Catching the last (Euro)waves of the summer 🌊
Eurowaves #19
Hey podcasters,
European summer is coming to an end. I hope your holidays on the beach, in the city, or in the mountains, were full of podcast discovery and listening.
A few words from this issue’s sponsors, then we get right into it.
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🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺
The 100 Greatest Podcasts of All Time were published by Left of Dial Media. With 300 votes cast by voters in 23 countries, including many European podcaster voters, the list includes shows from Germany, UK and Spain.
The Signal Awards announced a new grace period deadline: September 12. They encourage entries from all over the world. If you are submitting a podcast in a language other than English, please provide a transcript in English.
Audio UK’s APAs deadline for submissions is September 17. They offer discounted entry rates and tickets for those under financial constraints. Please email katie@audioproductionawards.co.uk to access the scheme.
The Lovie Awards are also still open for submissions until September 19. The awards recognize European Internet excellence in the fields of culture, technology and business.
The Italian Podcasting Festival celebrates its tenth edition from September 20 to October 4. The Festival features numerous events and activities online and in different cities, culminating in the grand finale: the Podcast Summit in Milan. First 10 Eurowaves subscribers to sign-up can get a discount for 29 euros only tickets!
In the last issue, we talked about fair pay. Here’s a must-know newsletter:
Grants For Creators is the fastest way to discover funding for your creative ideas and projects. Join over 12,000 photographers, podcasters, journalists, filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives who receive 100+ U.S.-eligible grants delivered to their inbox every month.
Subscribe to Danielle Desir Corbett’s Grants For Creators today and stay in the know! It’s a perfect resource for US-based European podcasters and European-based American podcasters.
Eurowaves Update ☘️
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The world of independent fiction podcasting 🔮 with Samy Souissi
Samy Souissi is a fiction podcast creator based in London. He's always been passionate about sitting on a chair for long periods of time so when he first found out about writing and sound editing, he was thrilled. He has produced two ensemble cast audio dramas and is currently working on a third.
You can connect with Samy on LinkedIn here.
What's been your journey in fiction podcasting so far?
I first started fiction podcasting in 2020 during the pandemic. I really needed something to channel my creativity while staying at home, and having always loved audio storytelling, it felt like the right time to give it a shot!
I started with just a laptop, a headset mic, and a few friends who were up to voice act over Zoom. We went on to make 2 seasons of an urban fantasy show called Desperado, and like a lot of fiction podcasts, it sort of found its audience on its own, which was really exciting! Since then, I’ve been writing and producing on a couple more fictions, and I hope I'll get to keep making more!
Desperado has been featured by NPR and the BBC. Congratulations! What advice do you have for independent creators who want to collaborate with public broadcasters in Europe to bring stories to a wider audience?
Thank you! To be honest, I think broadcasters in Europe are a little afraid of taking chances on fiction at the moment, especially beyond the scope of what has already been proven successes (big IPs, big names, retellings, etc.).
I think the best way to do it is to start! Make your show, find your audience, and get to know people within the fiction podcast world. Podcasters truly love their medium, and we know what it takes to make a show, so there is a lot of community to find by just taking the leap and telling a story that matters to you.
The people you’ll meet and the audience responses are what will give you something to show for when you feel ready to reach out to bigger broadcasters. Tell a great story and let people know it exists. Someone’s looking for it.
What would you say are some key elements to making a story resonate with listeners from different cultural backgrounds, Europe-wide?
By making it personal, you make it universal. Say, for example, that a character gets teary-eyed upon hearing a song on the radio. It’s a song their mother used to hum herself—one they haven’t heard in many years. The song choice matters very little. It’s the feeling of nostalgia and homesickness you’ve tied to it that resonates. There is a song in your listener’s native language, culture, or personal experience that evokes the same reaction in them. Start pulling on your own heartstring; you’ll pull others’.
Levian recently launched and is already award-nominated! What challenges did you face in funding and distributing a fantasy series independently in the UK, and how might that apply to European podcasters?
Yes! We’re very proud of the work we’ve done on Levian, and it’s so rewarding to hear that people are enjoying it! The biggest challenge when making an independent show is having to manage everything else around it. It’s saving money to put together a budget with other creators while finding the time to write, produce, and edit on top of other responsibilities. Distributing it is a lot more pleasant; as I mentioned, there’s a lot of collaboration within the indie podcast sphere, so a lot of creators promote and support each other, both on podcast feeds and on social media. Promoting your show through adverts on popular podcasting platforms is also a good way to get the word out.
Looking at the landscape of European audio fiction, where do you see the most opportunities happening? Is it in independent podcasting, public broadcasting, or in collaborations across the industry?
I definitely see more opportunities in independent podcasting at the moment. Levian, my latest project, wouldn't have been made without the unwavering support of Hug House Productions. Independent companies like them are what champion fiction podcasting in my experience. Public broadcasters, on the other hand, are currently scaling back on fiction across Europe. I think they don’t quite understand the medium’s scale and potential yet.
A fiction podcast’s impact is not measured on how its numbers compare to a talk-show podcast or weekly interview formats, but I think the industry at large still makes the mistake of putting them in the same field. A lot of opportunities have been axed based on that measurement. Collaborations across the medium are what, in my opinion, hold the most potential. If independent podcasters can make their shows climb the charts with just their own individual resources, it's no surprise when they achieve great things in public broadcasting.
🎙️🌍What I’ve been listening to🌍🎙️
As you know, in this section, I share European podcasts from my queue. When I say 'European,' I’m referring to podcasts that are either based in Europe or related to European topics. This means some of the shows featured here are not made by European podcasters but focus on telling European stories.
Now, let’s get into it!
If you’re passionate about science or, on the contrary, it’s a topic you find intimidating, this podcast is a must-listen. Clark’s storytelling and interviews are approachable and just fascinating. In episode 2, he brings on Dr. Jesús Alcázar-Treviño, marine biologist and bioacoustics researcher in the Canary Islands, to learn about the sounds of the ocean. They go over everything from bioluminescence, human-made noise like seismic testing to the connection of this research to World War 2.
I discovered this new show while scrolling through PocketCasts and immediately added it to my queue, simply because the action takes place in a French town. I didn’t know what to expect but ended up absolutely loving everything about it. The storytelling is entertaining and dynamic, making you, as a listener, go through a range of different emotions, thoughts, and questions in only 20 minutes. Anna and Leo also complement each other perfectly as hosts. It’s a fun listen!
When Monika O’Hanlon shared this podcast, I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful cover art. It’s a weekly series in which she speaks with extraordinary people and delves into interesting topics and historical events. The mini-stories are incredibly well produced and the sound design definitely won me over. I especially loved the episode on the dancing plague and the one about the Testa di Moro Sicilian legend. I repeat - so so well-produced and sound designed.
What podcasts have you been listening to lately?
🇷🇸 Podcasts from Serbia 🇷🇸
I’m Vladimir Radinović, co-founder of podcast.rs, the first and largest podcast aggregator for the Serbo-Croatian-speaking region. I’ve spent years in community radio, media training, and content production, helping launch dozens of independent podcasts and collaborating with over 50 NGOs to tell important, socially relevant stories. I also travel a lot for media conferences, sharing what’s happening in the Balkans podcast scene and why audio is such a powerful way to connect people.
Tragovi: Podkast Tragovi vas vodi u srce velikih i važnih priča — najnovija sezona bavi se rudarskom nesrećom u rudniku Soko iz 2022. godine. Zvanično, nesreća je proglašena neizbežnom, ali se u podkastu postavlja pitanje: da li je mogla da bude sprečena i ko treba da snosi odgovornost? Ovo je temeljno, emotivno i hrabro novinarstvo.
Tragovi takes you to the heart of big, important stories—its latest season looks into the 2022 Soko mine disaster. Officially, it was called an unavoidable accident, but the podcast asks: could it have been prevented, and who should be held accountable? It’s in-depth, emotional, and fearless journalism.Prilozi za biografije nevidljivih ljudi: Ovaj podkast govori o ljudima pored kojih svakodnevno prolazimo, a koje nekako ne primećujemo. Svaka epizoda donosi mali, intimni portret nekoga ko bi inače ostao nevidljiv, podsećajući nas da usporimo i poslušamo. Nežan, ljudski i snažan pristup audio novinarstvu.
This one is all about the people we pass every day but somehow don’t really see. Each episode offers a small, intimate portrait of someone who might otherwise stay invisible, reminding us to slow down and listen. It’s gentle, human, and quietly powerful.
Dnevnik jedne mladosti: Kreiran od strane studentkinje-novinarke Milice Mihajlović, ovaj podkast beleži kako je to biti mlad, politički aktivan i živeti u Srbiji danas. Od pada nadstrešnice na stanici u Novom Sadu do blakada fakulteta, ovo je hronika protesta i mladalačke otpornosti. Za epizodu „Vrednosti i izazovi omladinskih medija tokom studentske borbe u Srbiji” autorka je osvojila nagradu za medijsku pismenost „Dragan Janjić”, za živopisan pristup i promišljeno pripovedanje.
Created by student-journalist Milica Mihajlović, this podcast captures what it feels like to be young, politically active, and living in Serbia right now. From university blockades to the fall of the Novi Sad station canopy, it’s a chronicle of protest and youth resilience. It even won the “Dragan Janjić” media literacy award for its thoughtful storytelling and vibrant energy.
Thank you for sharing, Vladimir!
You can connect with him on LinkedIn here.
🚀Events and Opportunities🚀
Behear Indie Audio Awards (The UK)
A new initiative from Behear to recognise and reward the creativity, innovation, and dedication of the indie audio community. The BIAA’s are here to shine a spotlight on independent authors, producers, and voice artists.
When? August 31.
The London Podcast Festival (The UK)
The London Podcast Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a series of live events at Kings Place. The festival features performances by popular podcasters and offers both in-hall and online options. The lineup includes shows like No Such Thing As A Fish, Wrong Turns with Jameela Jamil, and a 10th-anniversary special from Wooden Overcoats, with more announcements expected.
When? September 4-14.
Cañas y Podcast (Spain)
One of the most endearing events of independent podcasting returns to Madrid: Cañas y Podcast, 2nd Edition. This time, the event will be at the La Caníbal brewery , at 19 Julián Camarillo Street, with the same spirit that saw its birth in 2024: creating a community, sharing beers, and enjoying podcasting without labels or pretensions. Admission is free and for more information you can join the event's Telegram channel .
When? September 27.
That’s it for now, thank you for reading!
Got an opportunity, podcast recommendation, or event to share for the next issue? Reply to this email or drop me a message.
Until next time,
Andreea Coscai