodes have covered topics from racism, fatphobia, protests to digital rights, LGBTQ+ rights and political deadlock in member states. It’s a great way to understand what’s actually happening on the ground across Europe, not just what’s happening in Brussels. My fave: Let’s talk about digital gender based violence.

Thank you, Aimee!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• British Podcast Awards

A win at the British Podcast Awards is more than a trophy (and a customised cushion from their cushion wall!), it is a moment that can fundamentally change your podcast’s trajectory. Categories span the full podcasting ecosystem, including public voted Listeners’ Choice Award, expertly judged Genre and People categories as well as the highly coveted Editors’ Choice Awards, ensuring breakthrough talent, independent and major networks alike share the spotlight.

When? May 21.

• Podcamp Düsseldorf (Germany)

In June 2026, the Düsseldorf Central Library will once again transform into a fantastic meeting place for podcast enthusiasts, content creators and audio professionals from all over Germany, as Podcamp NRW, the most popular event format of the German-speaking podcast community, returns to the state capital.

When? June 19-20.

• Women Who Podcast Awards (International)

The Women Who Podcast Awards honors creators who produce shows without the backing of major networks, radio stations, universities/colleges, or large production teams. They are only accepting submissions from podcasts that are independently produced and primarily self-funded.

When? June 30.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

You can connect with Mehdi on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcast origin story?

My background is deeply rooted in traditional radio and music. I spent over a decade as a host and producer at Radio 2M, which taught me the foundational power of audio.

In 2020, driven by a desire to explore immersive, long-form storytelling, I founded Les Bonnes Ondes in Casablanca. This vision was truly cemented in 2021 when I created Rencontre en pays Bamanan, an audio journey to Mali exploring the roots of Gnaoua music. Sorting through the massive amount of raw audio material for that project reaffirmed my commitment to deep sound creation.

I also experienced the profound, therapeutic power of the medium when I recorded a piece for our Micro-confidences series about the 2003 Casablanca bombings. All of this shaped the DNA of Les Bonnes Ondes, not as a tech “start-up,” but as a studio of “sound artisans” dedicated, alongside other things, to giving the microphone to voices we aren’t used to hearing.

Share with us an overview of the Moroccan podcasting industry.

The Moroccan podcasting scene is transitioning from a marginal format to a central space for media expression. Moroccans naturally love to converse and debate, but the podcast format is allowing us to move past surface-level opinions into deep, emotional, and factual human stories.

There is a growing appetite for this alternative storytelling from independent creators, but also from NGOs and brands looking to touch new audiences (even reaching the Moroccan diaspora). The ecosystem is currently structuring itself. A big part of our work is dedicated to training this new wave of creators, to ensure we focus on rigorous journalism and finding our unique, local voices in a saturated global landscape.

Leave a comment

How was the AMWAJ Festival born?

AMWAJ was born out of a simple conviction: sound brings people together and gives a voice to stories we no longer hear, or that are unheard.

The festival first materialized in December 2023 through a beautiful complicity and co-production between Les Bonnes Ondes, the Institut Français du Maroc who is the main organiser, and the Longueur d’Ondes festival based in Brest, France.

We wanted to create a dedicated space in Casablanca to celebrate audio craftsmanship and foster encounters between listeners and creators.

How does AMWAJ contribute to an international podcasting landscape?

AMWAJ acts as a Mediterranean and African bridge. By bringing together key audio professionals from Morocco, France, and beyond, we create a space for cross-border pollination. It allows for a multicultural dialogue where we tackle shared societal issues, like migration, identity, climate emergencies, and global conflicts, through multilingual projects. It’s also a platform to support emerging audio authors via networking, cultural exchange, and shared masterclasses.

What are some of the biggest takeaways from the last edition and what are your goals for this year?

Our second edition in December 2025 was incredibly moving. We explored heavy, complex societal themes like mental health, gender, the Middle East crises, and Amazigh identity. The biggest takeaways was seeing how receptive the public, especially the youth, is to immersive, sometimes challenging listening experiences, it was also seeing all the seeds from the first edition grow through more and more local production.

Amwaj is a biennale, but we’ll be represented this year in several festivals and events in France (mainly in Paris and Marseille) thanks to partnerships with independent institutions.

On a studio level, our goal this year is still to open up our infrastructure to the local creative ecosystem by offering our professional studio as a collaborative hub for training, audiovisual production, and thematic debates.

Share

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite pieces featured in the festival.

• Live Music & Talk with Ilona Dip: We recorded this live during the festival. It’s a “mirror game” where classical pianist Ilona Dip resurrects the forgotten scores of female classical composers who were erased from history, confronting them with their famous male contemporaries.

• Entre nos mains (by Badr El Hammami): This was an incredible immersive sound installation at our last edition. Through suspended microphones, it broadcasted intimate stories, chants, and crossed memories, deeply exploring Amazigh identity.

• Des bruits de soi: A very rare and sensitive audio creation that tackles mental health and bipolar disorders, breaking taboos through a brilliant narrative form.

  Thank you, Mehdi!

Eurowaves is hitting your inbox one day earlier than usual because fun fact: May 1st is Labor Day in Romania. This issue includes a behind-the-scenes look at The Podcast Show and, among other things, how it can support independent podcasters, podcast recommendations from Germany to The Netherlands and plenty of awards updates.

Before we get into it…

It’s the last day to fill out Podnews’ annual report card.

This data allows them to compare different podcast platforms, and give each of them concrete, constructive data to help them improve. These answers help the teams prioritise internal resources (or argue for more). The results from 2025 were shared with Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube and Spotify. The results will be shared on-stage at The Podcast Show in London in May, as well as publish it in the Podnews newsletter.

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🏆🌎The Quill Podcast Award nominees will be announced this week. Finalist voting opens today, April 30.

• 🏆🇬🇧Reminder: The first round of entries for the British Podcast Awards closes today.

• 🏆🌎The Webby Award winners have been announced. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

• 🇮🇪🇺🇸RTÉ has secured its first North American podcast distribution deal, expanding Stolen Sister to new audiences. (Source: Podcasting Today)

• 🇪🇸Spanish-language podcast app iVoox has unveiled its first ever TV ad, which will run on Mediaset TV channels across Spain. (Source: Podnews)

• 🇪🇺A major new European study into advertising trends, conducted by Bauer Media Audio in partnership with Elevate Consultancy, signals a clear turning point for audio, with 96% of advertisers planning to maintain or increase spend. (Source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+25 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

The biggest international podcasting event, with TPS’ Ferga O’Neill 🇬🇧

You can connect with Ferga on LinkedIn here.

What’s your personal podcasting origin story?

I began working in broadcast events for the BBC for national networks like BBC Radio 1 & 2 in 2012. It so happened that Jason Carter (The Podcast Show’s Festival Director) ran the team there. 10 years (and a few different live events jobs) later, Jason called me up and asked me to come and work on the very first Podcast Show and so it began! I started out as a Content Coordinator managing the influx of podcasting speakers and sessions on that very first show and was hooked by the brilliant community and incredible people that form the industry. Five shows on and it is remarkable to see how swiftly things move.

What gaps did The Podcast Show set out to fill in its first year and how has that evolved over the years, especially given the industry’s developments?

The Podcast Show set out to create a vibrant and inclusive space for the world of podcasting to meet in person and hear first hand what the industry was doing and saying and to deliver some real value from attending. We were very conscious that most of the existing podcasting events didn’t have that festival feel or truly reflect the creative energy of our industry. Our ambition was to deliver more than just a conference and as diverse and open to all as possible.

The show has very much evolved in line with industry developments and we are constantly talking to the wider industry and the podcast community to ask what they would like to see at the event. Hopefully visitors can see this reflected over the years in the programme and on the show floor. The conversations around video and AI, for example, have moved on significantly from a few years ago. Then, sessions focused on what video and AI would mean for the industry. In 2026, we are programming sessions around best use and what the future looks like. We are also seeing more tech companies coming in and exhibiting at the show demonstrating video and AI products.

Over the years we have developed new features at the show to support the ecosystem. Our creator focused spaces (Creator Village as you enter the show) host masterclasses, 121 expert advice and a podcast studio – and this year our brand new Creator First stage, in association with Arcade (who manage The Sidemen), which will focus on cross-platform content and creator led media businesses.

We now also have our Indie Business Zone for the second year, supporting the growth of independent podcast businesses. For the first time this year we will have sessions on M&A, walking delegates through the process of how to make their company sellable and what actually happens in the acquisition process as we are hearing a lot of noise about this particular topic.

One of the biggest evolutions we have seen at the show itself is the year on year increase in international delegates coming to the show. Last year visitors came from over 53 countries and we are expecting even more this year. We have introduced a brand new International Stage, in association with Podimo, which will bring together leading international voices to discuss topics that span the global industry.

How do you balance the event’s podcasting business focus with the creation focus?

We have 10 stages at the show delivering over 200 sessions that cover every angle of the industry. Our business-focused talks include advertising, IP development, platform strategy, research and distribution as well as keynotes from senior leaders. Creators are supported from grassroots up, with workshops, advice and practical sessions along with marketing and monetisation strategy talks.

Some of the topics sit right between business and creator, especially in the current creator economy, such as building a brand as a creator and how to grow a podcast and leverage existing communities. We don’t programme the show giving equal time to either business or creation, we integrate them, as creative decisions and business outcomes are increasingly moving together in podcasting.

We also host a number of focused networking events at the show, from leadership breakfasts to creator meet ups.

How can independent podcasters make the most of TPS?

The first thing independent podcasters can do to make the most out of TPS is download the app, which will be available very soon. From here, they can navigate sessions and networking events and book 1 to 1 meetings with other delegates. It is a good idea to check out the programme and bookmark favourite sessions ahead of the event, as with 200+ it’s a lot of information to digest and decide on whilst at a very busy show. We have plenty of talks aimed directly at this sector peppered throughout the programme.

Independent podcasters should attend networking events, for which the schedule will be published soon. These are a great way to connect with peers informally over a drink. A huge amount of partnerships are formed and deals done at TPS, especially at the networking events and 1 to 1 meeting set up via the app.

What are some of the international conversations attendees can expect to hear this year?

Attendees can expect to hear about The Ad Market, Monetisation, Distribution, IP, Research, Commissioning, True Crime, Growth and long form storytelling – all from an international perspective, giving a birds eye view of the whole industry, across the globe. There will also be an opportunity to pitch your podcast to an International line up of commissioners, including Podimo, ABC Australia, CBC and ESPN.

What’s one main advice you’d share with attendees?

Again, I would have to say download the app as soon as it’s available and start connecting with fellow delegates! It can also be daunting attending an event of this scale solo, so it’s best to take time to get orientated with the show floor and the many different spaces when first arriving. Take a walk around the upper gallery level and drop in on some of our partners, whose suites are very much open for business. You can also see the full show floor from this level.

What’s one fun fact from behind the scenes?

With the enormous number of sessions (numbering 200+) and over 450 speakers and 10 stages, we have the entire 4 walls of our main office covered in huge whiteboards (quite literally floor to ceiling!) showing every single session in grids. It has been likened to NASA’s mission control at Cape Canaveral and we’re gearing towards blast off in just 3 weeks!

Thank you, Ferga!

Leave a comment

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

The Best Is Yet To Come...

John was one of the founding members of BBC Newsnight, he went on to run the BBC World Service. Speaking to other people in their 90s who have lived equally impressive lives, he shows that although nonagenarians can share stories that traverse generations, they have rich insights for the modern day that we need to listen to.

So geht Podcast

Your podcast for real insights into the world of podcasting. Every week, Giovanni invites inspiring guests from successful podcasters and creative entrepreneurs to innovators who are helping shape the podcasting landscape. His goal is to provide you with valuable tips and insider knowledge so you can successfully start, develop, and optimize your own podcast.

Euro Matters – the European Central Bank Podcast

The podcast that unpacks the stories, ideas and decisions shaping Europe’s economy. Fresh perspectives from the people at the heart of it all from economists and policymakers to researchers and innovators answering the questions that truly matter to you. Hosts Paul Gordon, Stefania Secola and Catherine Steer dive into the latest developments across the euro area, breaking down complex topics in a clear and accessible way.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇳🇱 Podcasts from The Netherlands 🇳🇱

Kristen Hayford is an American based in The Hague, Netherlands. She has a background in podcast marketing and has helped launch 20+ podcasts. She currently runs a boutique digital media studio, The Other Westcoast Productions, that pays homage to her roots while creating custom scopes for audio and media projects to the effect of audience building, marketing, production, and monetization.

Her studio recently created, Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage, which was made in collaboration with Verhalen Podium, where the story investigates the hosts’ personal history and connection to WWII. For that reason, many of her recommendations bleed into the topics of WWII history, identity, immigration, and language learning!

• Wat moeten we met onze Kees?: In the three-part series What Should We Do with Our Kees?, Karin Ramaker investigates the complete wartime story of her distant cousin, Kees Jacobs, to determine whether the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies (NIOD) should grant him the title of “resistance fighter.” Karin sifts through witness reports for evidence of Kees’s actions and speaks with historians, war specialists, and family members. The podcast is both a personal quest for the truth about Kees and a broader investigation into the very concept of resistance: Does Kees deserve this title, or is he a flaw in the system

• Asymmetrical Haircuts: Don’t let the name fool you: this is a podcast about international justice, produced by two journalists who happen to wear their hair asymmetrically. Recent episodes have covered universal jurisdiction in Argentina, the ethics of prosecuting the elderly, justice updates from Gambia and Myanmar, and the implications for accountability regarding human rights violations in Venezuela.

• Rosie the Reviewer: A WWII media review podcast. While this genre is predominantly male-led, this show stands out as fully women-created and hosted. Based in Canada and the Netherlands, hosts Sam and Maartje bridge historical cultures and perspectives in their reviews of films such as So Proudly We Hail! (about American Army nurses during the Japanese invasion of the Philippines), Number 24 (following Gunnar Sønsteby, Norway’s most decorated citizen and one of the most effective resistance operatives in occupied Europe), and The Sound of Music. Through a WWII lens, they reveal how even a seemingly heartwarming musical like the latter can offer surprisingly sharp historical commentary.

Thank you, Kristen!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• Deutscher Podcast Awards (Berlin, Germany)

The German Podcast Award is the leading award for outstanding German-language podcasts. It recognizes the creative, journalistic, and technical diversity of the podcast market in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland – and highlights the people who shape the medium. The 2026 entries are closed. The awards ceremony will take place in May.

When? May 13.

• Podcast Days Premios (Madrid, Spain)

Since 2018, the first event for podcasting professionals in the Spanish-speaking world. A unique space, independent by conviction, with no backing from any major media outlet or platform. Two ways to participate in the awards: compete in the official categories before a professional jury, or vote for your favorite in the Audience Award.

When? May 15.

• Leipzig Lauscht Podcast Festival 2026 (Leipzig, Germany)

Central Germany’s largest podcast festival. At a new location this year, you can once again exect two days packed with exciting podcasts, expertise, and networking. With the industry – for the industry. Perfect for learning everything about audio editing in a workshop, or for debating topic selection together in a panel discussion.

When? May 30-31.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

You can connect with Ferga on LinkedIn here.

What’s your personal podcasting origin story?

I began working in broadcast events for the BBC for national networks like BBC Radio 1 & 2 in 2012. It so happened that Jason Carter (The Podcast Show’s Festival Director) ran the team there. 10 years (and a few different live events jobs) later, Jason called me up and asked me to come and work on the very first Podcast Show and so it began! I started out as a Content Coordinator managing the influx of podcasting speakers and sessions on that very first show and was hooked by the brilliant community and incredible people that form the industry. Five shows on and it is remarkable to see how swiftly things move.

What gaps did The Podcast Show set out to fill in its first year and how has that evolved over the years, especially given the industry’s developments?

The Podcast Show set out to create a vibrant and inclusive space for the world of podcasting to meet in person and hear first hand what the industry was doing and saying and to deliver some real value from attending. We were very conscious that most of the existing podcasting events didn’t have that festival feel or truly reflect the creative energy of our industry. Our ambition was to deliver more than just a conference and as diverse and open to all as possible.

The show has very much evolved in line with industry developments and we are constantly talking to the wider industry and the podcast community to ask what they would like to see at the event. Hopefully visitors can see this reflected over the years in the programme and on the show floor. The conversations around video and AI, for example, have moved on significantly from a few years ago. Then, sessions focused on what video and AI would mean for the industry. In 2026, we are programming sessions around best use and what the future looks like. We are also seeing more tech companies coming in and exhibiting at the show demonstrating video and AI products.

Over the years we have developed new features at the show to support the ecosystem. Our creator focused spaces (Creator Village as you enter the show) host masterclasses, 121 expert advice and a podcast studio – and this year our brand new Creator First stage, in association with Arcade (who manage The Sidemen), which will focus on cross-platform content and creator led media businesses.

We now also have our Indie Business Zone for the second year, supporting the growth of independent podcast businesses. For the first time this year we will have sessions on M&A, walking delegates through the process of how to make their company sellable and what actually happens in the acquisition process as we are hearing a lot of noise about this particular topic.

One of the biggest evolutions we have seen at the show itself is the year on year increase in international delegates coming to the show. Last year visitors came from over 53 countries and we are expecting even more this year. We have introduced a brand new International Stage, in association with Podimo, which will bring together leading international voices to discuss topics that span the global industry.

Subscribe now

How do you balance the event’s podcasting business focus with the creation focus?

We have 10 stages at the show delivering over 200 sessions that cover every angle of the industry. Our business-focused talks include advertising, IP development, platform strategy, research and distribution as well as keynotes from senior leaders. Creators are supported from grassroots up, with workshops, advice and practical sessions along with marketing and monetisation strategy talks.

Some of the topics sit right between business and creator, especially in the current creator economy, such as building a brand as a creator and how to grow a podcast and leverage existing communities. We don’t programme the show giving equal time to either business or creation, we integrate them, as creative decisions and business outcomes are increasingly moving together in podcasting.

We also host a number of focused networking events at the show, from leadership breakfasts to creator meet ups.

How can independent podcasters make the most of TPS?

The first thing independent podcasters can do to make the most out of TPS is download the app, which will be available very soon. From here, they can navigate sessions and networking events and book 1 to 1 meetings with other delegates. It is a good idea to check out the programme and bookmark favourite sessions ahead of the event, as with 200+ it’s a lot of information to digest and decide on whilst at a very busy show. We have plenty of talks aimed directly at this sector peppered throughout the programme.

Independent podcasters should attend networking events, for which the schedule will be published soon. These are a great way to connect with peers informally over a drink. A huge amount of partnerships are formed and deals done at TPS, especially at the networking events and 1 to 1 meeting set up via the app.

Leave a comment

What are some of the international conversations attendees can expect to hear this year?

Attendees can expect to hear about The Ad Market, Monetisation, Distribution, IP, Research, Commissioning, True Crime, Growth and long form storytelling – all from an international perspective, giving a birds eye view of the whole industry, across the globe. There will also be an opportunity to pitch your podcast to an International line up of commissioners, including Podimo, ABC Australia, CBC and ESPN.

What's one main advice you'd share with attendees?

Again, I would have to say download the app as soon as it’s available and start connecting with fellow delegates! It can also be daunting attending an event of this scale solo, so it’s best to take time to get orientated with the show floor and the many different spaces when first arriving. Take a walk around the upper gallery level and drop in on some of our partners, whose suites are very much open for business. You can also see the full show floor from this level.

What’s one fun fact from behind the scenes?

With the enormous number of sessions (numbering 200+) and over 450 speakers and 10 stages, we have the entire 4 walls of our main office covered in huge whiteboards (quite literally floor to ceiling!) showing every single session in grids. It has been likened to NASA’s mission control at Cape Canaveral and we’re gearing towards blast off in just 3 weeks!

Thank you, Ferga!

We are less than a month away to The Podcast Show in London, so I wanted to share something special.

Eurowaves is partnering with the conference again this year to help bring more European voices to the center of the conversation. The goal is to highlight what’s happening in podcasting across the continent and to build new connections with people from around the world. The Podcast Show is showing they’re committed to being the most international podcasting conference in the industry.

In this special issue of Eurowaves, you’ll read insights from three key international players in podcasting and three different regions:

• Rachel Corbett, Network Director of Nova Podcasts in Australia 🇦🇺

• Konstantin Seidenstücker, Co-Founder and CEO of Studio Bummens in Germany 🇩🇪

• Lemya Soltani, CCO and Co-Founder of NextAudio, leading global podcast advertising growth in the MENA region 🌏

Get your tickets to The Podcast Show 2026 🇬🇧

Book your pass to The Podcast Show London: EURW10 for a 10% discount!

Bringing together thousands of delegates from 60+ countries, whatever your role, level or specific interests, The Podcast Show will connect you with the right people. From Leaders in Podcasting breakfasts and TPS Connects to the Creator Mix, it’s the industry’s go-to networking destination.

When? 20–21 May, 2026.

Get your tickets

Rachel Corbett, Nova Podcasts 🇦🇺

Rachel Corbett is Network Director of Nova Podcasts and has worked professionally in radio and podcasting for over 25 years.

She began her career as a breakfast and drive host across Australia’s largest commercial radio networks and was producing podcasts as early as 2009, before moving into the medium full-time in 2013, where she was at the forefront of its growth in Australia.

She went on to build and lead podcast divisions at both Mamamia and Nova Entertainment, scaling audio within one of Australia’s most successful digital publishers and leading the development of Nova Entertainment’s podcast network. Alongside her executive role, Rachel is the founder of PodSchool, an online education platform she launched in 2016 dedicated to teaching best-practice podcasting. She has hosted more than 15 podcasts herself and is passionate about helping creators build shows that don’t just launch, but last.

Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?

Podcasting in Australia is well and truly mainstream. More than half the country is listening to podcasts every month and that’s still growing. The commercial side of podcasting is also very sophisticated, with clients looking for more opportunities to integrate into content and the ecosystem around a show. The biggest difference for us compared to other markets is probably scale. We have a big industry, but a much smaller population. That usually means shows have to work a lot harder to reach commercializable audience levels.

We also have an interesting dynamic when it comes to international content. Australians love local shows and there’s a real appetite for hearing our own voices and stories, but we also consume a lot of US and UK content. The reverse is harder, however, because breaking Australian shows internationally is still really difficult, even though many shows do have global audiences.

At Nova Podcasts, we focus heavily on local content and “homegrown conversations” that feel relevant to Australian audiences. The other thing that’s probably not obvious from the outside is how much we’re impacted by what’s happening globally. We might be geographically far away, but what’s happening in international markets has a direct impact on us commercially, and we feel those shifts pretty quickly. So while we’re smaller, we’re a very switched-on, commercially mature market, just operating at a different scale.

What do you think is the biggest opportunity for international collaborations in podcasting to sustain the industry’s growth?

Honestly, I think the biggest opportunity is just keeping the lines of communication open. Unless there’s a formal partnership in place, there’s not a huge amount of day-to-day conversation between people in podcasting across different markets. That’s why events like this matter, because you get to compare notes. That kind of knowledge-sharing is what helps move things forward faster.

Video is obviously a big focus at the moment, so I’ve been interested in how people in other markets are working through it because, despite the hype, it’s not as simple as turning cameras on and making more money. There are real questions around cost, workload and payoff. We’re all trying to solve the same problem, how to build sustainable, valuable podcast businesses. So the more we can share what’s working, what’s not and where the friction points are, the better off everyone is.

I also think there’s a big opportunity around monetizing international audiences properly. A lot of shows have listeners in multiple markets, but they’re not necessarily making money from all of them. Sometimes that’s because of tech, sometimes it’s partnerships, sometimes it’s just not being set up for it. But there’s definitely money being left on the table.

For us at Nova, we’re really interested in being part of that from an Australian perspective, helping international shows monetize their audience here and finding smarter ways to do that without it becoming overly complicated.

What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?

Honestly, I’m just excited to be in the room. Working in Australia, you can feel a long way from everything, so having a few days where you can hear from, and meet, people doing the same job in different markets is incredibly valuable.

I’m really looking forward to the session I’m part of with Coleman Insights, Arielle Nissenblatt and Pantheon Media on podcast trailers. We’ve been working on new research into what actually drives trailer effectiveness, and there were a few results that genuinely surprised all of us when we went through the data, so it’ll be great to unpack that properly.

And then I’m really looking forward to the conversations around the sessions. That’s often where these events are most valuable, hearing how people are actually making decisions, what they’re prioritizing, and what they’ve stopped doing. Those hallway conversations are usually where you get the most useful insights.

Leave a comment

Konstantin Seidenstücker, Studio Bummens 🇩🇪

Konstantin Seidenstücker is Co-Founder and CEO of Studio Bummens, one of Germany’s leading podcast publishers. The studio’s portfolio generates more than 15 million monthly downloads and over the past years Konstantin has been behind some of the country’s most successful and genre-defining formats — from hit shows like Baywatch Berlin, PLOT HOUSE and Apokalypse & Filterkaffee to critically acclaimed productions like Cui Bono and Paardiologie.

Studio Bummens collaborates with some of the most prominent voices in German media, including Klaas Heufer-Umlauf, Sophie Passmann and Toni Kroos. Alongside leading the company, Konstantin oversees the creative direction at Studio Bummens.

Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?

Podcasting in Germany has had a remarkable run. We’re now roughly ten years into what I’d call the professionalisation era — a shift that really kicked off when Spotify’s breakout show Fest & Flauschig proved that podcasting could be a serious, mainstream medium.

The hype cycle has clearly passed, but what’s replaced it is something more durable: podcasting is steadily embedding itself into people’s daily media consumption. Entertainment formats led by presenters, creators, sports personalities and public figures still dominate, but news and current affairs shows are catching up fast — driven, unsurprisingly, by the state of the world.

What excites me most right now is that we’re at a turning point where individual shows are evolving into genuine media brands, and in some cases full media empires. That’s a trajectory we’ve seen play out in the broader creator economy for a while, and it’s great to see podcasting arrive there too. It really underscores the medium’s maturity and legitimacy.

What do you think is the biggest opportunity for international collaborations in podcasting to sustain the industry’s growth?

For me, it starts with exchange — simply talking to each other.

I remember vividly when we had just founded Studio Bummens and embarked on a kind of educational trip to New York to meet podcasters and studios there. The insights we came back with were genuinely formative for our business and the direction we took. Different markets solve problems differently, and not everything translates one-to-one. But I’ve always believed it’s worth looking left and right — spotting trends early, borrowing what’s relevant, and sometimes just realising that someone on the other side of the world is facing the exact same challenges you are. That recognition alone can be incredibly valuable.

International collaboration doesn’t have to mean co-productions or big deals; often the most lasting impact comes from those informal conversations and shared perspectives.

What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?

The Podcast Show is, without question, the best international reunion in our industry — I look forward to it every year. I’m particularly keen to hear updates from the major platforms: how they’re reading the trends, and how they’re thinking about the continued rise of video podcasting. Beyond that, I always make a point of attending sessions from international productions and publishers. There’s something uniquely valuable about hearing how teams in other markets approach format development — their workflows, their editorial thinking, the decisions they make. It’s the kind of perspective you simply can’t get from your own market alone.

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Lemya Soltani, NextAudio (MENA) 🌏

Lemya Soltani is CCO and Co-Founder of NextAudio, leading global podcast advertising growth. She advises brands and agencies on audio advertising strategies including always-on, dynamic targeting & creative, host-read sponsorships and branded content across international markets.

Can you give us an overview of the podcasting scene in your country?

The podcasting scene across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider MENA region is entering a very exciting phase of growth and maturation.

In the UAE, we’re seeing strong adoption driven by a highly connected, international audience and a mature advertising ecosystem. The market has 1.3 million podcast listeners (Nielsen) and is growing at 30%+ annually. But when you zoom out to the region, Saudi Arabia is arguably the real engine of scale. KSA has one of the highest podcast consumption rates globally - 67% of adults listen weekly (YouGov), with a large, young, Arabic-first audience that is deeply engaged with local content. Podcasts there are not just entertainment—they’ve become part of everyday culture, from business and self-development to comedy and religion.

Beyond the UAE and KSA, markets like Egypt are contributing massive audience volume.

What’s consistent across the region is the demographic advantage: a young, mobile-first population that is highly engaged with digital content. This is driving a shift from casual, independent podcasting to a more professionalized ecosystem. We’re seeing more studios, networks, and platforms investing in high-quality production, and brands are increasingly recognizing podcasts as a powerful storytelling channel rather than just another media placement.

At the same time, the market is still fragmented across languages, platforms, and distribution models. There’s a clear opportunity to develop scalable regional IP that can travel beyond borders, particularly Arabic content that resonates globally.

What do you think is the biggest opportunity for international collaborations in podcasting to sustain the industry’s growth?

The biggest opportunity lies in moving beyond distribution deals into true co-creation between regions.

MENA—and especially Saudi Arabia—is one of the fastest-growing podcast markets globally, yet it remains underrepresented in international content ecosystems. Collaborations that combine global production expertise with strong local storytelling can unlock entirely new audiences.

There are a few areas where this becomes particularly impactful:

• Co-produced formats: Shows that are designed from the ground up to work across markets, rather than being adapted later.

• Arabic-first global content: Not everything needs to originate in English. There’s a real opportunity to create premium Arabic content with international appeal.

• Talent and IP exchange: Elevating regional voices onto global platforms while bringing international creators into local contexts.

• Brand partnerships: Global brands want to reach audiences in markets like KSA in a culturally relevant way — podcasts deliver that better than almost any other channel. But for this to work at scale, the infrastructure has to be there: cross-market targeting, standardized measurement, and campaign execution that can run consistently across regions as a single coordinated buy. That’s still an underdeveloped piece of international podcast advertising — and it’s one of the most important collaboration opportunities right now

A key concept here is “transcreation”—adapting content to fit cultural nuances rather than simply translating it. In a region as diverse as MENA, this is essential.

If done right, international collaboration won’t just expand reach—it will help build a more balanced global podcast ecosystem where emerging markets play a central role.

What’s got you most excited about The Podcast Show this year? Any specific sessions or people you’re looking forward to?

What excites me most about The Podcast Show is its role as a truly global connector for the industry.

As podcasting becomes more international, the most valuable conversations are no longer happening within individual markets, but across them. This is especially relevant for regions like MENA & APAC, where there’s huge growth potential but also a need for stronger integration into the global ecosystem.

This year, I’m particularly interested in conversations around:

• The future of podcast monetization — specifically how cross-market advertising models develop and whether measurement infrastructure can keep pace with global campaign demand

• The role of video and multi-format distribution in scaling audiences

• How markets like Saudi Arabia and the wider MENA region are shaping the next phase of growth

More than anything, I’m looking forward to meeting people who are thinking beyond borders because the next chapter of podcasting will be defined by collaboration and global storytelling.

How is spring treating you? Kind reminder, it also happens to also be tax season, depending on where you are in Europe.

In this issue, we are getting a special look at the German podcasting market, Spanish podcast recommendations, local and international upcoming events, and community news including three jobs spanning from the UK and the Netherlands to Spain.

Before we get into it…

Jullian Androkae and I's first interview together as PodVision! We talk everything from how we met, our immigrant experience and, of course, podcasting. Thank you so much Mariana Lanzilli for having us on to share our story.

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🏆 Emotions of Change, a Zürich-based independent production is nominated for The Webby Awards for “Best Limited Series”. Go vote!

• 🗞️ TrueFans.fm announced Claire Waite Brown as the new Head of Community. Claire will take the lead on building and nurturing the TrueFans community, engaging with members and representing the TrueFans brand across all our major channels.

• 💼🇬🇧 Podcast Discovery (UK-based) is hiring a Marketing Manager to support their clients’ podcast growth.

• 💼 🇳🇱 Podimo is hiring a new Senior Podcast Producer in Amsterdam, North Holland.

• 💼🇪🇸 Padel Sports Podcast is hiring a Spanish and English Speaking Podcast Producer Madrid or Spain-based, working with a production company remotely: working with UK-based team, Message Heard. Option for fully remote position. (source: Podnews).

• 🇬🇧 The Podcast Show is promising its most international edition yet! Join the 5th edition of the show — the biggest and boldest yet.

  Use EURW10 for 10% discount.

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+21 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

A look into the German podcasting market, with Maria Lorenz-Bokelberg 🇩🇪

Maria Lorenz-Bokelberg is founder and co-CEO of the podcast studio Pool Artists, that had its 10^th anniversary in 2025.

Maria has been working in front and behind microphones for many years and already produced podcasts when she still had to explain them. Aside of her production work, you can find her as a speaker at conferences as well as a consultant for all big and small companies, brands and people in the podcast field. Her company Pool Artists produces many well-known German podcasts, such as Verbrechen and Alles Gesagt for ZEIT ONLINE, Faking Hitler for STERN, Batman unter Toten for Spotify, but also inhouse productions like Die Nilz Bokelberg Erfahrung and Gästeliste Geisterbahn.

You can connect with Maria on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

In 2010, I was a student of American Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. We regularly had speaker from the US coming over and teaching us, which was great! One time there was a person there working in news and politics and she spoke about a new medium which in the US quickly gained popularity and grew stronger and stronger. And that medium was podcasts. I had never heard of it. A couple of weeks later, my friend told me about a show she liked and just like that I was in love with the medium. Created my own show, bought equipment, helped friends, helped friends of friends, wrote my first invoice and suddenly it was my full time job. Today, I own a production company with 24 employees and still love the medium very much.

What do you think makes the German podcasting market stand out and have a high(er) potential of growth?

Germany has a long and diverse history of loving audio drama. We all grew up with it and cherish audio story telling very much. We are also a country that is interested in genres as crime, history, news, etc. which are all genres that fit to the podcast medium very well.

Germans are also a people of loyalty and once we decide to stick with a show, we will listen to it forever through thick and thin, which is great for advertisers.

What is one service you offer to podcasters through Pool Artists today which you never would have imagined needing in 2015?

I think one thing that we always talk about nowadays with clients, that we would have never thought would be such a core topic, is obviously video. I went into this industry fully thinking my work and life would circle around all things audio. Never would I have thought that something that makes podcasts much more expensive and production much more complex would be so dominant. I am not sure, if it will scale back a bit over the next years, but yeah. Video is a surprise.

You are also a co-founder of Sounds Good, a company focused on strategic and creative podcast advertising. How does your approach to partnerships stand out from traditional ad-buying?

Our approach at Sounds Good differs from the “classic” podcast sales model (if that’s even the right term) in two main ways: we operate independently in the market, and we build every partnership from scratch rather than following a template. We also work closely with the big established sales houses, and we come in when brands and podcasts need more than a standard placement. That’s why we bring everyone to the same table - brand, podcasters/creators and the sales partner - and develop a tailored audio strategy that truly fits the format. At the same time, we advise brands holistically on audio and think beyond one-off podcast bookings over a longer horizon: which partnerships make sense when, and why.

That’s how we make sure it improves the listening experience rather than disrupting it: the integration has to match the show’s DNA: its tone, its attitude, its community, and when it makes sense, we extend the idea beyond the podcast into other creator channels. Most importantly, if there isn’t a real fit, we tell our brand partners. Our 10+ years in the podcast business help us spot that fit early and get it right.

Based on your experience producing and supporting podcasters in monetizing, what’s your number one tip for audio creators in 2026?

Know and love what you’re talking about, think in long term, be consistent, be good at what you do and have fun with it. Listeners are smart, they will know.

Share with us 2-3 recommendations of underrated German podcasts you love.

I would recommend Scambit, a short podcast about a chess scandal, as well as Teurer Wohnen, a podcast about the sometimes weird, sometimes illegal, always outrageous ways the real estate business works in Berlin and other big cites. Hört Hört, a podcast about other podcasts featuring recommendations only, is always fun.

Thank you, Maria!

Leave a comment

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

Vintage Politics

Each week, wine educator and former BBC political producer Abbie Bennington sits down with journalists, politicians, and politicos to uncork the wines to match defining moments of their careers. For every story told, Abbie pairs a wine from the same vintage or a style they enjoy. Guests also give us an insight into their lives by revealing their midweek supermarket tipple (strictly for show) and take on the ultimate challenge: guessing the current price of a wine from their birth year.

The Polyester Podcast

Every week Polyester's head girlies Ione Gamble and Gina Tonic take you down a weekly rabbit hole of online discourse and pop culture - from trad wives and surrogacy to porn stars and unhinged press tours. Exploring the intersection of IRL and URL through a feminist lens, the Polyester Podcast is your weekly digest on absolutely everything everyone on the internet is talking about.

Talk Eastern Europe

Talk Eastern Europe is your weekly deep dive into the heart of Central and Eastern Europe. Hosted by Adam Reichardt, Alexandra Karppi, and Nina Panikova, this podcast brings you expert analysis, thought-provoking commentary, and engaging interviews on the region's most pressing issues. From the ongoing war in Ukraine to the rise of populism and the challenges of European integration, the podcast explores the complexities of the region and the forces shaping its future.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇪🇸 Podcasts from Spain 🇪🇸

is a Spanish podcast writer and producer focused on narrative audio and cultural storytelling. Her work moves between journalism, documentary, and branded podcasts, with projects that have expanded into TV adaptations. She also writes Punto de Escucha, a newsletter exploring the craft and future of audio storytelling.

• (De eso no se habla): With a delicate narrative approach, Isabel Cadenas Cañón explores personal and family conflicts that resonate within Spain’s recent history. These are intimate and collective silences that finally find a space to be broken. This is an independent project, backed by numerous awards, that showcases the full potential of narrative podcasting and its ability to deeply connect with listeners.

  (De eso no se habla): Con una narrativa muy delicada, Isabel Cadenas Cañón aborda lo que suele permanecer oculto, conflictos personales o familiares que resuenan en la historia reciente de España. Son silencios íntimos y colectivos que aquí encuentran un espacio para romperse. Se trata de un proyecto independiente avalado por multitud de premios que demuestra el alcance del pódcast narrativo y la conexión que puede tener el audio con los oyentes.

• No sé cómo era antes: In the European Union, one in three women has experienced gender-based violence, including threats, physical or sexual violence, yet only a minority report it. This gap is also present in Spain, where some women turn to social media as a first space to share their experiences. No sé cómo era antes, a production by Cadena SER and Podium Podcast, examines why some women speak out online before turning to the justice system. Through one woman’s story the podcast builds an intimate and unsettling narrative around gender-based violence. It is a difficult story, told with sensitivity and a glimmer of hope.

  No sé cómo era antes: En la Unión Europea, una de cada tres mujeres ha sufrido violencia de género (física, sexual o amenazas), pero solo una minoría denuncia. Esta brecha también está presente en España, donde algunas mujeres encuentran en las redes sociales un primer espacio para compartir sus experiencias. No sé cómo era antes, una producción de la SER y Podium Podcast, se pregunta por qué algunas de ellas hablan antes en lo público que en la justicia. A través de la historia de una mujer, el pódcast construye un relato íntimo e incómodo sobre la violencia de género. Una historia dura, contada con sensibilidad y con un horizonte de luz.

• Nacional II: The Road to Exile: Nearly 90 years after the start of the Spanish Civil War, many of its stories remain untold. In Nacional II: La ruta del exilio, the team behind Carne Cruda (now an independent studio after its origins as a radio show) blends documentary and fiction to create a dialogue between the Republican exile and the one that has taken place in Gaza in recent months. A moving and original way of weaving together voices and timelines.

  Nacional II La ruta del exilio: Hace casi 90 años que empezó la guerra civil española y todavía nos quedan muchas historias que contar son ella. En este pódcast el equipo de Carne Cruda (que empezó siendo un programa de radio y ahora es una emisora/estudio independiente) combina documental y ficción para trazar un diálogo entre el exilio republicano y el que ocurrido en Gaza en los últimos meses. Una manera original y emotiva de cruzar voces y tiempos.

Punto de escucha

En esta newsletter comparto lo que sé sobre narrativa sonora: pódcast que inspiran, procesos creativos y conversaciones con quienes están cambiando la forma de escuchar.

Por Andrea Morán

Thank you, Andrea!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• HARK Live 2026 (Manchester, England)

HARK Live will bring together agencies, businesses and brands from across the digital audio advertising ecosystem for a day of insight, discussion and networking, marking the official launch of HARK Collective.

When? April 29.

• MPN Awards (International)

The MPN Awards are open to all marketing podcasts. We want to celebrate the podcasts YOU love too — the marketing peers, mentors, and heroes who keep us entertained, informed, and inspired. This is our chance to shine a light on the voices across the entire marketing podcast community. English-language only.

When? April 30.

P.S. Eurowaves is a media partner and I’m a judge. Send in your submissions!

• Independent Podcast Awards (UK & Ireland)

The Independent Podcast Awards were launched in 2023 by whynow Media and the Verbal Diorama podcast team to help uncover the talent that we have in the UK but that doesn’t always get recognition it deserves. Currently only podcasters that are based in the UK or Ireland are eligible to enter the awards. If 50% of your team is based in the UK or Ireland then you also qualify.

Deadline? June 8.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

You can connect with Maria on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

In 2010, I was a student of American Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin. We regularly had speaker from the US coming over and teaching us, which was great! One time there was a person there working in news and politics and she spoke about a new medium which in the US quickly gained popularity and grew stronger and stronger. And that medium was podcasts. I had never heard of it. A couple of weeks later, my friend told me about a show she liked and just like that I was in love with the medium. Created my own show, bought equipment, helped friends, helped friends of friends, wrote my first invoice and suddenly it was my full time job. Today, I own a production company with 24 employees and still love the medium very much.

Subscribe now

What do you think makes the German podcasting market stand out and have a high(er) potential of growth?

Germany has a long and diverse history of loving audio drama. We all grew up with it and cherish audio story telling very much. We are also a country that is interested in genres as crime, history, news, etc. which are all genres that fit to the podcast medium very well.

Germans are also a people of loyalty and once we decide to stick with a show, we will listen to it forever through thick and thin, which is great for advertisers.

What is one service you offer to podcasters through Pool Artists today which you never would have imagined needing in 2015?

I think one thing that we always talk about nowadays with clients, that we would have never thought would be such a core topic, is obviously video. I went into this industry fully thinking my work and life would circle around all things audio. Never would I have thought that something that makes podcasts much more expensive and production much more complex would be so dominant. I am not sure, if it will scale back a bit over the next years, but yeah. Video is a surprise.

You are also a co-founder of Sounds Good, a company focused on strategic and creative podcast advertising. How does your approach to partnerships stand out from traditional ad-buying?

Our approach at Sounds Good differs from the “classic” podcast sales model (if that’s even the right term) in two main ways: we operate independently in the market, and we build every partnership from scratch rather than following a template. We also work closely with the big established sales houses, and we come in when brands and podcasts need more than a standard placement. That’s why we bring everyone to the same table - brand, podcasters/creators and the sales partner - and develop a tailored audio strategy that truly fits the format. At the same time, we advise brands holistically on audio and think beyond one-off podcast bookings over a longer horizon: which partnerships make sense when, and why.

That’s how we make sure it improves the listening experience rather than disrupting it: the integration has to match the show’s DNA: its tone, its attitude, its community, and when it makes sense, we extend the idea beyond the podcast into other creator channels. Most importantly, if there isn’t a real fit, we tell our brand partners. Our 10+ years in the podcast business help us spot that fit early and get it right.

Based on your experience producing and supporting podcasters in monetizing, what’s your number one tip for audio creators in 2026?

Know and love what you’re talking about, think in long term, be consistent, be good at what you do and have fun with it. Listeners are smart, they will know.

Share with us 2-3 recommendations of underrated German podcasts you love.

I would recommend Scambit, a short podcast about a chess scandal, as well as Teurer Wohnen, a podcast about the sometimes weird, sometimes illegal, always outrageous ways the real estate business works in Berlin and other big cites. Hört Hört, a podcast about other podcasts featuring recommendations only, is always fun.

Thank you, Maria!

Spring has finally sprung and, with it, the podcasting industry all across Europe is in full bloom. Read on to learn about upcoming events and awards, a new Spanish Audio Academy, and podcast recommendations from France to Romania and Greece.

Before we get into it…

🇪🇺Unmissable European Podcasts on Castbox 🇪🇺

Castbox 🤝 Eurowaves curation of unmissable European curations is now out. Find it on the app! Big thanks to Castbox for supporting European creators! This is a very exciting partnership.

If you'd like to be included in a future issue, drop your show or a recommendation in the comments, or reply to this email.

GreatPods. Podcast discovery, built on editorial trust. 🎧

Great Pods, the podcast discovery platform built on professional critic transparency, just relaunched with user accounts, weekly engagement rankings, and the ability to follow your favorite critics. With 6,300+ reviews from 132 critics across 14,000+ shows, it’s the editorial layer podcasting has been missing. Check it out at greatpods.co.

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🌎The Signal Awards entries are now open! The early deadline is May 8.

• 🌎The Webby Awards nominations are now out! Go vote for your favorites.

• 🇪🇸Acast becomes the first global platform to join Spain’s Audio Academy. This strategic move reinforces Acast’s commitment to professionalizing the Spanish podcast sector and securing its status as a recognized cultural industry.

• 🇬🇧In the podcast Talking Rubbish, James and Robbie are here to prove that recycling is not only important but also downright fun!

• 🇬🇧The Podcast Guys, a podcast and video content production company, are hiring a Podcast Audience Development Executive.

• 🇦🇹The Ö3 Podcast Awards 2026 have been presented. Congratulations to all the winners! (source: Beifahrersitz)

• 🇪🇸A new, free tool to analyse your Spanish-language podcast has been launched by José Antonio Gelado. (source: Podnews)

• 🇬🇧🇩🇪🇸🇪🇫🇷Video podcasts are being heavily promoted on the front page of Apple Podcasts in iOS 26.4. On the web, you can peek into other countries’ editorial promotions of video content: United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France and plenty more. (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+45 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

Academia Audio, the Spanish-language audio network, with Luis Miguel Pedrero Esteban 🇪🇸

Luis Miguel Pedrero Esteban is a journalist, lecturer, and researcher at Universidad Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, Spain. He is the co‑editor of AudioGen 3x3, a weekly newsletter about the radio and podcast industry in Spain and Latin America and a board member of the Spanish‑language Audio Academy.

You can connect with Luis on LinkedIn here.

What is your podcasting origin story?

I have spent the last 30 years teaching and researching radio and, more recently, podcasting, and digital audio. Before the internet, students were fascinated by radio: they listened mainly for the music, and they fell in love with it when, during their practical sessions in the studio, they discovered the magic of telling stories through sound. That fascination faded as smartphones, social media and streaming platforms took over their attention, but it has come back with podcasting, which is once again motivating them and sparking their curiosity and enthusiasm. I do not host a podcast myself; my role is to teach its narrative and creative possibilities, both in the classroom and through my academic research and a weekly industry newsletter.

What is the Spanish‑language Audio Academy and how did it come about? Did you draw inspiration from any international models when building the community?

The Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Industry of Spanish‑Language Audio is a non‑profit association that represents, supports, and gives legitimacy to the professionals who are building a new creative and cultural industry: Spanish‑language spoken digital audio. Our ambition is that, just as Spanish‑language film, music, and television now have strong professional structures, spoken audio in Spanish will also have its own clear and recognized voice on the international stage.

The Academy’s goal is to give visibility, support, and prospects to everyone in this ecosystem: producers, narrators, platforms, publishers, writers, sound designers, technicians, voice actors and academic researchers. In terms of inspiration, we look to the Academies that already exist in TV, film, and music, and to audio bodies created in other countries, such as PIA in France or AudioUK in the United Kingdom, which have shown how a collective voice can strengthen studios, producers, and independent creators.

How does the Academy hope to bridge traditional broadcasters with the new wave of independent and digital podcasters?

Among the Academy’s biggest challenges, I would highlight two. The first is helping the industry clearly identify what is specific to podcasting —its own language, rhythm and listening habits— so that it is not confused with traditional radio shows that are simply repackaged as on‑demand audio.

The second is to promote production standards that distinguish professionals who make a living from audio from those who approach podcasting or audiobooks on a one‑off or experimental basis. Lower technical barriers are great news for creativity, but the Academy focuses on people for whom audio is a craft and a profession, and who need a shared space for recognition, networking, and advocacy.

Subscribe now

Which specific feature of the podcast industry in Spain do you think is helping the market grow more than in other countries, and which one might be holding it back?

When the professional platform Podium Podcast launched in 2016 —interestingly, driven by Spain’s main radio group PRISA, owner of brands such as Cadena SER and LOS40—, it played a key role in producing and distributing innovative titles, from audio fiction and documentary series to long‑form feature reporting. It also helped audiences discover and understand the podcast format beyond simple catch‑up radio.

Rising interest in podcasts and audiobooks then attracted new international platforms (Podimo, Audible), boosted, or brought in local ones (iVoox, Sonora) and encouraged big players like Spotify and Amazon Music to commission original shows in Spanish. This, in turn, fueled the growth of small production companies and marketing agencies that specialize genres and audiences.

Between 2022 and 2024, the industry experienced a real boom, which slowed down in 2025 as major platforms cut back investment and shifted their focus to video podcasts, reducing their bets on narrative audio. In short, Spain’s podcast market has grown very fast thanks to the push from large media groups and platforms, but that same dependence on a few big actors also explains how abrupt the slowdown can be when their priorities change.

Please share 2–3 recommendations of Spanish podcasts that you feel are underrated.

I would highlight the whole catalogue of El Extraordinario, a studio focused on narrative podcasts and audio fiction whose work has been recognized with awards at festivals around the world. Among their titles, I would mention Crímenes, el musical, an original true‑crime series that stages murders from 18th‑ and 19th‑century Spain as if they were a theatre musical; La historia es ayer, a documentary series that looks at social change through the eyes of an archaeologist; and the fiction podcasts Blum, a branded podcast for the Swiss tourism agency available in Spanish, English and Chinese, and Simulacro, written by Julio Rojas, the creator of Caso 63.

With a very different approach, I also find the work of De eso no se habla outstanding. Their documentaries give voice to silences, to the stories that hide behind them, and to what happens when those silences are finally broken. It is the perfect project to understand how audio can handle nuance, slow pacing and contained emotion in ways that very few other media can match.

Thank you, Luis!

Leave a comment

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

Ce Qui Se Dit La Nuit

A documentary podcast featuring life stories. It gives a voice to those who experience the city at night or work unconventional hours, in Paris and beyond, those who are quieter, more sensitive, and sometimes on the fringes of the urban hustle. The goal isn’t to talk about their jobs, but about them. It explores their intimate connection to the city, the sounds, the anecdotes, the places, and the faces that keep them company.

Who Killed Daphne?

When a car bomb kills Daphne Caruana Galizia on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Malta, the hunt for her killers exposes secrets with consequences that go far beyond its shores. In the aftermath of her death an international team of journalists comes together to continue her work. Along the way they start to uncover clues that might lead to her killers. From Wondery, comes a new story about power, corruption and one woman’s fight for the truth. Hosted by investigative reporter Stephen Grey.

CULMEA curiozitatii

A podcast for children and their parents, built from questions rather than lessons. Without screens and without haste, each episode invites play, observation, and simple conversations about nature and the world around us. Released once a season, the podcast follows the rhythm of winter, spring, summer, and autumn, serving as an invitation to slow down, listen, and spend time together, whether outdoors or at home.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇬🇷 Podcasts from Greece 🇬🇷

Nalia Ziku is a multidisciplinary artist working across sound, performance, and cinematic podcast storytelling. Her practice explores hybrid forms of narration where voice and sound function as primary dramaturgical tools, creating immersive fictional worlds between theatre and audio art. Her podcasts have been presented multiple times at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival podcast competition, receiving two Special Mentions.

• FEMINANCE: A fiction podcast series created by Nalia Ziku in collaboration with writer Sofia Gourgouliani. Each episode unfolds as a cinematic audio experience exploring female identity, desire, and memory through layered sound design and poetic narration, where sound itself becomes the central dramaturgical element.

  Το FEMINANCE είναι μια σειρά μυθοπλαστικών podcast της Νάλιας Ζήκου σε συνεργασία με τη συγγραφέα Σοφία Γουργουλιάνη. Κάθε επεισόδιο λειτουργεί ως κινηματογραφική ηχητική εμπειρία που εξερευνά τη γυναικεία ταυτότητα, την επιθυμία και τη μνήμη μέσα από πολυεπίπεδο sound design και ποιητική αφήγηση, όπου ο ήχος αποτελεί το βασικό δραματουργικό στοιχείο.

• Textile Heritages (Knots & Patterns Project): This podcast explores sustainable approaches to weaving education at Mekeio, a historic weaving school in Ioannina, Greece. Through oral testimonies of teachers, students, and board members, it traces over a century of intergenerational knowledge, responsible material practices, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

  Ένα podcast για τη βιώσιμη υφαντική εκπαίδευση στο Μέκειο, ένα ιστορικό κέντρο υφαντικής στα Ιωάννινα. Μέσα από προφορικές μαρτυρίες δασκάλων, μαθητριών και μελών της κοινότητας, αναδεικνύεται ένας αιώνας διαγενεακής γνώσης, υπεύθυνης χρήσης υλικών και προστασίας της άυλης πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς.

• Crew Therapy: A psychology podcast exploring mental health through honest and accessible conversations about anxiety, relationships, and personal growth. Created by psychologist Sotiris Peivanis and theatre practitioner Moschoula Kyri, the podcast combines scientific insight with a human-centered perspective, making psychology approachable and relatable.

  Το Crew Therapy είναι ένα podcast που προσεγγίζει την ψυχική υγεία μέσα από ειλικρινείς και άμεσες συζητήσεις για το άγχος, τις σχέσεις και την προσωπική εξέλιξη. Δημιουργημένο από τον ψυχολόγο και ψυχοθεραπευτή Σωτήρη Πεϊβάνη και τη Μοσχούλα Κύρη από τον χώρο του θεάτρου, συνδυάζει επιστημονική γνώση με ανθρώπινη και προσιτή ματιά.

Thank you, Nalia!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• The Publisher Podcast Awards 2026 (The UK)

The Publisher Podcast Awards are back for their seventh year, celebrating the brilliant audio work created by publishing companies. Categories include: Best B2B Podcast, Best Culture & Lifestyle Podcast, Best Daily Podcast, Best Entertainment Podcast and more.

Deadline? April 10.

• HearSay (Ireland)

The world's most beloved audio arts festival returns. Cross the threshold with passion and playfulness as different audio cultures turn toward each other. Bring your curiosity to collaborate, experiment, and nourish your wild hearts with award-winning contributors from all disciplines of creative audio; podcasts, radio features, film sound, sound art, theatre sound, music, audio fiction & more.

When? May 7-10.

• The Lovie Awards (Europe)

The Lovie Awards is the Webby Awards' benchmark for European digital excellence, recognising the people, projects, and ideas shaping Europe's contributions to the internet. The mission at the Lovie Awards is to elevate and recognise the people, projects, and ideas shaping Europe’s contributions to the Internet. Lovie Award-winning work reflects Europe at its best: dozens of languages, creative traditions, and regulatory frameworks working in exchange to produce digital work that leads with ethicality.

When? May 8 (early entry deadline).

That’s it for now!

Andreea

You can connect with Luis on LinkedIn here.

What is your podcasting origin story?

I have spent the last 30 years teaching and researching radio and, more recently, podcasting, and digital audio. Before the internet, students were fascinated by radio: they listened mainly for the music, and they fell in love with it when, during their practical sessions in the studio, they discovered the magic of telling stories through sound. That fascination faded as smartphones, social media and streaming platforms took over their attention, but it has come back with podcasting, which is once again motivating them and sparking their curiosity and enthusiasm. I do not host a podcast myself; my role is to teach its narrative and creative possibilities, both in the classroom and through my academic research and a weekly industry newsletter.

What is the Spanish‑language Audio Academy and how did it come about? Did you draw inspiration from any international models when building the community?

The Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Industry of Spanish‑Language Audio is a non‑profit association that represents, supports, and gives legitimacy to the professionals who are building a new creative and cultural industry: Spanish‑language spoken digital audio. Our ambition is that, just as Spanish‑language film, music, and television now have strong professional structures, spoken audio in Spanish will also have its own clear and recognized voice on the international stage.

The Academy’s goal is to give visibility, support, and prospects to everyone in this ecosystem: producers, narrators, platforms, publishers, writers, sound designers, technicians, voice actors and academic researchers. In terms of inspiration, we look to the Academies that already exist in TV, film, and music, and to audio bodies created in other countries, such as PIA in France or AudioUK in the United Kingdom, which have shown how a collective voice can strengthen studios, producers, and independent creators.

How does the Academy hope to bridge traditional broadcasters with the new wave of independent and digital podcasters?

Among the Academy’s biggest challenges, I would highlight two. The first is helping the industry clearly identify what is specific to podcasting —its own language, rhythm and listening habits— so that it is not confused with traditional radio shows that are simply repackaged as on‑demand audio.

The second is to promote production standards that distinguish professionals who make a living from audio from those who approach podcasting or audiobooks on a one‑off or experimental basis. Lower technical barriers are great news for creativity, but the Academy focuses on people for whom audio is a craft and a profession, and who need a shared space for recognition, networking, and advocacy.

Subscribe now

Which specific feature of the podcast industry in Spain do you think is helping the market grow more than in other countries, and which one might be holding it back?

When the professional platform Podium Podcast launched in 2016 —interestingly, driven by Spain’s main radio group PRISA, owner of brands such as Cadena SER and LOS40—, it played a key role in producing and distributing innovative titles, from audio fiction and documentary series to long‑form feature reporting. It also helped audiences discover and understand the podcast format beyond simple catch‑up radio.

Rising interest in podcasts and audiobooks then attracted new international platforms (Podimo, Audible), boosted, or brought in local ones (iVoox, Sonora) and encouraged big players like Spotify and Amazon Music to commission original shows in Spanish. This, in turn, fueled the growth of small production companies and marketing agencies that specialize genres and audiences.

Between 2022 and 2024, the industry experienced a real boom, which slowed down in 2025 as major platforms cut back investment and shifted their focus to video podcasts, reducing their bets on narrative audio. In short, Spain’s podcast market has grown very fast thanks to the push from large media groups and platforms, but that same dependence on a few big actors also explains how abrupt the slowdown can be when their priorities change.

Please share 2–3 recommendations of Spanish podcasts that you feel are underrated.

I would highlight the whole catalogue of El Extraordinario, a studio focused on narrative podcasts and audio fiction whose work has been recognized with awards at festivals around the world. Among their titles, I would mention Crímenes, el musical, an original true‑crime series that stages murders from 18th‑ and 19th‑century Spain as if they were a theatre musical; La historia es ayer, a documentary series that looks at social change through the eyes of an archaeologist; and the fiction podcasts Blum, a branded podcast for the Swiss tourism agency available in Spanish, English and Chinese, and Simulacro, written by Julio Rojas, the creator of Caso 63.

With a very different approach, I also find the work of De eso no se habla outstanding. Their documentaries give voice to silences, to the stories that hide behind them, and to what happens when those silences are finally broken. It is the perfect project to understand how audio can handle nuance, slow pacing and contained emotion in ways that very few other media can match.

Thank you, Luis!

We are two months away from The Podcast Show, the biggest international podcasting business event. See you there? Use code EW10 for 10% discount on your tickets.

In this issue, you’ll read a fantastic interview with Justine Perez, the founder and head of Bruits Roses Festival - a Mediterranean podcast festival that connects Europe with the world.

Before we get into it…

Entries are now open for the 16th Annual Lovie Awards! 💌

The Lovies is The Webby Awards’ benchmark for European digital excellence, recognising the people, projects and ideas shaping Europe’s contributions to the Internet. If you’re creating standout digital work in and for Europe, our judges want to see it. Enter before 8 May, 2026.

The IWPF 2026 Global Voices Programme! ✨

Get ready for Content is Queen’s Global Voices stream on 26th March! This is your chance to watch The International Women’s Podcast Festival 2026 in partnership with Spotify, for FREE, wherever you are in the world. Join from 12pm BST for a 12 hour stream of talks, workshops and panels from incredible women in podcasting!

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🎗️Podcasthon is ON! Until today, March 20, podcasts all over the world are highlight the charitable organizations that matter to them.

• 🇩🇪Pocket FM is growing its German team and hiring for several key roles in Berlin.

• 🇬🇧The Inside Counter Terrorism Policing podcast has returned for season 2. Over six episodes, listeners will hear from officers and staff in different roles across Counter Terrorism Policing in the UK.

• 🎧What’s The Call? is a new sports podcast covering major tennis and sporting events across the world from a female perspective often missing in mainstream media.

• ‼️Podbean has abruptly pulled its dynamic ad insertion tool across the whole of Europe. No notice was given; the affected countries imply that there is a concern with GDPR compliance. (source: Podnews)

• 🇧🇪🇳🇱🇸🇪🇵🇱🇮🇪Audible announced “localised experiences” in a further 11 new countries. Listeners in Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Ireland, and 6 other countries will all have local-language recommendations and billing (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+21 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

The Audio Festival Connecting Europe with The World, with Bruit Roses’ Justine Perez 🇫🇷

Justine Perez is a podcast writer-producer and director of the Bruits Roses Festival. A journalist by training and an avid listener, she began her radio career in Spain, where she worked on Cadena SER’s morning show. After returning to her hometown of Marseille, she produced audio documentaries for 13 Prods, including Sauce Algérienne (an original Spotify production) and Chroniques du Grand Domaine.

Together with other sound professionals, she co-founded Sonorama, an organization dedicated to promoting new audio narratives and fostering their circulation among young people across the Mediterranean. She coordinates the traveling residency L’Île aux Podcasts (Algeria, Germany, France) and runs the Bruits Roses Festival.

You can connect with Justine on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

I’ve always been a passionate audio listener. I started my professional journey in radio journalism in Spain, where I was a producer for the morning show at Cadena SER. I learned a great deal from an incredible training ground, but it was also quite demanding. Producing a daily live show involves preparing large amounts of content at an intense pace. That experience led me to shift toward documentary storytelling. I joined a podcast project in Spain, where I could take the time to develop in-depth narratives and explore more creative forms.

Later, when I moved back to France, I pitched the idea of creating a documentary podcast production branch within an audiovisual company. That’s how I continued building my path in podcasting as an audio writer and producer.

How was Bruit Roses born?

Four years ago, I decided to create a festival in Marseille. I imagined something simple and open, without competition — a space dedicated to listening together to creative audio works, whether from radio or podcasting. I wanted a festival turned outward, contributing to a more inclusive sonic landscape, where listening becomes a collective experience again — a moment to slow down, share stories, and let sound resonate between us. Along the way, key encounters helped shape the festival and give it direction.

Together with the Sonorama collective, we named it Bruits Roses. The name refers to the sound you hear when you place a seashell against your ear — you think you are hearing the sea, but it is actually your own blood resonating. In the same way, Bruits Roses seeks to take the pulse of intimate and collective soundscapes, near and far, in Marseille and across the Mediterranean.

Subscribe now

Why was it important for you for Bruit Roses to move beyond a local French scene to a dialogue between Marseille and the Mediterranean?

After six years abroad in Argentina and Spain, I discovered different radio cultures and ways of narrating reality. When I returned to France, I found a vibrant audio scene, but that could sometimes feel a bit inward-looking. For me, listening has always been an ethical stance as much as a professional practice. Working in sound means staying attentive to what is happening elsewhere and remaining open to other narratives, other rhythms, other ways of understanding the world.

Creating a new festival in Marseille naturally called for a Mediterranean scale. The city, like the region, is deeply shaped by orality, circulation, and layered identities. Across the Mediterranean — from local collectives to diaspora voices — audio has become a powerful space for dialogue, especially among younger generations. With Bruits Roses, the aim is to create a resonating chamber for these plural voices, connecting Marseille to a broader Mediterranean conversation.

Given the important issues addressed in the festival, how do you think audio can act as a tool for resistance and memory, as opposed to traditional journalism?

Audio can act as a tool for resistance and memory precisely because it creates intimacy and duration. Unlike traditional journalism, which is often constrained by immediacy, format, and the need for quick information, audio storytelling allows for depth, subjectivity, and emotional resonance. It gives space to voices that are often marginalized and enables people not only to tell stories, but to tell themselves — to reclaim their narratives. At the same time, this approach does not reject journalistic rigor.

Many of the works presented at the festival intertwine the intimate and the political, offering alternative ways of approaching history, memory, and social realities. Through long-form documentaries or deeply personal sonic portraits, audio can preserve lived experiences, transmit silenced memories, and create empathy across borders. By placing listening at the center, it becomes both an archive and an act of resistance — a way of slowing down, bearing witness, and allowing complex stories to exist beyond headlines.

What are your reflections after the first Bruit Roses edition and what are you preparing for this year’s festival?

The first edition of Bruits Roses exceeded our expectations. We brought together a dozen creators from across the Mediterranean alongside Marseille-based sound activists, welcoming nearly a thousand participants in six different places across the city.

Beyond the numbers, what stays with me are the encounters and the impact: people felt inspired to create, to engage collectively, and to discover realities they had never encountered before.

What moved me most was the collective energy — festive and political at once — and the sense that the festival was truly written in the plural, shaped by artists, partners, and audiences alike. We are now preparing the next edition with the ambition to deepen these connections, expand the Mediterranean dialogue, and make the festival even more vibrant and resonant.

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite pieces featured in the festival.

• La Vénus d’Alger (Seham Boutata, France Culture): This documentary traces the life of an Algerian woman who worked as a nude model at the Beaux Arts in Algiers, connecting her story to the broader history of contemporary Algeria.

• Maabar (Anthony Tawil and Cédric Kayem): A documentary podcast exploring lived experiences of Lebanon’s complicated history with a focus on the Civil War.

• Soldat Bison (Yasmine Mahjoubi, Les Bonnes Ondes): Yasmine Mahjoubi revisits the memories left behind by her father — his notes, recordings, fragments of history.

Thank you, Justine!

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

No sé cómo era antes

For a decade, Ángela lived trapped in a relationship defined by fear. When she finally managed to escape, she encountered a system that neither listened to her nor protected her. It’s a story about the lasting impact of abuse, the system that perpetuates it, and the alliances women forge to tell their stories and save themselves. A co-production of Podium and SER Podcasts.

Decoding the Gurus

An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all.

The Black Circle Podcast

An award winning podcast spotlighting the UK’s most compelling Black change makers, innovators, disruptors and entrepreneurs. Through honest, nuanced conversations, we explore the realities of work, life and ambition, and how our experiences are shaped through the lens of Black identity. Expect powerful storytelling, real insight and the kind of dialogue that inspires growth, ownership and impact.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇮🇹 Podcasts from Italy 🇮🇹

Futura D’Aprile is an Italian freelance journalist and podcast producer. She is the author and procuder of Vie de routier.e.s/Truck Drivers and Grain de Pouvoir/ A Grain of Power (Europod) and the co-author of Divergenti (IrpiMedia). She reports on defense, the Middle East, conflicts and international relations.

• Divergenti (Divergents) is a podcast about the war economy, military bases, and the movements fighting for a Sardinia free from war. The series brings together the voices of those building an alternative economic network to the military one, exploring how a single factory can determine the future of a city and how wars fought hundreds of kilometers away can so profoundly impact the fate of an entire island.

  “Divergenti” è un podcast sull’economia bellica, sulle basi militari e sui movimenti che lottano per una Sardegna libera dalla guerra. La serie raccoglie le voci di chi sta costruendo una rete di economia alternativa a quella militare, indaga come una sola fabbrica può determinare il futuro di una città e come le guerre che si combattono a centinaia di chilometri di distanza possano influenzare così pesantemente il destino di un’intera isola.

• Enclave - Sopravvivere a Srebrenica (Enclave - Surviving Srebrenica) is a seven-episode narrative-journalistic podcast that tells the story of the genocide that took place in Bosnia in July 1995 through the story of Nedžad Avdić, one of the few survivors of the mass executions.

  “Enclave – Sopravvivere a Srebrenica” è un podcast giornalistico-narrativo in sette episodi che racconta la storia del genocidio avvenuto in Bosnia nel luglio 1995 attraverso la storia di Nedžad Avdić, uno dei pochi sopravvissuti alle esecuzioni di massa.

• Il cuore scoperto (The Uncovered Heart) is a journalistic investigation that explores two major questions: how do cultural and social models influence our emotional relationships? What concrete practices can we implement, individually and collectively, to build respectful and egalitarian relationships?

  “Il cuore scoperto” è un’inchiesta giornalistica che esplora due grandi questioni: in che modo i modelli culturali e sociali influenzano le nostre relazioni affettive? Quali pratiche concrete possiamo mettere in campo, individualmente e collettivamente, per costruire delle relazioni

  rispettose ed egualitarie?

Thank you, Futura!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• PodRennes (Rennes, France)

A festival dedicated to podcasts and audio creation. PodRennes offers a varied and inclusive program every year: live podcast recordings, audio fiction spaces and networking opportunities.

Deadline? April 4-5.

• Chora Volume 3 (Milan, Italy)

A celebration of audio culture and its diversity. There will be three days of panels, stories, performances, debates, and shows, enriched by photography exhibitions, book signings, workshops, and interactive labs for adults and children. Featuring the most beloved voices from Chora Media and the Italian and international podcast scene, as well as prominent guests from journalism, literature, and entertainment.

When? April 10-12.

• EJC Journalism Science Alliance Grants

The Journalism Science Alliance grants support collaborations between journalists and scientists to produce investigative journalism grounded in scientific evidence and focused on topics of public interest. These grants aim to strengthen cross-sector partnerships between media and research institutions across Europe.

When? June 2 - August 4.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

Together with other sound professionals, she co-founded Sonorama, an organization dedicated to promoting new audio narratives and fostering their circulation among young people across the Mediterranean. She coordinates the traveling residency L’Île aux Podcasts (Algeria, Germany, France) and runs the Bruits Roses Festival.

You can connect with Justine on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

I’ve always been a passionate audio listener. I started my professional journey in radio journalism in Spain, where I was a producer for the morning show at Cadena SER. I learned a great deal from an incredible training ground, but it was also quite demanding. Producing a daily live show involves preparing large amounts of content at an intense pace. That experience led me to shift toward documentary storytelling. I joined a podcast project in Spain, where I could take the time to develop in-depth narratives and explore more creative forms.

Later, when I moved back to France, I pitched the idea of creating a documentary podcast production branch within an audiovisual company. That’s how I continued building my path in podcasting as an audio writer and producer.

How was Bruit Roses born?

Four years ago, I decided to create a festival in Marseille. I imagined something simple and open, without competition — a space dedicated to listening together to creative audio works, whether from radio or podcasting. I wanted a festival turned outward, contributing to a more inclusive sonic landscape, where listening becomes a collective experience again — a moment to slow down, share stories, and let sound resonate between us. Along the way, key encounters helped shape the festival and give it direction.

Together with the Sonorama collective, we named it Bruits Roses. The name refers to the sound you hear when you place a seashell against your ear — you think you are hearing the sea, but it is actually your own blood resonating. In the same way, Bruits Roses seeks to take the pulse of intimate and collective soundscapes, near and far, in Marseille and across the Mediterranean.

Why was it important for you for Bruit Roses to move beyond a local French scene to a dialogue between Marseille and the Mediterranean?

After six years abroad in Argentina and Spain, I discovered different radio cultures and ways of narrating reality. When I returned to France, I found a vibrant audio scene, but that could sometimes feel a bit inward-looking. For me, listening has always been an ethical stance as much as a professional practice. Working in sound means staying attentive to what is happening elsewhere and remaining open to other narratives, other rhythms, other ways of understanding the world.

Creating a new festival in Marseille naturally called for a Mediterranean scale. The city, like the region, is deeply shaped by orality, circulation, and layered identities. Across the Mediterranean — from local collectives to diaspora voices — audio has become a powerful space for dialogue, especially among younger generations. With Bruits Roses, the aim is to create a resonating chamber for these plural voices, connecting Marseille to a broader Mediterranean conversation.

Subscribe now

Given the important issues addressed in the festival, how do you think audio can act as a tool for resistance and memory, as opposed to traditional journalism?

Audio can act as a tool for resistance and memory precisely because it creates intimacy and duration. Unlike traditional journalism, which is often constrained by immediacy, format, and the need for quick information, audio storytelling allows for depth, subjectivity, and emotional resonance. It gives space to voices that are often marginalized and enables people not only to tell stories, but to tell themselves — to reclaim their narratives. At the same time, this approach does not reject journalistic rigor.

Many of the works presented at the festival intertwine the intimate and the political, offering alternative ways of approaching history, memory, and social realities. Through long-form documentaries or deeply personal sonic portraits, audio can preserve lived experiences, transmit silenced memories, and create empathy across borders. By placing listening at the center, it becomes both an archive and an act of resistance — a way of slowing down, bearing witness, and allowing complex stories to exist beyond headlines.

What are your reflections after the first Bruit Roses edition and what are you preparing for this year’s festival?

The first edition of Bruits Roses exceeded our expectations. We brought together a dozen creators from across the Mediterranean alongside Marseille-based sound activists, welcoming nearly a thousand participants in six different places across the city.

Beyond the numbers, what stays with me are the encounters and the impact: people felt inspired to create, to engage collectively, and to discover realities they had never encountered before.

What moved me most was the collective energy — festive and political at once — and the sense that the festival was truly written in the plural, shaped by artists, partners, and audiences alike. We are now preparing the next edition with the ambition to deepen these connections, expand the Mediterranean dialogue, and make the festival even more vibrant and resonant.

Leave a comment

Share 2-3 recommendations of your favorite pieces featured in the festival.

• La Vénus d’Alger (Seham Boutata, France Culture): This documentary traces the life of an Algerian woman who worked as a nude model at the Beaux Arts in Algiers, connecting her story to the broader history of contemporary Algeria.

• Maabar (Anthony Tawil and Cédric Kayem): A documentary podcast exploring lived experiences of Lebanon’s complicated history with a focus on the Civil War.

• Soldat Bison (Yasmine Mahjoubi, Les Bonnes Ondes): Yasmine Mahjoubi revisits the memories left behind by her father — his notes, recordings, fragments of history.

Thank you, Justine!

Spring has finally sprung. Welcome to a new Eurowaves issue.

Before we get into it…

Thank you for inviting and I to a Substack Live conversation about podcast marketing for impact shows.

If you missed it, you can watch the playback here:

Sounds Like Impact

#AudioForAction | Social Impact Podcast Marketing

Last week, I spoke with Andreea Coscai, Co-Founder of PodVision and Publisher of Eurowaves and Will Coley, Producer and Communications Strategist about podcast marketing. Both Andreea and Will have supported a number of shows in the the social impact category, so they are definitely folks you want to take cues from. In our conversation, we discussed…

Listen now

3 months ago · 2 likes · Unofficial Social Chair, Will Coley, and Andreea Coscai

In other news, March is Women’s History Month.

To celebrate, all interviews and curations this month will be brought to you by fantastic women in the podcasting industry.

Kicking off with an interview with Aiwan Obinyan and German podcast recommendations curated by Cecilia Gigliotti.

There are also unmissable events coming up all over Europe dedicated to women, including Content is Queen’s International Women’s Podcast Festival (yesterday, March 5) and Italy’s Tutte Abbiamo Voce (March 21, more details below).

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🎉Lory Martinez, the founder of beloved Studio Ochenta that closed last year, just launched her new venture: Maraviya - a brand strategy studio helping multicultural founders, creators, and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into clear, meaningful brands.

• 🇬🇧The first wave of The Podcast Show speakers have been announced, including yours truly. See you there?

• 🇫🇷📕 New podcasting book alert: Les secrets de l’interview: Anonymes et personnes ordinaires à la radio et en podcast (The Secrets of Interviewing: Anonymous and Ordinary People on Radio and Podcasts), written by Christophe Deleu.

• 🇪🇸Clara Tiscar, the leading Spanish-language voice in true crime,

  is premiering the ninth season of Criminopatía. This launch comes with news that her loyal listeners have been eagerly awaiting: “Criminopatía en directo, con Clara Tiscar”, starting on April 12 in Madrid.

• 🇩🇪🇲🇾A new podcast by German-based Malaysian Miho Soon, Money Trauma, launches today March 6. The show challenges the many misconceptions about money behaviours.

• 🇵🇹Portugal’s Podes winners have also been announced.

• 🌎Ambies winners have been announced and put together a comprehensive list.

• ✈️The Podcast Index tells us that only 55% of podcasts are in English - with Spanish (14%), Portuguese (5.7%), French (2.5%) and German (2.5%) comprising the top 5. (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+37 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

“The Niche Within The Universal” Stories 🌏 with Aiwan Obinyan

is co-host of Rigour & Flow with Aiwan and Tamanda and Exec-Producer/Director at AiAi Studios, a multi-disciplinary production company working across podcasts, film, TV, and music. Specializing in sound design and documentary work, she builds projects around community-centered storytelling that refuses to extract - with credits including BAFTA-winning productions.

Photo credit: Ru Parker-Harbord

You can connect with Aiwan on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

I adored podcasts long before I knew the term podcasts. I listened to my “podcasts” on good old Apple iTunes. My top shows were very utilitarian, non-fiction shows, including Dan Miller’s 48 Days to the Work You Love (10 points if you can guess what I was working towards) and Desi Serna’s Guitar Music Theory. A few years rolled by and I remember a partner at the time said, “you have to listen to this new show Serial, it’s crazy?!” I pressed play on the series and to say I was blown away would be an understatement. I’d never heard anything like it: a gripping and immersive true crime documentary but for your ears. My curiosity was piqued.

It took a few years for my podcast production journey to begin. In 2019, I cut my teeth on the iconic gal-dem magazine’s flagship show, Growing up with gal-dem: recording, editing, repairing audio, mixing, mastering and learning how to record remotely when the pandemic hit in 2020. It was a steep learning curve but over time I became the producer and then the executive producer. It’s a show I hold close to my heart til this day because of the perfect alignment with my values, creative inclinations and technical interests.

How does your background in film change the way you approach audio intimacy?

My ears are stronger than my eyes. They always have been. My start in the entertainment industry was through music. My goal was to be an MC and a producer, so I studied Music Technology & Production at Leeds College of Music and Leeds Beckett University. I’ve always been an audio first kind of person.

Making documentary films came through my time as a location sound recordist and audio post-production engineer and sound designer. Watching the way stories came to life, morphing and evolving as each member of the production and post-production teams added their own unique stamp and talents to the story, got me thinking about the ways I told stories through music and the many stories yet to be told within my community. So I borrowed a friend’s camera and started shooting my first “short” documentary that turned into a feature.

But the audio engineer never dies. Sound design, music and immersive field recordings have always been something I take seriously and dedicate time to developing. That’s what I’ve carried into podcasting. A show like Rigour & Flow - the podcast I co-host with Dr Tamanda Walker, now in its fourth season - is conversational and intimate, which is one of my favourite formats and one where there’s still loads of room for innovation. There’s also room for subtle, tasteful sound design and actuality that enhances the conversation and brings worlds and words to life.

What’s your number one advice for podcasters looking to go independent and have autonomy over storytelling and their voices?

1. Practice. When I was learning guitar, someone told me: “First you copy, then you create.” Meaning, study the greats and try to emulate them and understand how they do what they do and why it works. How do they get that specific audio effect? How did they build that specific sound design cue? Why does that particular line of dialogue work so well? Why does the narrative flow so well? You copy enough and it becomes a part of your muscle memory. Then you can start to create, find your voice.

2. Experiment. Build your own sound, voice, style. It’s important to know who you are and what you want to be and say in this world. That becomes the foundation and driving force, the mission of your career and identity as a creative.

3. Build it regardless. Don’t wait for someone to give you the money or permission. Just build the thing you want to build with the resources you have. When they - whoever they are - come running, you will be established, strong in your creative voice and identity, and then “they” have to join your party rather than you begging to get into theirs.

Leave a comment

Your work with AiAi Studios has always been multicultural and international. How do you think podcasters can use podcasting to connect local stories with a wider international audience without losing the soul of it?

A few years back when working with GAY TIMES on their entertainment offering, the thing that kept coming back to me was the idea of “the niche within the universal.” (I should probably trademark this!)

Working in an industry where you are the minority and where your stories are seen as either “too specific” or “not a priority”, the focus then has to be how can I maintain my authenticity while delivering something that wider audiences can relate to. Real, honest, niche stories and characters that speak to universal human experiences.

So when sourcing or telling stories, I’m always asking: what is universal about this very specific character? What feelings are really common here?

It’s the approach we take across everything at AiAi Studios and at Roots & Rigour, our research arm - whether we’re making a podcast, a documentary series or working with communities to turn their lived experience into creative outputs. The specificity is the strength. A community researcher in South London talking about trust and belonging isn’t a niche story - it’s a human one.

What’s your 2026 podcasting prediction and what’s one thing you hope will change?

I think AI will move from dodgy experiment to par for the course, and with that, it will become a mark of credibility for podcasters to state clearly and upfront when and how AI was used in the making of a show. We’re already seeing that in its early stages with the Netflix documentary series The Investigation of Lucy Letby, where they used AI to recreate contributors with a small on-screen title explaining what they’d done. Transparency will matter.

I have to use the “V” word. Yes, video will dominate, and YouTube will dominate the video podcast space. I think that’s fairly obvious at this point.

What excites me more is the growth in international podcast ad spending as regional networks mature. Local-language educational and lifestyle podcasts are growing faster than English-language business shows in emerging regions like China and Latin America. That’s really exciting for us at AiAi Studios because we’ve always been global in our outlook and international in our identity, style and values.

Share one underrated podcast with us.

The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast by Nigel Levy is a treasure trove. Despite having made documentaries for almost a decade, I’ve learnt so much about the intricacies of documentary filmmaking from this show. Hearing how other filmmakers approach the creative and technical process is food for my brain. No matter your experience level there is something in this show for you.

Thank you, Aiwan!

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

The Brussels Playbook Podcast

Hosted by POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, the podcast runs Monday through Thursday, offering a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. It’s a perfect companion for your morning coffee. Each episode takes listeners inside the decisions, power shifts and debates shaping the day in Brussels — and explains how they connect to national capitals across Europe. On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest themes, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle — with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic.

Arrivals

Conversations with first-generation immigrant women building new lives from scratch. Every episode explores real decisions, tensions, and transformations behind leaving home, starting over, and figuring out who they are in places that don’t always see them clearly. Guests are international, including from European countries like Italy and Ireland.

The Black Circle Podcast

The 30+ Podcast, discussing prevalent topics concerning the Black British Diaspora. From Entrepreneurship, Spirtuality and Relationships, to everything else in-between. Hosted by Asante Royal. They just stepped into a new season with a refreshed studio and elevated production, and they were recently recognised as a Mainstream Ones to Watch 2026 award winner.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

🇩🇪 Podcasts from Germany 🇩🇪

is the creator and co-host of Pod Sounds, a show that has analyzed two classic pop albums so far. Much of her favorite media is about other types of media: podcasts about movies, books about art. Find her work on Linktree.

• Ms. Informed is co-hosted by Madhvi Ramani and Rina Grob, two multitalented fixtures on the Berlin creative scene. The show engages with politics, feminism, literature, and the issues that don’t get the attention they deserve. It’s augmented by a Substack chronicle of what the hosts are reading, watching, and thinking about (their taste is top-shelf). In short, the recommendation that keeps on recommending.

  Ms. Informed wird gemeinsam von Madhvi Ramani und Rina Grob moderiert, zwei vielseitigen Persönlichkeiten der Berliner Kreativszene. Die Sendung diskutiert Politik, Feminismus, Literatur und Themen, die nicht die richtige Aufmerksamkeit erhalten. Ergänzt durch eine Substack-Chronik, in der die Moderatorinnen über ihre Lese-, Film- und Gedankenwelt berichten (ihr Geschmack ist erstklassig). Kurz gesagt: eine Empfehlung, die weitere Empfehlungen macht.

• Thoroughly Kinky: A Kinks Podcast is a show whose genesis I was privileged to witness as my friend and fellow musician Liam Porter conceived and then realized it. His and his co-host Adam Smith’s knowledge of the Kinks’ catalogue is formidable, but their easy chat has a broad appeal. For both music heads and those looking to get into good music, these are your guys.

  Thoroughly Kinky: A Kinks Podcast ist eine Sendung, deren Anfänge ich erleben durfte, als mein Freund und Musikerkollege Liam Porter sie konzipierte und dann realisierte. Sein Wissen und das seines Co-Moderators Adam Smith über das Repertoire der Kinks ist beeindruckend, aber ihre lockere Art zu plaudern ist für jeden ansprechend. Sowohl für Musikfans als auch für diejenigen, die gute Musik entdecken möchten, sind diese beiden genau die richtigen Ansprechpartner.

• The Dead Ladies Show is both a podcast and a live show. A friend and I attended once a few years ago and it has stuck with me. Each guest delivers a biography of an interesting deceased woman from history—there are scientists, activists, thespians, and everything in between. I love getting a window as much into the presenters as into the women they are presenting. Their choices say a lot about them!

  Die Dead Ladies Show ist ein Podcast und auch eine Live-Show. Vor einigen Jahren habe ich sie zusammen mit einer Freundin besucht, und sie ist mir bis heute in Erinnerung geblieben. Jeder Gast präsentiert die Biografie einer interessanten verstorbenen Frau aus der Geschichte—Wissenschaftlerinnen, Aktivistinnen, Schauspielerinnen und alles dazwischen. Ich finde es spannend, sowohl einen Einblick in die Moderatorinnen als auch in die von ihnen vorgestellten Frauen zu bekommen. Ihre Auswahl sagt viel über sie aus!

Thank you, Cecilia!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• Industry evening at Kulturhuset - How do we create sustainable podcasts in 2026? (Oslo, Norway)

The Norwegian Podcast Association invites you to an open and informal industry evening at Kulturhuset. Here we bring together podcast managers and key production environments for a constructive conversation about the status of the industry, challenges and possible solutions. This meeting is open to everyone, even those who are not members of NPF. Absolutely everyone who enjoys podcasts and industry talk is most welcome.

When? March 17.

• European Cross-border Grants

This award-winning European Cross-border Grant programme (running since 2009) supports cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or news outlets who have strong ideas for cross-border investigations and for research on European topics. Journalismfund Europe supports costs related to journalistic research for types of media formats, which could not be covered without the grant support. This can include travel, translation, access to pay-databases and/or time to pursue the research. For this grant programme, there are four application rounds scheduled in 2026: March 19, May 21, July 30 and October 1st.

When? March 19.

• Tutte Abbiamo Voce (Milan, Italy)

Milan hosts Italy’s first national event dedicated to women in podcasting. Conceived by the collective of the same name, the event aims to shift the conversation on the gender gap from an ethical issue to an industrial opportunity. The event will feature four thematic panels and an exclusive masterclass. Closing the day, the winners of LaPodstar will be announced—an award dedicated to podcasts with high social and cultural impact hosted by women.

The full program is currently being finalized and will be available on the website.

Deadline? March 21.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

Photo credit: Ru Parker-Harbord

You can connect with Aiwan on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

I adored podcasts long before I knew the term podcasts. I listened to my “podcasts” on good old Apple iTunes. My top shows were very utilitarian, non-fiction shows, including Dan Miller’s 48 Days to the Work You Love (10 points if you can guess what I was working towards) and Desi Serna’s Guitar Music Theory. A few years rolled by and I remember a partner at the time said, “you have to listen to this new show Serial, it’s crazy?!” I pressed play on the series and to say I was blown away would be an understatement. I’d never heard anything like it: a gripping and immersive true crime documentary but for your ears. My curiosity was piqued.

It took a few years for my podcast production journey to begin. In 2019, I cut my teeth on the iconic gal-dem magazine’s flagship show, Growing up with gal-dem: recording, editing, repairing audio, mixing, mastering and learning how to record remotely when the pandemic hit in 2020. It was a steep learning curve but over time I became the producer and then the executive producer. It’s a show I hold close to my heart til this day because of the perfect alignment with my values, creative inclinations and technical interests.

How does your background in film change the way you approach audio intimacy?

My ears are stronger than my eyes. They always have been. My start in the entertainment industry was through music. My goal was to be an MC and a producer, so I studied Music Technology & Production at Leeds College of Music and Leeds Beckett University. I’ve always been an audio first kind of person.

Making documentary films came through my time as a location sound recordist and audio post-production engineer and sound designer. Watching the way stories came to life, morphing and evolving as each member of the production and post-production teams added their own unique stamp and talents to the story, got me thinking about the ways I told stories through music and the many stories yet to be told within my community. So I borrowed a friend’s camera and started shooting my first “short” documentary that turned into a feature.

But the audio engineer never dies. Sound design, music and immersive field recordings have always been something I take seriously and dedicate time to developing. That’s what I’ve carried into podcasting. A show like Rigour & Flow - the podcast I co-host with Dr Tamanda Walker, now in its fourth season - is conversational and intimate, which is one of my favourite formats and one where there’s still loads of room for innovation. There’s also room for subtle, tasteful sound design and actuality that enhances the conversation and brings worlds and words to life.

What’s your number one advice for podcasters looking to go independent and have autonomy over storytelling and their voices?

1. Practice. When I was learning guitar, someone told me: “First you copy, then you create.” Meaning, study the greats and try to emulate them and understand how they do what they do and why it works. How do they get that specific audio effect? How did they build that specific sound design cue? Why does that particular line of dialogue work so well? Why does the narrative flow so well? You copy enough and it becomes a part of your muscle memory. Then you can start to create, find your voice.

2. Experiment. Build your own sound, voice, style. It’s important to know who you are and what you want to be and say in this world. That becomes the foundation and driving force, the mission of your career and identity as a creative.

3. Build it regardless. Don’t wait for someone to give you the money or permission. Just build the thing you want to build with the resources you have. When they - whoever they are - come running, you will be established, strong in your creative voice and identity, and then “they” have to join your party rather than you begging to get into theirs.

Subscribe now

Your work with AiAi Studios has always been multicultural and international. How do you think podcasters can use podcasting to connect local stories with a wider international audience without losing the soul of it?

A few years back when working with GAY TIMES on their entertainment offering, the thing that kept coming back to me was the idea of “the niche within the universal.” (I should probably trademark this!)

Working in an industry where you are the minority and where your stories are seen as either “too specific” or “not a priority”, the focus then has to be how can I maintain my authenticity while delivering something that wider audiences can relate to. Real, honest, niche stories and characters that speak to universal human experiences.

So when sourcing or telling stories, I’m always asking: what is universal about this very specific character? What feelings are really common here?

It’s the approach we take across everything at AiAi Studios and at Roots & Rigour, our research arm - whether we’re making a podcast, a documentary series or working with communities to turn their lived experience into creative outputs. The specificity is the strength. A community researcher in South London talking about trust and belonging isn’t a niche story - it’s a human one.

What’s your 2026 podcasting prediction and what’s one thing you hope will change?

I think AI will move from dodgy experiment to par for the course, and with that, it will become a mark of credibility for podcasters to state clearly and upfront when and how AI was used in the making of a show. We’re already seeing that in its early stages with the Netflix documentary series The Investigation of Lucy Letby, where they used AI to recreate contributors with a small on-screen title explaining what they’d done. Transparency will matter.

I have to use the “V” word. Yes, video will dominate, and YouTube will dominate the video podcast space. I think that’s fairly obvious at this point.

What excites me more is the growth in international podcast ad spending as regional networks mature. Local-language educational and lifestyle podcasts are growing faster than English-language business shows in emerging regions like China and Latin America. That’s really exciting for us at AiAi Studios because we’ve always been global in our outlook and international in our identity, style and values.

Share one underrated podcast with us.

The DocFix Documentary Storytelling Podcast by Nigel Levy is a treasure trove. Despite having made documentaries for almost a decade, I’ve learnt so much about the intricacies of documentary filmmaking from this show. Hearing how other filmmakers approach the creative and technical process is food for my brain. No matter your experience level there is something in this show for you.

Thank you, Aiwan!

How is your end of winter going? Are you experiencing the third wave of winter storms or are you lucky enough to be enjoying the sun?

Before we get into it, I want to shout-out a friend of Eurowaves.

is a fantastic newsletter and resource for podcasters creating with impact.

Next Tuesday, February 24 at 7:30pm Romania time, I’ll be joining and on a Substack Live to talk everything podcast marketing. You’ll learn:

• Practical tips for all budget levels,

• Advice based on case studies,

• Debunking marketing myths.

Join us and be sure to subscribe to Sounds Like Impact! A reminder that you can keep up with news like this, job postings, and more by following the Eurowaves LinkedIn page.

Sounds Like Impact

Discover the best in the audio social impact space. Find social impact themed podcast curations, interviews with creators, actions you can take and more!

By Unofficial Social Chair

On another note…

It’s your last chance to get tickets for The International Women’s Podcast Festival in partnership with Spotify! (London, March 5)

The event unites the global community of incredible women in podcasting, with an intersectional, inclusive and inviting space. There are a *very* limited number of tickets on sale so whether you’re dreaming about starting your own show, looking to develop your career or just love supporting brilliant women telling their stories, grab them quickly!

For more information and the 2026 festival schedule, visit https://festival.contentisqueen.org/.

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 📹Big news from Apple Podcasts! Video is coming this spring. Deliver video that integrates seamlessly with your existing podcast, monetize on your terms, and use the same tools and workflows you rely on today.

• 💻Arielle Nissenblatt is running a free community for podcasters who want to start newsletters to go along with their shows.

• 🎧Made for Us, an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity, is back for Season 3.

• 🇩🇪Pocket FM is looking for a German Master QC Specialist to join their growing German audio team (remote, freelance)

• 🇬🇧The BBC is looking to widen their pool of freelancers in Audio North. They are holding an event in Salford on March 5.

• 🇪🇸 Podcast newsletter regularly shares job postings available in Spain.

• 🇨🇿Česká televize in Prague, Czech Republic, is looking for a video podcast editor. (source: Podnews)

• 🇮🇪Irish podcast production company DustPod is hiring a freelance to full-time video podcast editor. (source: Podnews)

• 🇮🇪Good news from Dublin, Ireland, as two electricians have grown their podcast to an industry platform. The podcasters plan a trades awards event, as well as a purpose-built studio. (source: Podnews)

• 🇦🇹Austrians can nominate their favorite podcast for the Ö3 Podcast Award until February 27th . (source: Beifahrersitz)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+53 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

🎙️🌍 Podcast Recommendations 🌍🎙️

Personally: Creation Myth

Helena does not want kids. Her husband believes she’ll change her mind—she has so much love to give, she would be a perfect mother. That will never happen, she tells him. Again. And again. Until one day, he leaves. In the silence, doubt starts rushing in. So she asks her close friends, her mother, her sister, even a perfect stranger—did she make the right decision? What is the purpose of life? Center your pleasure, says one friend. Go for adventure, says another, and isn’t parenthood the biggest adventure of all? Be true to yourself, says a father who regrets his decision. But the voice she needs to hear is her own. Created by Belgian podcaster Helena de Groot.

Teatro della Memoria

Teatro della Memoria is a podcast-style world game whose purpose is more of a guideline: to build a collective memory that will survive even when everything else has ceased to exist. Each episode, dedicated to the reading of a story, is a brick in this ongoing ruin. I discovered this podcast at Longueur d’ondes.

Ma ville idéale

The final installment of the artistic project on housing in Gennevilliers, which began with Interphono-From My Window. With this documentary creation, Dauphine Salkin, a Belgian podcaster, bring this radio art adventure in the Agnettes neighborhood to a close. Interphono is a European project aimed at redefining the concept of home and personal space. In collaboration with residents from various neighborhoods in France, Belgium, and Spain, theater workshops are organized to allow participants to share their stories and dreams. I met Dauphine and learned about this podcast at Longueur d’ondes.

Want to see your podcast recommended?

Leave a comment

Photo credit: Ru Parker-Harbord

🇬🇧 Podcasts from the UK 🇬🇧

Aiwan Obinyan is co-host of Rigour & Flow with Aiwan and Tamanda and Exec-Producer/Director at AiAi Studios, a multi-disciplinary production company working across podcasts, film, TV, and music. Specializing in sound design and documentary work, she builds projects around community-centered storytelling that refuses to extract - with credits including BAFTA-winning productions.

• MOATS with George Galloway: Regardless of whether you agree with his politics or not Westminster veteran George Galloway hosts a no-holds-barred geo-political talk show that challenges Western narratives with forensic intensity. Covering everything from empire politics to Gaza, Iran, and beyond, MOATS brings on guests like Max Blumenthal and Professor Richard Wolff alongside live caller debates. It's unapologetically anti-establishment and globally conscious.

• Sunday School for Misfits: Dr. Selina Stone critically examines Black British experiences of Christianity with theological rigour and warmth. This podcast wrestles with what Black millennials inherited from pentecostal and evangelical upbringings - exploring spiritual abuse, desire, divine providence, and empire theologies - while asking: what do we keep, and what do we leave behind?

• The Blindboy Podcast: Irish artist and author Blindboy Boatclub delivers absurdist riffs, sharp cultural commentary, and mythology-soaked storytelling from his beloved Limerick. A wildly eclectic podcast that swings from hot takes on mental health and masculinity to walking tours connecting medieval walls to Tupac, all wrapped in what he calls “the podcast hug” - part séanchaí tradition, part psychogeography, entirely unmissable.

Editor’s Note: The Blindboy Podcast is a fantastic Irish podcast that, among other things, discusses Ireland’s colonial history.

Thank you, Aiwan!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• International Women’s Podcast Festival (London, UK)

It’s your last chance to get tickets for The International Women’s Podcast Festival in partnership with Spotify. The event unites the global community of incredible women in podcasting, with an intersectional, inclusive and inviting space. There are a *very* limited number of tickets on sale so whether you’re dreaming about starting your own show, looking to develop your career or just love supporting brilliant women telling their stories, grab them quickly!

Deadline? March 5.

• Berlin Study Program (Berlin, Germany)

We’re interested to bring together a collaborative group of peers to explore listening as a capacity which enables ways of building reparative futures: whether in acts that work at social change or that nurture forms of maintenance, taking care of community and the ongoing stories of place and people.

When? March 6.

• Radiodays Europe (Riga, Latvia)

Radiodays Europe is a leading event in the radio, podcast and audio industry, attracting over 1,500 participants from 65 countries. Across three days, the conference brings together broadcasters, podcasters, creators, media companies and technology providers to share knowledge, spark innovation and connect with peers.

When? March 22-24.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

Last weekend I took a trip to Brest, France to represent Eurowaves and preach about cross-border collaboration. Longueur d’ondes had its 22nd edition and in one weekend, I got to meet podcasters from France, Morocco, Greece and Belgium. If you’re planning a trip to France, add the 2027 edition on your list!

This edition’s interview is a part of my 2026 resolution to include more international voices in Eurowaves. Here are just some of the nuggets of wisdom you’ll get:

• ‘s The Nigerian Podcast Index: a public directory of Nigerian podcasts. Is there something similar in your country?

• “Africa doesn’t need one voice, but better connections between many voices.”

If you’re looking for more international podcast recommendation newsletters, subscribe to Damilola’s Podcasts Curated with Taste:

"On Podcast Curated with Taste, we speak to professionals shaping the podcasting industry about their journeys and the podcasts that have influenced, inspired, and entertained them along the way.”

Podcasts Curated with Taste

Podcasts Created By Africans You Should Listen To

Here’s a little secret: when I first imagined this newsletter, I wanted to create a recommendation engine for African podcasts. A good friend gently reminded me that if I went in that direction, the newsletter might not last very long, simply because the industry hasn’t grown that big yet…

Read more

5 months ago · 6 likes · Podcasts Curated with Taste and Damilola

Before we get into it…

Get your tickets to The Podcast Show 2026 🇬🇧

sponsored

Book your pass to The Podcast Show London: EURW10 for a 10% discount!

Bringing together thousands of delegates from 60+ countries, whatever your role, level or specific interests, The Podcast Show will connect you with the right people. From Leaders in Podcasting breakfasts and TPS Connects to the Creator Mix, it’s the industry’s go-to networking destination.

When? 20–21 May, 2026.

Book your tickets

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🎧 and , friends of Eurowaves, launched Podcasts We Text About - a newsletter that hopes to actually criticize the industry.

• 🎗️Sounds Like Impact published the Best of Impactful Podcasts 2025.

• 🎧#impact launched a community for podcasters to help them stay consistent without burning out, learn the mindset that makes podcasting sustainable, and more.

• 🌎CBC Podcasts launched their 2026 Call for Pitches. The deadline to submit is April 1st.

• 🇬🇧The UK awards Golden Lobes are open for entries. Use code EUROWAVESLOBES20 for 20% off.

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿The Scottish Podcast Awards have announced the award’s categories. There is an international podcast category. (source: Podnews)

• 🇬🇧The winners of the Political Podcast Awards were announced in London. (source: Podnews)

• 🇫🇷Independent podcasts are set to be available on the Radio France app, after a new agreement with the PIA, the Syndicate of Independent Audio Producers. (source: Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+46 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

What Nigerian Podcasting Can Teach European Creators, with Tony (Tony Doe) Onwuchekwa 🇳🇬🌏

Tony Onwuchekwa, also known as Tony Doe, is a Nigerian media consultant and podcaster. He helps creators navigate the podcasting landscape, blending practical advice with industry insight. Through Into The Podverse, he amplifies African voices and builds bridges between local and global audio communities.

Into The Podverse

Into The Podverse explores the global podcasting landscape through the lens of an African creator, bridging insights, trends, and stories from around the world.

By Tony Onwuchekwa [Tony Doe]

You can connect with Tony on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting journey? How did you get into podcasting?

I came into podcasting through radio. That background taught me structure, storytelling, and respect for the listener. When podcasting began to grow, it felt like a natural extension of radio, more flexible, more personal, and without the limits of schedules.

Working with creators and stations across Africa, I noticed a gap. People were excited about podcasting, but many didn’t understand how to sustain it. That’s what led to Into The Podverse. It started as a newsletter and later became a podcast, focused on helping creators think long-term and build with intention.

Share with us an overview of Nigeria’s podcasting market.

Nigeria’s podcasting market is growing and energetic. There are many active creators and an audience that’s becoming more curious and consistent.

Discovery mostly happens on social platforms, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, rather than podcast apps. Monetization remains a challenge. Advertising budgets are limited, and payment tools don’t always work locally, so many podcasters rely on mixed income models. The creativity is strong. The systems are still developing.

What’s the Nigerian Podcast Index, and what do you hope it achieves?

The Nigerian Podcast Index is a public directory of Nigerian podcasts. It’s designed to document what exists, without rankings or editorial bias.

The goal is to improve discoverability and create a reliable record of Nigerian audio work. It helps listeners, brands, platforms, and researchers find Nigerian podcasts more easily.

Podcasters can get involved by submitting their shows through a form link. If you’re Nigerian at home or based in the diaspora and have a valid RSS feed, you can be listed.

How would you describe cross-border collaboration across African podcasting markets?

Cross-border collaboration is growing, but it’s still mostly informal. Creators collaborate, share audiences, and learn from one another across countries.

What’s missing is structure. Shared data, stronger regional partnerships, and systems that make collaboration easier to sustain. Africa doesn’t need one voice, but better connections between many voices.

You’re well-connected internationally. What made you branch outside your local context, and what advice do you have for others?

Podcasting is global by nature. Once you publish, your audience can be anywhere.

I branched out to learn from global conversations and bring those insights back to African creators. Exposure sharpens standards and broadens perspective.

My advice is to focus on quality, consistency, and relationships. Do the work well, stay visible, and think beyond borders while staying grounded locally.

Share 2–3 podcast recommendations.

Apart from Into The Podverse, I recommend Mindfully with Tunmise. It’s a thoughtful mental health podcast grounded in lived experience, focused on self-awareness, emotional well-being, and honest conversations.

I also recommend The Young God, by Rodney Omeokachie. It’s an introspective podcast that explores identity, creativity, purpose, and what it means to live intentionally.

Both shows are clear about who they serve, and that clarity comes through in every episode.

Thank you, Tony!

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🎙️🌍 Podcasts recommended by you 🌍🎙️

Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage (English/Dutch)

‘Beb & Bob | Collateral Damage’ is an audio story that brings history to life through the voices of two families on opposite sides of World War II. ‘Beb & Bob

Collateral Damage’ is een audioverhaal dat de geschiedenis tot leven brengt via de stemmen van twee families en hun perspectieven op de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Pomegranate Seeds (Georgian)

“It’s not a restriction; it’s a ban on voting” — this is how emigrants are responding to the “Georgian Dream” party’s planned changes to the Electoral Code, which would allow non-resident citizens to participate in elections only within the country’s borders. In this episode, emigrant women discuss why it is impossible for them to return every four years when they work for years just to pay off debts, and what this government decision will change for them.

NARA (Lithuanian/English)

A podcast on social issues, societal turning points, and the people within them. Best Lithuanian podcast, LOGIN 2019. Formerly known as NYLA.

As recommended in ’s newsletter !

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🇮🇪 Podcasts from Ireland 🇮🇪

Tara Connaghan is an Irish traditional fiddle player, podcast host, and writer focused on the social and cultural dynamics of Irish music sessions. She has toured internationally as a musician and has over 30 years of experience playing in Irish traditional music sessions. She is the creator and host of In Tune with Tradition, a podcast examining session etiquette and the unspoken norms that shape traditional music-making. Through her work, she helps musicians better understand how to participate respectfully and confidently in Irish traditional music settings.

• In Tune with Tradition: For decades, the social rules of Irish music sessions have been learned quietly, or not at all, passed on through observation, mistakes, and silence. Growing out of years of teaching adult learners and newcomers to the tradition, In Tune with Tradition addresses a subject many musicians have avoided discussing openly: how behavior, humility, and awareness shape the life of a session as much as the tunes themselves. Through conversations with musicians and careful reflection, the podcast gives language to what has long been understood by some, but rarely articulated. Listener feedback suggests the podcast brings relief and clarity, shortening learning curves and resonating not only with musicians, but with anyone curious about what’s really happening when they sit down to listen to a traditional session!

• Irish Music Stories: Irish traditional music is often talked about through recordings, styles, and lineages, but less often through the lived experiences of the people who carry it. In Irish Music Stories, Shannon Heaton, based in Boston, invites musicians and singers to tell their own stories, how they came to the music, what shaped them, and what keeps them connected, usually linked with a random theme from her musings. The result is an intimate portrait of a tradition seen through individual lives rather than broad narratives.

• Irish Music Memories: As generations of musicians pass, their memories risk fading with them, stories of sessions, dances, tunes, and local music worlds that were never written down. Irish Music Memories is built around first-hand recollections, giving musicians the space to speak in their own voices about what they witnessed and lived. The new podcast acts as an oral archive, preserving personal history as an essential part of the tradition itself and Richie is well placed as an Irish man from a musical family living in Chicago.

Thank you, Tara!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• Radiophrenia Open Call (Scotland)

Radiophrenia announced an open call for sound and transmission artworks for their upcoming broadcasts beginning in September 2026. Radiophrenia is an artist run FM radio station broadcasting in Glasgow and online.They are seeking soundscapes, spoken word pieces, radio experiments, found sound, innovative approaches to drama and documentary, and radical and challenging new programme ideas. The broadcast schedule will include live shows, pre-recorded features and a series of in-studio performances.

When? February 14.

• Rough Cut Residency

A month-long, residency-style program for people who want to finally make a story they can show. At the heart of it: a 5-day workshop. In-person workshops to kick off the 4 week program: Marseille, Berlin, Cape Town

When? February 25.

• A New Approach: Expert-Reviewed Journalism

A new €2.75 million project seeks to transform European journalism by connecting media professionals with academic experts and industry specialists to improve the quality and sustainability of news reporting across the continent. The Expert Journalism Initiative, led by Journalismfund Europe and the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) in Riga, will run for 24 months. It aims to address critical challenges facing local, regional, and investigative media outlets through a combination of grants, training programmes, and expert collaboration.

Deadline? March 19.

That’s it for now!

Andreea

Into The Podverse

Into The Podverse explores the global podcasting landscape through the lens of an African creator, bridging insights, trends, and stories from around the world.

By Tony Onwuchekwa [Tony Doe]

You can connect with Tony on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting journey? How did you get into podcasting?

I came into podcasting through radio. That background taught me structure, storytelling, and respect for the listener. When podcasting began to grow, it felt like a natural extension of radio, more flexible, more personal, and without the limits of schedules.

Working with creators and stations across Africa, I noticed a gap. People were excited about podcasting, but many didn’t understand how to sustain it. That’s what led to Into The Podverse. It started as a newsletter and later became a podcast, focused on helping creators think long-term and build with intention.

Share with us an overview of Nigeria’s podcasting market.

Nigeria’s podcasting market is growing and energetic. There are many active creators and an audience that’s becoming more curious and consistent.

Discovery mostly happens on social platforms, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, rather than podcast apps. Monetization remains a challenge. Advertising budgets are limited, and payment tools don’t always work locally, so many podcasters rely on mixed income models. The creativity is strong. The systems are still developing.

What’s the Nigerian Podcast Index, and what do you hope it achieves?

The Nigerian Podcast Index is a public directory of Nigerian podcasts. It’s designed to document what exists, without rankings or editorial bias.

The goal is to improve discoverability and create a reliable record of Nigerian audio work. It helps listeners, brands, platforms, and researchers find Nigerian podcasts more easily.

Podcasters can get involved by submitting their shows through a form link. If you’re Nigerian at home or based in the diaspora and have a valid RSS feed, you can be listed.

How would you describe cross-border collaboration across African podcasting markets?

Cross-border collaboration is growing, but it’s still mostly informal. Creators collaborate, share audiences, and learn from one another across countries.

What’s missing is structure. Shared data, stronger regional partnerships, and systems that make collaboration easier to sustain. Africa doesn’t need one voice, but better connections between many voices.

You’re well-connected internationally. What made you branch outside your local context, and what advice do you have for others?

Podcasting is global by nature. Once you publish, your audience can be anywhere.

I branched out to learn from global conversations and bring those insights back to African creators. Exposure sharpens standards and broadens perspective.

My advice is to focus on quality, consistency, and relationships. Do the work well, stay visible, and think beyond borders while staying grounded locally.

Share 2–3 podcast recommendations.

Apart from Into The Podverse, I recommend Mindfully with Tunmise. It’s a thoughtful mental health podcast grounded in lived experience, focused on self-awareness, emotional well-being, and honest conversations.

I also recommend The Young God, by Rodney Omeokachie. It’s an introspective podcast that explores identity, creativity, purpose, and what it means to live intentionally.

Both shows are clear about who they serve, and that clarity comes through in every episode.

Thank you, Tony!

Welcome to the 30th issue of Eurowaves. Many of you have joined since the last one so I want to wish you a warm welcome.

If you find the newsletter helpful, please text it to a friend or industry colleague!

Before we get into it, an announcement…

Get your tickets to The Podcast Show 2026 🇬🇧

sponsored

Book your pass to The Podcast Show London before 31 January and save up to £100! Bringing together thousands of delegates from 60+ countries, whatever your role, level or specific interests, The Podcast Show will connect you with the right people. From Leaders in Podcasting breakfasts and TPS Connects to the Creator Mix, it’s the industry’s go-to networking destination.

When? 20–21 May, 2026.

Book your tickets

🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🇷🇴 I published an article about Romania’s podcasting industry for Scena 9: Why Romania watches podcasts and doesn’t listen (anymore).

• 🇩🇪Denise Fernholz of BEIFAHRERSITZ published a fantastic issue on podcast cover arts.

  BEIFAHRERSITZ

  Let's talk about Podcast-Cover (inkl. seeehr viel Inspiration)

  Das hier ist BEIFAHRERSITZ, der vielleicht ehrlichste Newsletter übers Podcasten und die Podcast-Branche. Ihr wollt mitfahren? Dann einfach hier einsteigen…

  Read more

  5 months ago · 5 likes · Denise Fernholz

• 🏆 The final submission deadline for the True Crime Awards 2026 got an extension, now open until 25 January, 2026.

• 🏆 The Webbys Awards also extended their deadline to the 6th of February.

• 🏆 The Ambies released the 2026 nominees!

• 🇫🇷 In France, ACPM released its podcast ranker for December. (Podnews)

• 🇪🇸 In Spanish, AudioGen has published “the most relevant trends in the market in 2025 and the challenges for the year that has just begun” (Podnews)

• 🇱🇺 Radio 100.7 in Luxembourg is hiring an investigative journalist. (Podnews)

Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+65 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

💡How New Podcast Markets Get Noticed, with Acast’s Joanna Aveillan

In her role as International Director of Content and Partnerships for Acast’s International Creator Network team, Joanna Aveillan is focused on bringing Acast’s Creator Network offerings to the best podcast talent around the world, focusing strategically on Acast’s key new markets. In her role, she works alongside Acast’s wider international team to develop content strategies to meet the demand that the advertising team are seeing and investigate new market trends in order to grow a successful international network of shows.

You can connect with Joanna on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting origin story?

This is going to be quite a classic story! Like a lot of other people, I first got into podcasts through Serial and it quickly became a passion! I’ve always loved stories whether through books, movies or TV shows. Podcasts allowed me to get these stories while on the go so it was a dream. Some of the first podcasts I started listening to were Tranfert, Pop Culture Happy Hour and the High Low (I still wish it would come back!).

I had started my career in the music industry (licensing, supervision of film & TV music), working in various countries: the US, France and The Netherlands. When I decided to move to Stockholm, in 2019, I interviewed with Acast when they were looking for someone with international experience in the audio space to help them launch their activity in new markets. I’ve been with the company for 6 years now, in different jobs and have loved seeing the industry and Acast grow at the same time!

At Acast, you’ve been responsible for launching in entirely new markets. When you enter a new country, what are the three key elements you look for to decide if a market is ready?

There are many factors that come into play when launching a new market but I think the most important ones are the following:

• Diversity in content: One sign of a developed market is seeing podcasts in many different genres hosted by diverse hosts. This is essential to capturing vast audiences and sustaining a thriving local industry.

• Dynamic advertising industry: At Acast, we connect advertisers to podcasters and audiences so it’s essential that any market we get involved in has a solid demand for audio advertising. We work with them extensively to show the value of podcast audiences but it’s always great if they are already involved in the medium.

• Audience engagement: We usually look at survey data around the percentage of the population who is familiar with podcasts and who regularly listen to them. The more listeners, the better!

We’ve been seeing more European network collaborations. What do you think is the biggest challenge European creators face when trying to migrate their content to other markets, and how can they overcome it?

I think this is one of the hardest things to get right in podcasting because I believe there’s a lot to be said about knowing your audience well which is much easier to do if it’s your own market. Many people have tried and failed to do it successfully, but I believe great stories can and should travel from one country to another, just as books do. I would probably advise starting with a scripted show, finding a very good translator, having locals listen to the content and then becoming well-acquainted with local platforms, newsletters etc. to get the word out there when you launch the show. Also, I always advise podcasters to get help from their audiences as we know listeners tend to feel close to podcast hosts. If all your listeners tell one friend about the show, that brings in many new listeners. I think networks organizing themselves across countries is a great way to bypass a lot of the challenges!

What’s your 2026 podcast prediction for the European market?

I expect European podcasting to increasingly carve out its own space within the broader creator economy as a form of influence narrative, offering content that is deeper and more story-driven than short-form social media. Audiences are choosing when and how they listen or watch, and while video can enhance discovery and engagement, audio remains central and true to what makes podcasting unique. This shift means creators with strong voices and compelling stories will have the greatest impact, with resonance valued more than sheer reach.

Share with us 2-3 recommendations of European podcasts you’ve been loving!

Keeping it to 2 or 3 is an impossible task so apologies in advance for not respecting the brief! I listen to podcasts in French and English mostly so here are some in both languages.

• AMIES: This podcast was originally done by two friends who would show each other a film or a TV show they didn’t know. The format has recently evolved but it’s one of my favourite shows as I love listening to both of their opinions and finding out about new films and TV shows.

• Table Manners: It’s been going on for years and I still love it. I love the format of it, the banter between the hosts and the food talk!

• Sentimental Garbage: I love the way this show takes elements of culture that aren’t usually necessarily regarded as the most high brow but dissects it to a point where it feels so much smarter and well thought out than you originally thought.

Last but not least, I’ll say anything produced by Arte Radio is amazing and I’ll listen to anything they put out!

Thank you, Joanna!

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🎙️🌍 Podcasts recommended by you 🌍🎙️

French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED

French Reno Diaries UNCENSORED is your honest, no-fluff guide to renovating, restoring, and surviving property projects in France. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, a seasoned renovator, or just dreaming of owning property in France, we provide real stories, insider tips, and actionable advice to help you avoid mistakes, save money, and navigate your renovation journey with confidence.

Lieblingsort Bibliothek

Favorite Place: The Library is a reportage podcast about Swiss libraries. Over the course of six episodes, audio journalist Laura Bachmann visits libraries that are booming—and those fighting for their future. Every library tells a story. It’s about people who find more than just books there: community, education, a sense of belonging—and sometimes, a second home.

Available with auto-translated captions on YouTube.

Armchair Adventures

A join-in adventure series filled with stories and songs for kids. Step into the world of the Armchair Adventures Imagination Travel Agency and learn new things about people, history, science, and different cultures along the way. Join Connie, her Uncle Chris and their crew of explorers on incredible journeys - where anything is possible!

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🇫🇷 Podcasts from France 🇫🇷

Jeremie Mani is the co-founder of Podcasthon.org, a global charitable initiative that mobilizes the podcasting community across four different languages to support various causes. Leveraging his background as a digital entrepreneur, he has helped transform this project into a significant international event that bridges the gap between digital content creators and philanthropy.

• Bliss Stories: Created and hosted by Clémentine Galey, Bliss.Stories is a leading French podcast dedicated to motherhood, sharing raw and authentic accounts of pregnancy and childbirth. It has evolved from a popular audio series into a comprehensive platform that breaks taboos surrounding the maternal experience through honest storytelling.

  
  Créé et animé par Clémentine Galey, Bliss.Stories est le podcast de référence sur la maternité en France, proposant des témoignages sans filtre sur la grossesse et l’accouchement. Véritable phénomène, cette initiative a libéré la parole des femmes en transformant des récits personnels en une plateforme engagée qui lève les tabous liés au devenir mère.

• Génération Do It Yourself is a premier French business podcast hosted by Matthieu Stefani that explores the success stories and failures of entrepreneurs, athletes, and artists. Through deep-dive, long-form interviews, the show provides listeners with actionable insights into leadership, resilience, and the “do it yourself” mindset.

  Animé par Matthieu Stefani, GDIY est le podcast de référence sur l’entrepreneuriat en France, recevant des leaders, sportifs et artistes pour décortiquer leurs parcours. Ces entretiens au format long explorent sans complaisance les succès et les échecs, offrant une immersion profonde dans l’état d’esprit de ceux qui font.

• Demain N’attend Pas: Hosted by Delphine Darmon, Demain n’attend pas features inspiring conversations with individuals who have shifted their careers or lives to pursue social and environmental impact. The podcast serves as a powerful resource for listeners looking to align their professional paths with their personal values and the challenges of the ecological transition.

  Animé par Delphine Darmon, Demain n’attend pas met en lumière des parcours de femmes et d’hommes qui s’engagent concrètement pour un futur plus durable et solidaire. Ce podcast explore les déclics et les actions de ceux qui ont choisi de mettre leur énergie au service de l’impact social et environnemental.

Thank you, Jeremie!

You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• Audio UK’s Audiotrain Launch (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Speakers announced for the launch of Audiotrain in Edinburgh. The second in-person of the event of year will be in Edinburgh to launch Audiotrain, AudioUK’s skills and training platform for the podcast and audio industry, in Scotland. This free event is a great opportunity to hear about the latest developments in Audiotrain, learn from an excellent lineup of industry speakers and connect with AudioUK members and the wider podcasting and audio community in Edinburgh with informal networking and drinks.

📩 To book your place, email Juliette Nicholls at juliette.nicholls@audiouk.org.uk

When? January 29.

• Postcode Lottery Fund for Journalists (The Netherlands)

Are you an independent journalist who closely follows what’s happening in the world and loves to report on it? And not just about the issues that dominate the front pages of newspapers and the opening of the news, but also about events in countries that are less in the spotlight? Do you want to produce high-quality reporting abroad? Then this fund is for you! The Postcode Lottery Fund assesses applications from journalists who write a challenging pitch four times a year. The applications have a maximum budget of €4,000.

When? January 30.

• Podcast Creator Summit (London, UK)

Public media organisation PRX – bringing acclaimed podcasts and radio to millions – and AudioUK – the industry body dedicated to advancing podcasting and audio – today announced a 2026 Podcast Creator Summit in London, UK, inviting podcasters of all experience levels to share and gain insights spanning the art and business of making podcasts and audio.

Deadline? February 6.