RETHINK AUDIO LTD

What RETHINK AUDIO LTD does

Rethink Audio Ltd is a London-based podcast production company founded in 2005 by Matt Hill, providing end-to-end services — podcast consultancy, audio and video production, format development, marketing/PR and distribution — to media companies, publishers, celebrities, charities and corporate brands. The company produces and develops podcasts plus audio and video content, with a portfolio of more than 30 active productions across genres including news (The Week Unwrapped, Page 94 for Private Eye), entertainment (Happy Place with Fearne Cotton, The Modern Mann), business (High Performance with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes), healthcare (GPs Talk Cancer, Waiting Room), children's content (Maddie's Sound Explorers) and branded series for institutional clients (BAFTA, The Savoy, Imperial War Museum). The core team is small (three named professionals supported by freelance producers, researchers and sound designers), and the company's competitive positioning is built on award recognition (co-founder of the British Podcast Awards; multiple Prix Europa, Radio Academy and British Podcast Award wins), long-running client relationships (Haymarket since 2018, Page 94 for nearly 10 years), and an integrated production-to-distribution stack. Revenue is generated through custom, project-based professional-services fees under multi-year contracts; the company is privately held, founder-controlled, and operationally profitable with no disclosed external funding. Adjacent to Rethink Audio, founder Matt Hill co-founded sister marketing agency Podcast Discovery, extending the company's reach into podcast discovery and PR services.

Name

RETHINK AUDIO LTD

Legal name

rethinkaudio ltd

Website

https://rethinkaudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rethink Audio is a London-based podcast production company founded in 2005 that produces and develops podcasts plus audio and video content for media brands, publishers, celebrities, charities and corporate clients, offering end-to-end services from format development through distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Podcast Production Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Audio Recording, Repurposing & Podcast Conversion (MPACAEAN), Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)

Keywords

• Podcast production services
• Audio production
• Video production
• Podcast consultancy
• Content marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Podcast Production Services: Professional services revenue from creating and producing podcasts for clients, including format development, audio production, video production, podcast marketing and PR, consultancy, editing and training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rethink Audio is a UK podcast production company that designs, develops, records, edits and distributes podcasts and audio/video content for media brands, publishers, celebrities, charities and corporates. It sells six discrete service offerings—Podcast Consultancy, Audio Production, Video Production, Format Development, Podcast Marketing and PR, and Distribution—and also operates a portfolio of more than 30 active podcast shows produced for clients such as YMU, Haymarket, BAFTA, The Times, The Guardian, Future Publishing and BBC.

Product overview

Rethink Audio Ltd is a UK-based podcast production company established in 2005 offering a comprehensive suite of podcast services. The company operates as a single unified production service rather than a platform, providing six core service offerings: Podcast Consultancy, Audio Production, Video Production, Format Development, Podcast Marketing and PR, and Distribution. The company also produces over 40 distinct podcast shows across diverse genres including news (The Week Unwrapped, Page 94), entertainment (Happy Place, The Modern Mann), business (High Performance, That HR Podcast), healthcare (GPs Talk Cancer, Waiting Room), arts and culture (The Savoy Originals, Close Encounters), and children's content (Maddie's Sound Explorers, The My Little Coco Podcast). Notable clients include YMU, Future Publishing, BAFTA, Haymarket, The Times, and The Guardian. The company also co-founded Podcast Discovery as a sister marketing agency, and co-founded the British Podcast Awards. Production services are complemented by sister company Podcast Discovery for marketing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Podcast Consultancy Advisory services that help clients determine optimal podcast strategy, format and positioning for their brand or personal objectives, delivered to media companies, publishers, celebrities and corporate clients.
• Audio Production Professional audio production service including high-specification recording, sound mixing and editing of finished podcast episodes for clients across publishing, entertainment, charity and corporate sectors.
• Video Production Video content creation for podcasts, including scroll-stopping social clips and full-length episodes formatted for YouTube and other video distribution channels.
• Format Development Custom podcast format design and development based on client briefs, covering concept work, audience research, scripting and ongoing format iteration to build sustainable long-running shows.
• Podcast Marketing and PR Marketing strategy and PR for podcasts, developed alongside sister agency Podcast Discovery to maximise audience reach and chart performance for client shows.
• Distribution Podcast distribution service that places client content on all major podcast platforms with accessible RSS links and hosting via Acast.
• High Performance Podcast Interview series featuring world-class performers sharing insights on achieving and maintaining excellence, hosted by Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes.
• Happy Place Interview podcast hosted by Fearne Cotton exploring personal stories and mental health, inspired by her book Happy; reached top of Apple Podcast charts.
• Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast Bi-weekly satirical news podcast from Private Eye magazine featuring Andrew Hunter Murray, Ian Hislop, Helen Lewis and Adam MacQueen; running for almost ten years.
• The Week Unwrapped Weekly news analysis podcast untangling the week's biggest stories, produced for The Week magazine.
• The Modern Mann Award-winning independent magazine-format men's podcast with segments on trends, interviews and sex advice, hosted by Olly Mann.
• Countdown To The BAFTAs Film podcast providing definitive coverage of the EE BAFTA Film Awards with producer interviews for BAFTA.
• Conflict of Interest Podcast series produced in partnership with the Imperial War Museum covering historical and contemporary conflict topics.
• Maddie's Sound Explorers Children's podcast exploring sounds and audio experiences, produced for BBC CBeebies Radio.
• Close Encounters Guardian podcast series exploring personal stories and connections.
• The Savoy Originals Podcast series set at The Savoy hotel featuring interviews and stories from notable guests.
• GPs Talk Cancer Healthcare podcast featuring conversations with GPs about cancer awareness and care.
• The Mid Point with Gabby Logan Sports and lifestyle podcast hosted by broadcaster Gabby Logan.
• The Media Club Media industry podcast covering news and developments in the media sector, produced for The Media Podcast audience.
• Danny In The Valley Tech and culture podcast from The Times featuring interviews with notable figures in technology and business.
• Third Sector Magazine podcast for Third Sector, the UK's leading publication for the voluntary and not-for-profit sector.
• Waiting Room Healthcare podcast hosted by Dr Alex George featuring healthcare professionals who went above and beyond during the pandemic.
• Round The Houses with Sarah Beeny Property-themed podcast hosted by Sarah Beeny exploring the homes of famous guests.
• That HR Podcast Human resources podcast produced for People Management magazine covering HR topics for practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Happy Place podcast shot to top of Apple Podcast charts upon launch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Podcast DiscoverycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast Discovery is the sister company of Rethink Audio, co-founded by Matt Hill. It is described as the world's largest marketing agency for the podcast industry, providing marketing and PR services to ensure podcasts reach the widest audience possible.
• YMU GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMU Group is a major talent management and entertainment company. Rethink Audio has worked across YMU podcasts from the start and been an integral source of guidance and production support. YMU Managing Director (Entertainment) Holly Bott provided testimonial endorsement.
• Haymarket Media GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2018, Rethink Audio has helped Haymarket Business Media build podcast capability, trained in-house staff to produce high-quality content, set up an in-house audio-visual podcast studio, and implemented video production workflow. Haymarket has secured millionth download across 16 regular podcasts.
• Guardian News & MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRethink Audio has worked extensively with the Guardian producing numerous podcasts including Close Encounters, Media Talk, Let's Eat, and The Biggest Story in the World. Guardian Creative Director testimonial confirms partnership value.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gimlet Media: Premium podcast studio acquired by Spotify, producing narrative and brand podcasts. Larger incumbent with similar podcast-first production philosophy but platform-level distribution.
• Audioboom: Podcast hosting and production platform listed on London's AIM, producing and distributing podcasts for brands. Broader incumbent combining production services with platform/distribution infrastructure overlapping Rethink's end-to-end model.
• Wondery: Major podcast production studio owned by Amazon, producing premium narrative and brand podcasts at scale. Broader incumbent in podcast production with overlapping enterprise brand work but materially larger.
• Pineapple Street Studios: Award-winning podcast production studio now part of Audacy, producing premium podcasts for brands and media. Larger incumbent with comparable premium positioning and brand-driven client base.
• BBC Studios Audio: In-house audio and podcast production arm of the BBC. Larger incumbent representing the kind of in-house capability that some of Rethink's clients (including the BBC itself) are developing internally.

Direct peers

• Pacific Content: Canadian-founded B2B podcast production studio serving brands and publishers with end-to-end podcast services. Comparable services-led agency model with similar client mix.
• Listen: London-based podcast and audio content agency producing podcasts for brands, charities and media organisations. Comparable B2B production services model targeting similar enterprise and charity clients.
• Lower Street: UK-based B2B podcast production agency offering end-to-end podcast services to brands and media companies. Closest direct competitor in size, geography and service model to Rethink Audio.
• Awfully Nice: UK-based podcast production company producing podcasts for brands and content publishers. Direct peer in the UK B2B podcast production segment, similar size and scope.

Emerging players

• The Podcast Host: UK-based podcast production and training company serving small businesses and creators. Partial overlap with Rethink's recent SME-focused strategy and training services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rethinkaudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rethink-audio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RETHINK AUDIO LTD