Advocating for the future of podcasting, with Audio UK’s Chloe Straw
Eurowaves #22 Interview
Chloe Straw is the CEO of AudioUK and a leader passionate about shaping the future of podcasting, audio, and the creative industries. With deep experience across podcasts, broadcast, and digital media, she has collaborated with Amazon Music, the BBC, Spotify, Acast, Apple, YouTube, and DCMS. Her approach blends strategic vision with creativity and operational expertise, helping creators and businesses thrive in fast-moving markets. Known for inspiring collaboration and fostering sustainable growth, Chloe is dedicated to empowering creators and organisations by building environments where creativity and growth go hand in hand.
AudioUK is the industry body dedicated to advancing the podcast and audio industry, by fostering innovation, supporting creators and businesses, and driving commercial and creative growth.
You can connect with Chloe on LinkedIn here.
Share with us the beginnings of your podcasting journey!
I have been working in podcasting since before the word ‘podcast’ existed. I started off in the creative industries by producing music radio shows and video for a production company called Somethin’ Else (now Sony Music Entertainment).
AudioUK’s APAs have grown into one of the flagship industry celebrations in the UK. How are the awards contributing to recognizing behind-the-scenes talent rather than just on-mic voices?
The majority of the awards are focused on the producers rather than the shows as a whole. So, the entrants can submit a selection of different clips from their repertoire, e.g., Best Arts and Culture Producer(s), Best Lifestyle and Society Producer(s), etc. We felt it was important as AudioUK that we represented the BTS talent as well as in front of the mic. We’ve made it this year so either individual producers or teams who work very closely on content together can enter.
The recent relaunch of the Audiotrain platform, in partnership with the BBC, promises a three-year programme of online and in-person training to close skills gaps. What gaps did you identify that led to this expansion and why is it important to close them?
We wanted to address the fact that there is little expert training that is open and accessible to everyone – either entry-level or senior, inside the industry or external, in the UK or globally. We have such rich talent in the UK behind the scenes, and we wanted to gather some of that knowledge and share it. Thanks to the BBC for funding, and to Acast for their studios, we now have an online platform filled with training, accessible to all.
What advice would you offer to audio organizations in other European countries that want to adapt Audiotrain’s structure?
Well… they can access our training already in English, and we hope to translate to other languages in the future, so my advice would be, come and use Audiotrain; it’s there for everyone.
AudioUK also recently launched a campaign calling on the UK Government to formally recognise podcasting and audio as part of the creative industries. How close do you think the industry is to achieving that recognition, and what would be the impact for audio professionals?
Hard to know how close we are, but we’ve got such a good case for recognition, I’m hopeful. Podcasting and audio are at the forefront of growth in the creative and tech industries, both in the UK and globally, and I think having the recognition and support from government would supercharge the opportunity for growth.
For podcasters based in the UK or in other European countries who are inspired by AudioUK’s work, what are some ways they can get involved?
Join us! We have a lot of different membership levels – creator, academic, business. Membership starts from £200 a year. We offer a load of benefits: instant access to a community of 130+ podcast and audiobook businesses, partner discounts, exclusive events – both in person and online, awards, and your membership fees go to all of our work growing this amazing industry.
Share 1-2 European podcast recommendations with us!
Oh gosh! This is like asking me to choose 1-2 of my kids… I can’t do it. All I can say is head to our website and check out all of our members, then visit their websites; they all produce such amazing content.