Even the ear wants its part!
Between podcasts, audiobooks and the ever faithful radio… in recent years the audio sector is on the rise all over the world.
In the UK, this sector is made up of more than 200 companies that employ more than 2,000 people and contribute to the development of other creative industries. AudioUK, the trade association of podcast, radio and audiobook producershowever, maintains that despite this proliferation of entities dedicated to audio content in the British market, the sector is not adequately supported.
For this reason, AudioUK has launched a four-point manifesto which details policies to support and grow the UK’s audio production sector: “Sustained Exponential Growth” as he reports Publishing Perspectives.
1. Tax relief for audio productionlike those already in place for television, film, video games, animation and other industries, to encourage international investors to support UK-based brands.
2. Funding for audio skills and trainingalong the lines of the current UK Global Screen Fund, “to increase international development, production, distribution and promotion opportunities”.
3. A global audio intellectual property fund and a revised UK audio content fund, the original pilot of which ran between 2019 and 2023 and “commissioned 165 different projects from 91 suppliers, broadcast on 350 commercial and community stations”.
4. Further creative competition in BBC radio and/or audio, where audio production not linked to BBC News content could be contested by independent producers; as the BBC moves more of the production of this content to BBC Studios. According to the association, “external audio producers should be able to compete for 100% of the BBC’s non-news production”.
