🎧 Wondery’s Shake-Up, Sonic Branding at the Airport, and Pixel Buds Go Premium

🎧 Wondery’s Shake-Up, Sonic Branding at the Airport, and Pixel Buds Go Premium

Sometimes it’s good to break your own format — and in this week’s Stop Rewind Play, I’m doing just that. This episode is a summer experiment, pulling highlights from the Rewind section of my Substack newsletter rather than my usual strategy deep-dive. It’s a quick run-through of the audio industry stories that caught my eye this week - and a teaser for the full set of links in the newsletter itself. So in this week’s episode of Stop Rewind Play, I talk about… - Why Amazon’s closure of Wondery could shift premium podcasts behind subscription paywalls - and what that might mean for open RSS access - Newsrooms in Latin America using behind-the-scenes podcasts to build audience trust - Bengaluru Airport’s new sonic identity and the Special Olympics GB’s inclusive audio brand - Google’s Pixel Buds 2a bringing premium listening features to a lower price point - Meta’s AI audio acquisition and a growing “two-tier” future for podcast accessibility Sign up to Stop Rewind Play (and access all the links I talk about in this episode and more) at www.stoprewindplay.substack.com [http://www.stoprewindplay.substack.com] Suze Cooper works as a freelancer offering expert audio production, editing, and storytelling for publishers, newsrooms, and media outlets. Visit www.bigtentmedia.co.uk [http://www.bigtentmedia.co.uk] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

🎧 What podcasters can learn from flash briefings (remember them?)

The formats we leave behind aren’t always failures - sometimes they’re foundations. Alexa flash briefings were an early experiment in short-form, voice-first content. They laid groundwork for current interest in voice AI, news via smart speakers, and micro-podcasting. Six years ago this month I gave a presentation about the benefits of creating a flash briefing to a room full of people at Amazon HQ in London. I decided to look back at what I had said and see what still rang true for podcasters in 2025. So in this week's episode of Stop Rewind Play I talk about... - Why flash briefings struggled to gain traction and what that tells us about discoverability and platform support - How short-form audio and daily listening routines shaped early voice-first experiences - What flash briefings revealed about sonic branding and the importance of a brand’s voice Suze Cooper works as a freelancer offering expert audio production, editing, and storytelling for publishers, newsrooms, and media outlets. Visit www.bigtentmedia.co.uk [http://www.bigtentmedia.co.uk] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

🎧 Does Your Audience Even Want a Podcast?

The best podcasts are built around the audience. Always. Last year, I spent a fair bit of time with an independent magazine publisher who was certain they needed a podcast. They had the name, the branding, and a full format mapped out. Sounds like the road to success right? But they had missed one important step. They had forgotten to check in with their readers and see whether a podcast was something they wanted. Knowing your audience before you hit go on a podcast is essential, because if a podcast is created but never heard - is it really a podcast at all? (or just a random audio file floating on the breeze....) In this week's episode of Stop Rewind Play I talk about... 🔬 Why audience research should come before production ? What to ask (and where to ask it) to be sure a podcast is the right move 🧪 Small-scale ways to test your podcast idea without a full launch 🤔 What to do if your audience isn't on traditional podcast platforms Suze Cooper works as a freelancer offering expert audio production, editing, and storytelling for publishers, newsrooms, and media outlets. Visit www.bigtentmedia.co.uk [http://www.bigtentmedia.co.uk] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

🎧 The Hidden Cost of Personalised Podcast Feeds

If your podcast feed never surprises you, maybe it’s not a feed - maybe it’s a mirror. In this episode of Stop Rewind Play I take at look at the latest stats around personalised news content from the Digital News Report 2025, and ask what it means for podcasting and audio journalism. I also talk about my own experience with personalised recommendations - from Spotify’s eerie accuracy to the echo chamber of her podcast app homepage - and ask what happens when algorithms start curating our news. What does this mean for investigative journalism, slow reporting, and trust in audio? Tune in to this episode to discover... 🚘 How podcast apps and smart speakers use algorithms to drive discovery ⛔️ Why AI personalisation might limit listener perspectives 🗞️ What the Digital News Report 2025 reveals about audience trust 🤖 The impact of AI-generated news summaries on podcasting 💡 Three things audio teams should do now to protect discovery and voice Suze Cooper works as a freelancer offering expert audio production, editing, and storytelling for publishers, newsrooms, and media outlets. Visit www.bigtentmedia.co.uk [http://www.bigtentmedia.co.uk] Download the Digital News Report 2025 [https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2025]🎙 To hear more episodes head to stoprewindplay.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

🎧 From Page to Podcast - Turning Articles Into Audio

Writing for the eye is not the same as writing for the ear—and that’s where many repurposing efforts fall flat. In this episode of Stop Rewind Play, I dive into what it really takes to transform written or live content into audio that lands. Whether you're adapting a longform article, a daily briefing, or a livestream highlight, you’ll need more than just a mic and a read-aloud script. Tune in to hear:🖊 How to rewrite for the ear—making your script conversational, clear, and punchy🎙 Why your mic should feel like a one-to-one conversation🎧 How to add texture with music, ambient sound, and vocal variation From voice tone to structure to pacing, I share practical insights from working on daily podcasts, livestream edits, and even my own journey reshaping Stop Rewind Play from newsletter to audio. Listen to Part One: The Smart Way to Repurpose Written Work into a Podcast [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com/p/the-smart-way-to-repurpose-written] Want to create audio that actually connects? 👉 Get in touch at bigtentmedia.co.uk [https://bigtentmedia.co.uk] 🎙 To hear more episodes, head to stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://bigtentmedia.co.uk] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoprewindplay.substack.com [https://stoprewindplay.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]