The Sound Off Podcast
The Sound Off Podcast

The Sound Off Podcast

Matt Cundill

Overview
Episodes

Details

The Sound Off Podcast is a weekly podcast about podcasting, radio, broadcasting, voiceover, and the people shaping the modern audio industry.Hosted by veteran broadcaster and voice artist Matt Cundill, The Sound Off Podcast takes listeners behind the scenes of audio with in-depth conversations featuring podcast creators, radio professionals, producers, programmers, voiceover talent, media executives, and industry innovators. Drawing on decades of experience in radio and podcasting, Matt brings context, credibility, and curiosity to every episode.Each episode explores the craft, business, and culture of audio, covering topics such as podcast growth, audience development, monetization, advertising, sponsorship, dynamic ad insertion, analytics, distribution platforms, audio branding, and emerging trends in on-demand audio. From legacy radio to independent podcasts and branded content, the show examines how audio continues to evolve — creatively, technologically, and commercially.The Sound Off Podcast is known for thoughtful, candid interviews that go beyond surface-level talking points. Guests include radio legends, podcast pioneers, seasoned producers, voiceover artists, and leaders working across podcast networks, media companies, and technology platforms. Conversations focus on real-world experience: what works, what doesn’t, and what creators and companies need to understand to succeed in today’s audio landscape.Whether you work in podcasting, radio, voiceover, broadcasting, or digital media — or you’re simply fascinated by how audio storytelling works — The Sound Off Podcast delivers insider perspectives, practical insights, and honest discussions about the future of sound.With a balance of industry expertise and accessible conversation, The Sound Off Podcast is designed for professionals, creators, and listeners who want a deeper understanding of how audio connects audiences, builds brands, and drives culture.New episodes are released weekly.

Recent Episodes

Rhys Waters: Trust Community and Short-Form Clips
MAY 6, 2026
Rhys Waters: Trust Community and Short-Form Clips
Rhys Waters spent over a decade making award‑winning TV and radio for the BBC in Wales before moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in search of a better work–life balance. In this episode, he traces his path from a neurodivergent kid who struggled in traditional classrooms to a documentary filmmaker, broadcaster and eventually co‑founder of Podstarter, a podcast production company helping brands make shows with highly specific goals. Rhys explains how one client’s podcast needed only 12 listeners—and still generated over $5 million in revenue—illustrating why success isn’t always about download numbers. He talks about learning podcasting through BBC radio, the explosive growth of on‑demand audio, and the evolving role of video and short‑form clips in discovery. Rhys also dives into how his dyslexic, ADHD brain shapes his creative process and why he launched The Echo Podcast Summit, an East Coast podcast conference focused on themes like trust and community in audio. Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. All the things that went unsaid on the show. Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show: Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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36 MIN
Podcasting Truth & Myths Learned Over 500 Episodes
APR 29, 2026
Podcasting Truth & Myths Learned Over 500 Episodes
This week, I’m celebrating the 500th episode of the Sound Off Podcast by turning the spotlight on why so many shows underperform—and what you can do about it. After nearly 10 years and 500 episodes, I’ve seen the same mistakes again and again, so I break down 10 big ones: blaming a vague “discovery problem” instead of doing the work of promotion, skipping a proper trailer, tolerating shit audio and lazy editing, and relying on weak interview structures that don’t respect the listener’s time. I also get into overlooked essentials like artwork that actually stands out, using metadata wisely, putting your show everywhere listeners expect podcasts, and not obsessing over video at the expense of audio. Finally, I tackle the myth that you need 10,000 downloads to monetize—reminding you that you don’t monetize a podcast, you monetize an audience. Things I promised to put in the show notes: Here are the levels that Apple and Spotify recommend for your podcast. But I found this that shows those and a few more. Want to make your guests sound studio quality? Waves Voice Re-Gen is a favourite I am using now. Adobe has a free and paid tier in their podcast tools. James Cridland keeps a running list of places you should submit your podcast. Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. All the things that went unsaid on the show. Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show: Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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14 MIN
Kattie Laur: What's Holding Back Canadian Podcasting?
APR 21, 2026
Kattie Laur: What's Holding Back Canadian Podcasting?
A great chat with producer and audience growth specialist Kattie Laur to unpack what’s really holding back Canadian podcasting – and, unsurprisingly, we keep coming back to money, funding, and marketing. We talk about why Canada lacks meaningful grant support, why brands are hesitant to invest in podcasts, and how a realistic budget needs to split resources between production and promotion. Kattie shares her experience pitching the CBC, her work in branded podcasts, and why companies need to choose between making a genuine audience-first show or simply buying ads on existing podcasts. We dig into government-funded podcasts, transparency around downloads, and how to think about ROI beyond raw numbers. We also get into discoverability, the impact (and pressure) of video, platform politics at Apple and Spotify, and why Canadian indie shows struggle while big broadcasters thrive. By the end, we’ve at least sketched out how funding, advocacy, and smarter marketing could actually move Canadian podcasting forward. Kattie has a very good newsletter worth paying for called Pod The North. Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. All the things that went unsaid on the show. Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show: Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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57 MIN
Sam Sethi: How To TrueFans.fm
APR 15, 2026
Sam Sethi: How To TrueFans.fm
TrueFans.fm founder Sam Sethi is forward thinking about podcasting. Sam explains how True Fans grew out of the podcasting 2.0 movement into a full creator marketplace where podcasters can host audio and video, build real fan communities, and earn through value-for-value models, including micro payments, subscriptions, and one-off episode payments. Sam walks me through how True Fans removes friction for listeners with a built-in virtual wallet, gamified SATs, and simple top-ups using Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, while handling all the complex bits in the background. On the hosting side, we dig into why downloads are a broken metric and how True Fans uses streaming and six-second packets to deliver rich consumption analytics. Sam also previews what’s coming next: live streaming, co-listening, chat, creator portals, custom domains, and AI/voice interfaces that aim to give creators more control than Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Whether you are a creator or a podcast listener, please get involved with TrueFans.fm You can hear Sam on the Podnews Weekly Review with James Cridland. Speaking of James - it's time to fill out the Podnews Report Card - James is really good about sharing the results with some of podcasting's Big Dogs. Please sign up for the SOUNDING OFF Newsletter. All the things that went unsaid on the show. Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here. Thanks to the following organizations for supporting the show: Megatrax - Licensed Music for your radio station or podcast production company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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34 MIN