Your pre-holiday European podcasting briefing 🎁

Eurowaves #25

Hey podcasters,

Can you believe we’re one month away from the holidays?

Time has been flying this fall and it’s been a very busy time for podcasters. A couple issues from now it will be the Eurowaves 1-year anniversary and I’m working on something special to celebrate. Stay tuned, and until then, enjoy all the new resources and opportunities in Eurowaves #25.

This issue is brought to you by…

The PodCircle is a monthly newsletter by Germany’s DW Akademie delivering practical tips and expert advice from podcasters around the world — with a special focus on creators from the Global South. Each issue features an interview with a podcast innovator, in-depth coverage of a specific theme, and tips for growing your show. Online monthly Meet-ups connect podcasters with featured guests and each other. Sign up at dw.com/podcast-training.

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🇪🇺 Podcasting & Community News 🇪🇺

• 🏆Submissions are now open for The True Crime Awards! You can find more information at the bottom of this issue and in the Eurowaves top podcasting events guide.

• 🇬🇧AudioUK announced that Chloe Straw (previously interviewed in Eurowaves) will be passing the baton as CEO, following a highly impactful tenure that has seen the organisation grow in influence, visibility, and support for the UK’s world-leading podcast and audio industry.

• 🇵🇹Celebrating its fifteenth anniversary today, Rádio Defusão is a podcast about music made by music lovers. It might be the longest-running independent podcast in Portugal. (source: Podnews)

• 🇫🇷The way podcasts are being measured in France has changed, reports La Lettre Pro. Shows previously measured directly by Médiamétrie are now being measured by ACPM. (source: Podnews)

• 🇮🇪The winners of the All-Ireland Podcast Awards were announced. Nicky Byrne won the Spotlight Award. The Irish Independent won two separate awards. We’ve a full list of the winners. (source: Podnews)

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Eurowaves Update ☘️

Since the last issue, we have…

…+19 new subscribers.

Share this issue with your podcaster friends to keep the community growing.

If you’d like to support my work, you can sign up for a paid subscription. Reply to this email for classified ads and sponsorship opportunities.

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Why podcast critics are a game-changer for audience growth 🚀 with Podcast Review’s Alice Florence Orr

Alice Florence Orr is a writer from Edinburgh. She is the Managing Editor of Podcast Review. Founded in 2018, Podcast Review is an online magazine publishing in-depth podcast reviews, interviews with prominent radiomakers, and best podcast lists.

You can connect with Alice on LinkedIn here.

What’s your podcasting “origin story”?

My podcasting journey began during my time at university. Initially, I felt that my prior schooling hadn’t adequately prepared me, and I quickly felt a little behind my peers. The first year was pretty miserable, actually. I failed a course and had to take double credits the following year.

Then I discovered that if you searched any academic topic into a podcast app, you could instantly find dozens of episodes featuring summaries and expert discussions. I’ve always been an audio person, and this was the extra tuition I needed. Suddenly, my two-hour daily commute was transformed and podcasts quickly became an essential tool for catching up and reinforcing my knowledge.

A few years later my friend Jack Conway asked me if I wanted to start writing reviews for his new website, Podcast Review. I immediately said yes. That was in 2018.

What do you think is the role of a podcast reviewer in guiding listeners to high quality podcasts?

The role of a reviewer depends on the intention behind the criticism. I believe the main role is to provide context. Some critics focus on providing constructive feedback or, at times, harsh criticism. Others are dedicated to connecting future fans with content they will genuinely appreciate. I think there is space for all of these approaches.

What I do not find useful is using harsh feedback merely as clickbait to drive traffic to a website.

A common oversight I see today is that many reviewers fail to consider contextualization. They often don’t think about whether the product—be it a podcast, an album, or a show—is actually enjoyable or will resonate with people on an emotional level. Too much of the criticism is based on whether the artist is “authentic” and the reviewer’s personal gripes, and these factors often don’t translate into the real-world experiences of consumers.

There needs to be more podcast criticism out there. Constructive, playful, exciting. I roll my eyes when I see a weekly column that is just the latest celebrity fodder, or the same BBC show back for a new season.

You’ve written about the need to “cultivate the next generation of audio fans.” What is the most important thing you think the podcasting industry should be doing right now to build that audience?

When people discuss podcast discovery, it’s often framed by turning audio into easily digestible visual clips. This approach forces audio through a visual paradigm cultivated by social media platforms who have invested billions in video for the last decade. I don’t believe this reflects how people inherently prefer to consume content.

Ultimately, I feel that the wider podcasting industry hasn’t fully invested in the power and potential of RSS to genuinely provide an alternative to vertical video today. There are some very passionate people working in this area, but I don’t think it is reflected across the board.

That said, I think a shift is entirely possible. Book sales have made a huge comeback since the rise of the Kindle nearly two decades ago. And that’s despite falling literacy rates. A lot of that success came from changing the marketing: it wasn’t just about fighting eReaders or audiobooks, it was about making reading a desirable activity—a status symbol that many different age groups and demographics aspire to.

With audio, we have a similar potential to not only carve out our own space online (through innovative platforms like the New York Times audio app) but also to make audio itself desirable, a personality identifier, and even a status symbol in an age where knowledge is becoming harder to define.

Crucially, our understanding of what a podcast is for the general public needs to change. Within the industry, we know a podcast can be an interview show, an investigative series, found-footage audio fiction, historical drama, or a table read—a huge variety of formats.

But when I ask general consumers if they listen to podcasts, they often name one or two very common interview shows. They aren’t thinking beyond that specific format. The problem is that not everyone likes interview shows or episodic comedy, and there is so much more content available—for people who like audiobooks, comic books, or niche genres. This variety isn’t connecting with new audiences.

It will take people who genuinely believe in the medium to make that shift, and I hope that the work I’m doing at Podcast Review—investing in quality editorial that covers shows as audio-first experiences—is helping to guide people toward the kind of art and content that really lights them up.

Three European Podcast Recommendations:

I used to live in Copenhagen, but I don’t speak Danish. Still, there are some great English language Danish podcasts, like Archipelago. It’s about arts and culture from a Danish perspective, and interviews interesting Danish artists, academics, and writers. It’s come back for a new season after three years. It’s a super niche interest, but whenever I miss Denmark, I listen to a show like this.

I may appear to lament the unstoppable rise of video, but I still enjoy experimental video podcasts. Gabriel Rippe produces a video podcast called Vlogcast on Spotify that is both visually beautiful and helps me practice my French as a purely audio experience. I hope he makes more.

Finally, I recently spoke to the team at The Mizter Rad Show, a futurist podcast that focuses on new technologies. I was really inspired by his approach to community-based podcasting, and his production is solid. It’s not my personal area of interest, but I can see it appealing to lots of people.

Thank you, Alice!

🎙️🌍 Podcasts in my queue 🌍🎙️

Who’s Afraid of Gender?

The podcast explores the new wave of global backlash against feminism and queer politics through conversations with scholars, activists, and artists. Each episode traces how fear, power, and resistance shape the struggles over gender today. The first episode was released last month, October 14. It’s full of informed insights from experts, smart questions and it will help you better understand all these seemingly complex, but very straightforward issues based on human rights and justice.

The Word That Became a Threat

berlindetoi

A podcast in French, German, and English. Integrating a new town, shaping your everyday, bringing ambitions to life, surrounding yourself with people with whom you share common values. Creating connections. berlindetoi sets out to meet the people who make the city tick with their passion, commitment and determination.

SEISM

This fall brought a whole lot of new podcasts to Romania: Prea Sărac (that I had the pleasure to contribute to), Țeapă Țeapă Țeapă, and now, SEISM. It’s an audio series about how (un)prepared Bucharest is for a major earthquake. SEISM was produced as part of the “Bucharest Prepared-Superscrieri” Fellowship, offered by the Bucharest Community Foundation, in collaboration with the Friends for Friends Foundation and with support from Lidl Romania. In the first episode, Andrei Popoviciu reconstructs a realistic scenario, based on official documents, about what would happen if a major earthquake struck Romania today.

What podcasts have you been listening to lately?

photo credit: Emmanuel Appiah Gyan

🇨🇭 Podcasts from Switzerland 🇨🇭

With a background in life sciences, Dr. Claire Murigande pursued a career spanning a decade and a half in the pharmaceutical industry based in Switzerland. Today, Claire is a freelance consultant, speaker, moderator, and the host of Narratives of Purpose^®, a podcast that features journeys of impact entrepreneurs and changemakers from across the globe in thought-provoking conversations. Claire was named an influential voice of change by The Female Factor in 2024.

• Face Cachée: Face Cachée est une excellente production de la RTS (Radio Télévision Suisse) qui explore des parties méconnues de l’histoire Suisse dont on apprend quasiment rien dans le système scolaire. Les épisodes qui m’ont le plus marqués sont ceux de la saison 2 Boulevard du Village Noir et de la saison 3 Nos Esclaves, ce dernier retrace la participation de la Suisse à l’esclavage. La saison 2 était d’autant plus intéressante, car elle intègre habilement le récit de l’agression raciste qu’a subi le narrateur, Shyaka Kagame, son combat judiciaire, des moments de son histoire familiale face au racisme au début des années 80, ainsi que la façon dont les imaginaires racistes se sont construits en Suisse avec entre autres l’exhibition de personnes noires dans ce qui était appelé un village nègre, il y a un peu plus d’un siècle, dans un quartier de Genève où j’ai habité.

Produced by RTS (the French speaking Swiss Radio and Television), Face Cachée explores some of the unknown sides of Swiss history that are rarely taught in schools. The episodes that made the biggest impression on me were those from season 2, Boulevard du Village Noir (Black Village Boulevard), and season 3, Nos Esclaves (Our Slaves), the latter of which traces Switzerland’s involvement in slavery. Season 2 was particularly interesting because it skillfully incorporated the story of the racist attack suffered by the narrator, Shyaka Kagame, his legal battle, moments from his family’s history of dealing with racism in the early 1980s, and how racist stereotypes were constructed in Switzerland, especially with the display of black people in what was called a ‘negro village’ a little over a century ago in a neighborhood of Geneva where I used to live.

• Semé d’embûches, Romain Frehner: Semé d’embûches raconte les parcours entrepreneuriaux de celles et ceux qui ont fondé, co-fondé, ou qui dirigent des entreprises Suisses et en consitituent le tissu économique. Le créateur et réalisateur du podcast, Romain Frehner, mène les interviews de manière à mettre à l’aise ses interlocuteurs et interlocutrices qui à leur tour nous livrent leur vécu à travers des récits captivants et des conversations inspirantes comme je les adore. À écouter absolument, notamment pour apprendre comment ces entrepreneurs et entrepreneuses ont transformé leurs échecs en force.

Semé d’embûches tells the entrepreneurial stories of those who founded, co-founded or run Swiss companies and form the fabric of the country’s economy. The podcast’s creator and producer, Romain Frehner, runs the interviews in such a brilliant way that puts his guests at ease, who in turn share their experiences through captivating stories and inspiring conversations that I love. A must-listen, especially to learn how these entrepreneurs have turned their failures into strengths.

• Sara & Marah im Gespräch mit…, Frauenzentrale Zürich: Il est rare que j’écoute des podcasts en allemand, encore moins en suisse allemand, mais je me suis abonnée à Sara & Marah im Gespräch mit... pour deux raisons: la proximité et l’approche diversifiée de l’autodétermination des femmes. Ce podcast de la Frauenzentrale Zürich, la plus grande organisation faîtière d’associations féminines du canton de Zurich, est animé par Marah Rikli et Sara Satir qui discutent de la vie avec différentes femmes, tout en créant des liens et brisant les préjugés. En tant que femme qui s’est installée à Zurich il y a quelques années, j’étais bien curieuse d’écouter les perspectives variées des voix féminines locales et ces discussions en vallent le détour.

I rarely listen to podcasts in German, let alone Swiss German, but I subscribed to Sara & Marah im Gespräch mit... for two reasons: its proximity and its diverse approach to women’s self-determination. This podcast from Frauenzentrale Zürich, the largest umbrella organisation for women’s associations in the canton of Zurich, is hosted by Marah Rikli and Sara Satir, who discuss about many life aspects with various women, while building connections and breaking down stereotypes. As a woman who moved to Zurich a few years ago, I was very curious to hear the different perspectives of local female voices, and these discussions are well worth listening to.

Thank you for sharing, Claire!

You can connect with her on LinkedIn here.

🚀Events and Opportunities🚀

• FestiValPod en Valencia (Spain)

FestiValPod, also known as the València Podcasting Festival, is an annual event in Valencia, Spain, dedicated to the world of podcasting. It is organized by Tresdeu Mèdia and positions the city as a significant hub for the podcasting industry. Events for FestiValPod are held across various venues in Valencia, including La Mutant, La Reina 121, and different spaces within the University of Valencia. The festival has received support from institutions like the Ministry of Culture, the University of Valencia, and the Valencia City Council.

When? November 5-7.

This event was last Friday. Were you there? Tell us how it was!

• AJP Journalism Fund (Belgium)

The Fund’s grants support investigative, in-depth, and feature-length reporting projects. All topics are eligible for investigation. This includes in-depth research projects (e.g., investigations, data analysis, exclusive reports, detailed profiles, in-depth analyses) as well as reports on recurring events (e.g., climate action, social movements) or predictable ones (e.g., elections, anniversaries). They accept print, photography, magazine, radio, television, podcast, or digital news media.

When? November 30.

• The True Crime Awards (The UK)

The True Crime Awards honours the storytellers who get it right. Not just the ones who hook you from the first line, but the ones who dig deep, check every fact, and tell it with respect. From unmissable documentaries to hit podcasts and unforgettable books, we shine a light on creators who balance accuracy with artistry, and who choose the stories that truly need to be told. Submissions are now open – with 28 categories spanning the genre, now is the time to ensure your content gets the recognition it deserves.

When? November 30 (Advanced Rate Deadline);

Final Deadline: 11 January 2026

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