Tag: #podcast

‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ DCC Podcast now available

Want to learn more about your local council? Tune in to ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ – the official podcast that takes you behind the scenes of Dublin City Council

Seasons one and two of ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ The Official Dublin City Council Podcast are now available in full on podcast platforms. Whether you’re a resident of Dublin city, a student, or eager to learn about local government, this podcast offers a fresh and accessible look at how Dublin City Council supports your city and keeps it moving. Podcasts are also a new thing with me and now listening to more of them as time goes on and I will tune into this one.

Highlights of season two include a deep dive into Dublin Fire Brigade with Fire Officer Greg O’Dwyer, a chat with Assistant Chief Executive Aidan Blighe about what the senior management role entails, and a reflection with Public Domain Officer Sid Daly on the challenges of waste management and recycling in Dublin city.

The ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ podcast delves into the roles and responsibilities of the various sections and departments of Dublin City Council, showcasing the work, initiatives, and services that impact both residents and visitors.

Topics covered so far range from Housing and Biodiversity, to Sports and the Night-Time Economy, with more special episodes to come before the end of 2025.

Producer and host of ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ Deirdre Molumby says: “We’ve had such a wonderful range of guests and perspectives on the ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ podcast and I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished this year.

“I’ve learned so much presenting this podcast and I believe listeners have too. There is a broad range of audiences who will get something out of ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’, whether you’re interested in working for the public sector and want to brush up on it, a community member who wants to use services provided by Dublin City Council, or students who want to learn about how local council works. I’m looking forward to seeing the podcast grow and grow.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to fellow producer Michael Ryan, sound engineer and editor Robert Fay, everyone in the Communications sector of Dublin City Council, and senior management for their support.”

Subscribe to ‘What’s the Story, Dublin?’ on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, Goodpods, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.

BBC Studios to make podcasts available to international audiences

Fans of BBC podcasts outside of the UK now have an all-new listening experience on BBC.com and the BBC app. The newly launched audio section of BBC.com and app is curated with international audiences in mind, making the BBC’s vast portfolio of current and archived podcasts, including hits like Global News Podcast, World of Secrets, and Infinite Monkey Cage, plus BBC Radio 4 and World Service radio stations, easier to find.

For the first time, audiences globally can enjoy a fully integrated experience on BBC.com and the app where the BBC’s award-winning audio content sits alongside our renowned journalism and storytelling. Through this new user experience, listeners can explore deeper context and analysis on select topics, gaining a richer understanding of the issues that matter most—all without leaving the platform.

As part of this launch, the BBC will also be making BBC Sounds available exclusively to UK audiences and ending access to the service for international users beginning Spring 2025. UK users who go on holiday (outside the UK) for a short period of time will still be able to use the BBC Sounds app abroad.

This new audio experience is the latest in a series of enhancements that we have been making to BBC.com and the BBC app. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to build a single, one-stop destination for the best of BBC journalism and storytelling.

BBC Studios is responsible for the monetization of digital news and factual products including BBC.com, the BBC app, BBC Select and BBC Podcast Premium, whose profits help continue to fund the BBC’s world-renowned journalism and reporting.

Header imager credit BBC

PlayPilot Integrates with Leading Podcast Providers to Boost Discoverability

PlayPilot, the premier platform for discovering movies and series across all streaming services, has leaped into the dynamic world of podcasts. Aiming to enhance podcast discoverability, PlayPilot has integrated with top podcast providers, including Apple, Google and Spotify podcasts, bridging the gap between visual and audio entertainment. 

“With millions of podcasts released each year, both by amateur enthusiasts and seasoned professionals, discovering high-quality content has become a formidable challenge”, says David Mühle, Co-CEO at PlayPilot. “We’re addressing this issue by offering a one-stop solution for users seeking both visual and auditory entertainment.” 

Discover and Recommend with Ease 

PlayPilot’s new podcast feature allows users to not only access an extensive library of podcasts but also search for and discover related movies, series, and podcasts effortlessly. Users can explore curated collections from the best of both worlds, offering a holistic entertainment experience. 

“Discovering great podcasts should be as easy as finding a great movie,” says David Mühle. ”Our platform enables users to seamlessly transition between visual and audio content while providing recommendations from fellow users and podcast creators. It’s about simplifying the discovery process and enhancing the overall entertainment journey.” 

Commitment to community-driven content curation Users can share their personalized collections with favorite movies/series and podcasts, fostering a sense of community among entertainment enthusiasts. This approach empowers users to curate content that resonates with their tastes and to discover hidden gems they might have missed. 

The PlayPilot app is free and available on App Store and Google Play. ______________________________________________________________________ 

About PlayPilot 

PlayPilot is a pioneering platform dedicated to helping users discover the best movies, series, and podcasts across all streaming services. With a mission to simplify entertainment discovery, PlayPilot’s innovative features and community-driven approach make it the ultimate destination for entertainment enthusiasts.

Tech Review – Hollyland Lark Max Microphone System

The Hollyland Lark Max Microphone is an ideal tool for creators, new reporters and more, for me it is a product I have not used much but reviewed many mics over the years but this one is probably the best one so far when it comes to the product itself its build and the entire package as a whole.

You get a fantastic presentation and box with all the bits and pieces and more and a nice touch shell travel case so you can bring it with your in your tech or travel bag should you need it. It is a one stop shop for all your audio needs and looks like a pro kit too for those not familiar with them.

There are several ways this can be used which is handy, examples being just your self using it or having someone in the audience with you so if you are doing a podcast or interviewing someone it is a simple set up and you can get going in minutes, there is an array of cables in the box but what i like most is you can just plug it into your phone of choice and get going pretty fast which is convenient if  you are on the go and moving between interviews for example in different rooms like you would a tech conferences and the likes. It has a simple to use touch screen and control knob so you have choice here on control use.

It would be best to test out headphones yourself so you can get the sound you want and it is tunable so for me I have no particular sound stage in mind as I typically use my phones to do my recording but when testing this kit there was a notable difference in the tone of my voice and when positioning the mic you can notice the differences in the audio.

What is also beneficial here is the distances this can be used with not that I would ever have the need to or use but it is there which is up to 82oft and then you have exceptional battery life which is 14 hours, being honest I have not tried a kit like this one but that battery life seems good and legit after me testing it out over a few weeks I have had to only recharge it once.

I would not be an expert in the mic field per say but I can tell the big difference in the quality and tone of my voice having it on compared to other run of the mill mics I have tested and the audio is just better all round, this kit serves more than just one person unlike the other mics I have tried and overall a great addition to have at your disposal.

 

Features

  • Studio Quality Audio: Lark Max wireless lapel microphone comes with a 48kHz sampling rate, 24-bit depth, 70dB SNR (no interference noise), and a maximum of 128dB SPL (no sonic boom, providing more possibilities when recording in loud environments), capturing every detail and nuance with stunning clarity.
  • Professional Environmental Noise Cancellation: First time our wireless lavalier microphone is equipped with professional ENC technology, effectively recognizes and reduces environmental noise but still captures the low-frequency audio details for you.
  • One-Click Internal Recording: No additional app is needed for this lavalier microphone, just one-click recording. Each transmitter has an 8GB, 14 hours duration internal audio recording, recording epic sound quality in uncompressed and lossless wav files. Provides an extra layer of security when working on important projects.
  • 820ft (250m) Long Range Transmission: Lark Max wireless lav mic features max 820ft ultra-long distance transmission (in an open area, with no obstacles). Digital audio transmission technology provides a stabler and clearer audio collection, no interference. Perfect for outdoor events, interviews, and vlogging.
  • 22-Hour Battery Life: Lark Max wireless mic provides a charging case and a storage bag. Each Tx duration is 7.5 hours and can reach up to 22 hours with a fully charged charging case. One More Thing-The receiver can be charged and used simultaneously. Will last an entire day on set.
  • Sound Cavity Design: A good sound cavity is the key. By redesigning the multi-layer combination, Lark Max can capture more sound details, and produce natural, clear sounds.
  • Wide Compatibility: Hollyland Lark Max wireless lapel microphone comes with all accessories you need to connect with the a camera, iPhone, Android, or PC, all in one, and ready to go.

 

BUY from the links below

Hollyland Lark Max Microphone:

Amazon.co.uk: https://amzn.to/46KcAK0

Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/40cJ4db

Official Website: https://www.hollyland.com/product/lark-max

Video Review

SHURE Champions Women And Non-Binary Podcasters In The First International Women’s Podcast Awards

Shure Sponsored the Category “Changing the World One Moment at a Time”

The first edition of the International Women’s Podcast awards was celebrated and live-streamed globally at the AllBright in London on 23rd September. The awards recognise the work of women and non-binary podcasters worldwide. Shure, as headline partners, sponsored the category “Changing the World One Moment at a Time,” awarding winner Laura Joyce Davis with a special gold-plated SM7B microphone for her work on Shelter in Place podcast.

 

The International Women’s Podcast Awards (IWPA) is organised by The Skylark Collective, a network that aims to give visibility and support to women and non-binary podcasters around the world by showcasing their narratives and elevating their voices. The IWPA are the first-ever awards to recognize the work of women and non-binary people in podcasting, behind the mic and behind the scenes, celebrating those who share untold stories and producing incredible, intimate moments of podcasting brilliance, wherever they are in the world.

“We believe that growth and creativity in the industry come from increased diversity, and we are very proud to have been part of these awards. Shure has actively supported the podcast industry by not only providing podcasters with access to great gear but also creating educational content and partnering with a variety of different initiatives,” said Paul Crognale, Senior Manager, Global Marketing, at Shure. “Joining forces with The Skylark Collective for these awards has opened up a number of opportunities through which we will continue to champion and encourage inspirational voices around the world.” 

This year’s awards included a short list of more than 80 podcasts from different locations across the globe, each with a chance of winning in one of eight categories: Moment of Touching Honesty, Moment of Raw Emotion, Moment of Entrepreneurial Inspiration, Moment of Cliffhanger Drama, Moment of Behind-The-Scenes Brilliance, Moment of Comedy Gold, Moment of Badass Business Advice, and Changing the World One Moment at a Time. The winners also received a Shure MV7 Podcast Kit as a prize. 

“It means a lot to receive this award. Any artist who’s been at it for a while will tell you that you have to learn to love the process more than the outcome.” added Laura Joyce, winner of the gold-plated SM7B.  “I’m thrilled to have the chance to create our episodes with the Shure SM7B microphone, while continuing with our work to train women and non-binary creatives about how to create podcasts that are the best production quality possible.”

Shure products, including the SLX Wireless System with Beta® 58As and gooseneck microphones, were used to ensure great audio throughout the ceremony. It was hosted by acclaimed presenter, author, and journalist, Vick Hope from BBC Radio 1, with additional support from Acast, Blubrry, Captivate FM, and Redhead PR.  

Shure announced as headline partner for the International Women’s Podcast Awards. #Shure #IWPA #Podcasts

The Skylark Collective are pleased to announce Shure, a leading global manufacturer of premium audio equipment, as Headline Partners for this year’s inaugural International Women’s Podcast Awards. The IWPA is a unique event celebrating the very best female-led moments in podcasting of the last year, where recognition will be given to women in podcasting, both behind the mic and behind the scenes, who have created incredible audio moments and intimate listening experiences.

Naomi Mellor, founder of the International Women’s Podcast Awards, said: “I am so excited to announce Shure as our Headline Partners for the awards. Their passion for creating great microphones and audio electronics has been recognised by podcasters the world over, making them a staple of the podcasting community. Their support for women and non-binary podcasters at the International Women’s Podcast Awards helps us provide an opportunity for women from all over the world to showcase their work, and we can’t wait to bring the event to life.”

 

“We are extremely proud to partner with The Skylark Collective for the first ever International Women’s Podcast Awards, championing inspirational voices from around the world. In supporting the podcasting community since the beginning, we’ve witnessed the importance of diversity to leverage creativity in the industry. For this reason, we are sponsoring the Award for Changing the World One Moment at a Time, which we believe will give women and non-binary podcasters the visibility and recognition to continue their impressive work, while inspiring the podcasters of tomorrow” said Paul Crognale, Senior Manager, Global Marketing at Shure.

 

The International Women’s Podcast Awards will be hosted at the Allbright in London on 23rd September 2021 by acclaimed presenter, author and journalist Vick Hope of BBC Radio 1, with additional support from Acast, Blubrry, Captivate FM and Redhead PR. Entries are open to podcasters worldwide until Friday 13th August 2021, and the ceremony will be live-streamed internationally. The International Women’s Podcast Awards aims to help level the playing field for women in this exciting and evolving industry, by rewarding and elevating the unsung podcast hosts, editors,producers and writers out there whose work deserves recognition. To many, the joy of podcasting lies in its intimacy, in the atmosphere created between the host, guest and listener, and in the moments of incredible sensitivity, humour or honesty that keep people engrossed.

The International Women’s Podcast Awards celebrate these intimate moments of podcasting brilliance, and the women that make them happen. It doesn’t matter if they’ve had 100 downloads or 100 million, the awards are open to everyone in podcasting that identifies as a woman ornon-binary.

 

Nominations are now open and will be accepted in eight categories of wonderful ‘Moments’, which are:

  • Moment of Comedy Gold
  • Moment of Raw Emotion
  • Moment of Cliffhanging Drama
  • Moment of Touching Honesty
  • Moment of Behind-the-Scenes Brilliance
  • Moment of Entrepreneurship Inspiration
  • Moment of Badass Business Advice
  • Award for Changing The World One Moment At A Time

 

The awards ceremony will be held at Allbright, Mayfair on Thursday 23rd September.

Important Advice For People Looking To Start A Podcast

“Be loud about the things that are important to you” – Karen Walrond

Starting a podcast is a good way to air your ideas to people who’ll be interested in what you have to share. It is pretty simple to set up a podcast channel. However, you must be aware of the steps needed to make your podcast a success. From planning the podcast and buying the equipment to recording the audio and publishing it on a platform, there are many aspects of creating a podcast. In this article, you’ll get some important tips if you’re looking to start a podcast.and if you find yourself looking for more guidance, check out https://melonapp.com/how-to-start-a-podcast/.

 

Planning Your Podcast

If you’re planning to start a podcast, the first thing you’ll need to do is to decide the theme of your channel. If you want to share your knowledge about cooking, you can plan your podcasts to be based on recipes, cuisines, and kitchen-related topics. If you are good at yoga, you can plan your content based on meditation techniques, poses, and other yoga-related topics. If you follow a consistent theme in all your podcasts, you’ll be able to acquire a dedicated audience. Alternatively, if you publish podcasts based on random topics, there are high chances that you will not be able to retain your audience effectively. It is best to carry out detailed research on your potential audience to find out which topics would be best received by them. Once you zone in on the theme of your podcasts and the tendencies of your target audience, your podcasts will have a bigger impact overall. In addition to this, you’ll have a clearer idea of what you want to achieve and the correct way to plan your podcasts. You’ll be able to bring consistency and quality to your podcasts that will drive your audience to interact more with your channel.

Creating Your Podcast

The process of creating a podcast can be intimidating for a beginner. However, if you choose the correct equipment and follow the correct procedures, you’ll be able to accomplish it with ease. To successfully record a high-quality podcast, all you will need is your computer, headphones, and a mic. In addition to this, you can invest in a pop filter that acts as a windscreen between you and the mic. To increase the quality of the podcast, you can also use a headphone amplifier and shock mount. The basic idea is to reduce the background noise as much as possible to have a clear audio interface. Your podcast’s success depends greatly on the sound quality.  In addition to this, the folks at Wired Clip suggest reading reviews of the latest podcast hosting platforms to find the platform that caters to your target audience. That said, the content also plays a crucial part in your podcast’s success. You can invite a friend to converse with you and make things exciting every once in a while. Once you’ve recorded the audio, you’ll need to edit out the unnecessary parts. You can instantly make the podcasts better by masking the background noise and tuning the main sound. On another note, if you feel like your content is great, but your podcasts are not getting enough reach, you may need to improve the quality of your podcasts. You can always hire a sound editor to edit your podcasts. Alternatively, you can learn to do it yourself via online courses and tutorials.

Publishing Your Podcast 

To help your podcasts reach a wide audience, you’ll need to create a podcast channel on different hosting platforms. You can research the different podcast hosting platforms to understand which ones attract the audience that would most likely resonate with your content. Once you’ve created your podcasting channel, you can publish your podcasts to make them visible to the public. You can track the progress of your podcasts by the number of times people interacted with them. Most platforms allow users to comment on the content. It is a good way to get your audience’s feedback and improve your strategy accordingly. By trial and error, you can find a suitable niche for your podcasts that will give you the most reach and engagement.

To sum up, let’s go through the process of starting a podcast once more. You’ll need to plan your podcasts ahead of time. Sticking to a theme will get you more subscribers. The success of a podcast depends on its content and audio quality. Invest in proper equipment and hire a good sound editor if needed. Find a suitable podcast hosting platform, publish your podcasts, and improve with the feedback you receive.

The Open Doors Initiative has released a podcast series to help workers and businesses deal with the new realities of employment during the Covid-19 crisis.

The Open Doors Initiative has today released a podcast series to help workers and businesses deal with the new realities of employment during the Covid-19 crisis. The initiative is also today publishing a ‘Covid-19 Toolkit’ aimed at helping people with information on working from home, upskilling, financial supports and wellbeing.

The podcasts are available on bit.ly/OpenDoorsCovid while the toolkit and many other resources are available on the Open Doors Initiative website.

The four-part podcast series features different experts all addressing different aspects of work / business during the Covid-19 crisis. Those featured in the podcast are:

  • David Joyce, Equality Officer from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
  • Maureen Walsh, CEO of DeCare Dental
  • Tiernan Brady, Global Director of Inclusion, Clifford Chance
  • Dr Pat McKeon, founder of Aware and former Clinical Director of St. Patrick’s Hospital.

Among the topics they address are mental health supports at this time, the need for inclusion and diversity in the workplace – now more than ever, and what the future of work and working practices may bring.

Alongside the podcasts the online toolkit offers best practice and work planning with links to resources and aids for people affected by this change.

Jeanne McDonagh, CEO of the Open Doors Initiative said: “In recent weeks we have seen employment fall by over 17% in Ireland, mainly affecting those most in need such as employees on a low wage and marginalised people. There is a compelling need for social responsibility and leadership to be taken by the business community, where it can help.

“We have seen many businesses and their workers help where they can and Government, business and unions are working together to ensure that employment continues and the impact on the economy is temporary and recoverable. We are proud that so many businesses and organisations, including our members, are stepping up to help those who need it most”.

The Open Doors Initiative was established to help three marginalised groups in employment in Ireland – those with a disability, under 25s with educational disadvantage, and refugees and asylum seekers.

We know that during the current Covid-19 crisis the impact on these groups is greater:

  • For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, this can lead to falling into negative behaviour, criminality and other anti-social ways, as supports such as mentoring and training are not available.
  • People in direct provision who have no way to move accommodation and protect themselves and their families through self-isolation while modes of travel are restricted too.
  • For people with many disabilities, who need work routine, or have difficulty working without carer support or have mental health difficulties, can all be very affected by the changes that have come about.