Audioboom

A London-founded podcast company that hosts, distributes, makes and sells advertising for podcasts.

About Audioboom

Audioboom provides podcast hosting, distribution, advertising sales and production. Its About page says it combines technical support, production expertise and ad sales into one service for podcasters, advertisers and brands. Formats include host-read endorsements, dynamically inserted ads, sponsorships and branded content.

Its stated aim is to make podcasts "accessible and profitable" for podcasters, advertisers and brands. It also produces original shows for its own podcast network and bespoke productions for personalities and brands.

Wikipedia says the company began in London in 2009 as Audioboo.fm, founded by Mark Rock and funded by Channel 4's 4iP fund. Its first product let people share short audio clips from a phone, and early users included Stephen Fry, the British Library and The Guardian. It later changed to a business-to-business model for broadcasters and podcasters, with clients such as BBC Radio and the Premier League named on Wikipedia, and listed on AIM in 2014 as Audioboom Group plc after a reverse takeover of One Delta plc. Rob Proctor became chief executive in 2012 and refocused the business on professional broadcasters. Its distribution partners include Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, iHeart and TuneIn, and the Premier League joined in late 2013. Today its UK office is at Boundary Row, Southwark, London, with another office in New York and a Los Angeles studio.

The About page lists leaders including Stuart Last (chief executive), Brad Clarke, Jonathan del Strother, Erica Tong, Brendan Regan and Jenni Skaug. Team roles named include UK sales, content and partnerships, design, research and development. Mike Newman is managing director for international and Steven Hooley is design lead. The company says it is part of the Equality in Audio Pact and shares workforce diversity data, though the figures are for the whole company and not just the UK.

In a podcast company, jobs include sales and account management, content and partnerships, audio production, software development, product design, data analysis and finance. If you like podcasts, you could try making your own to learn editing and storytelling, and then look at how companies like Audioboom turn shows into a business. Its website has more on the shows and brands it works with.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Publishing podcasts to apps and websites.', 'title': 'Podcast hosting and distribution'}
• {'desc': 'Host-read ads, sponsorships and dynamic ads.', 'title': 'Advertising'}
• {'desc': 'Audioboom network shows and bespoke podcasts.', 'title': 'Original production'}

Key facts

• Founded in London in 2009 as Audioboo.fm (Wikipedia)
• UK office: Boundary Row, Southwark, London
• Mission: make podcasts accessible and profitable (own site)
• Part of the Equality in Audio Pact

Website: audioboom.com