UK

Manchester-based creative audio company navy and grey has opened new studios in the city, and introduced new branding and website.
The business worked with Manchester design agency, Loaf, to develop the new visual identity to mark the next chapter in the agency’s story.
Chris Allott, navy and grey’s Creative Director, said: “The world of audio advertising continues to evolve at an incredible pace, so it’s important our brand identity reflects and aligns with this exciting journey.
Over the past 14 years, we’ve worked with hundreds of clients to bring their messages to life in sound, which is why our new strapline ‘Supercharging Brands with Sound’ conveys expertise, creativity and the passion we have for innovative and imaginative audio.”
Having acquired space in the Green Quarter, navy and grey have also worked with acoustic architects WhiteMark to design and build a Soho-grade set of studio rooms, and can now deliver a wide range of audio services from audio ad creation to podcasting, sonic branding and more.
Chris continued: “Our new studios are up there with the best in the business, right in the beating heart of Manchester, and we can’t wait to hear what our clients do with them. We’re excited, and I’m sure they will be too!”
Founded in 2O1O by Chris Allott and Richard Ellis, navy and grey is a carbon-neutral, creative audio production studio, delivering award-winning audio content, strategy and creative support for brands, agencies and their clients. […]

Clara Amfo and Rizzle Kicks’ Jordan Stephens are to create mixtapes on BBC Sounds with the first two episodes available now.
Each week the theme is set by the listener (or celebrity guest) and Clara and Jordan battle it out to curate the perfect mixtape for the given mood, event or occasion.
Clara and Jordan will tap into new music loves (and hates) and long forgotten gems in the hope of coming out on top with the listener.
In the quest for perfection there will be some friendly competition, including song ‘steals’ (in episode 1 Jordan steals 3 Wheel-ups by Kano from Clara for his own mixtape), celebrity drop-ins – who ‘gift’ the duo tracks for their mixtapes – and some confessions along the way.
Clara Amfo says of Make Me A Mixtape: “I’m excited to be hanging out/competing with Jordan for Make Me A Mixtape. I have always loved sharing music with stranger, friends and family, so this is a peak extension of that amongst the various algorithms we’re surrounded by.
“I look forward to hearing more of our guests’ stories with the tunes we select…and of course beating Jordan every show ;)”
Jordan Stephens says: “I’m excited to be joining the BBC family and getting to work with Clara at the same time.
“Make Me A Mixtape is a show filled with passion, competition and friendship – plus it’s a great opportunity to flex my music tastes and engage my competitive side! The format is really relatable, we all love creating playlists, but sometimes narrowing it down can be hard, so we want to help streamline the process for our listeners!”
With 12 episodes in series 1 – episodes will drop weekly every Tuesday from 2 July on BBC Sounds.
It’s an Audio Always production for BBC Music & BBC Sounds with Flossie Barratt as producer.
Executive producers are Arianne Merry & Pete Linney whilst commissioners for the BBC are Rory Connolly & Ellie Buckland. […]

AI Audio Platform Adthos has teamed up with a number of new voice providers bringing the number available in the platform’s library to 4600.

In addition to the existing Microsoft voices, Adthos now supports Google, Amazon, ElevenLabs, PlayHT, WellSaid Labs, and Respeecher.
These new voices contribute to an already expansive library designed for use in various audio formats, including audio ads.
The library features hundreds of trained AI voices, and over 100 of Adthos’ handpicked AI voices that collectively hold 1000 IMDB credits, including voices from Emmy Award-winning artists. Additionally, voices can be generated and translated into multiple languages, with the new platforms adding support for 200 more languages and dialects.
Raoul Wedel, CEO of Adthos, says, “Offering high-quality AI and synthetic voice options has always been the key feature of Adthos. Working with all these providers allows our users to benefit from an even greater array of out-of-the-box voices to create engaging audio content. I’m proud to say that we now offer three times as many voices as any of our competitors.”
Users who have previously created their own models with these providers can now seamlessly integrate and use all of Adthos’ AI audio features to enhance their audio content. This interoperability allows for a more streamlined and versatile audio creation process, enabling users to leverage the extensive capabilities of the Adthos platform.
Voices can be previewed on showcase.adthos.com or you can sign up for a free trial through the portal. […]

A new studio and media lab is to open inside Bluewater Shopping Centre for Made in Kent Radio.

The studio space is also set to become a training ground for future media creatives through the Media Lab.
Catering to young, aspiring creatives aged 11-25, the Media Lab will offer a hands-on learning experience in radio and presenting, available after school and on weekends.
Participants will embark on a 60-minute experience into the world of media, mastering the art of radio operation, content creation, presenting, and even taking the helm of a live radio show.
Matt Soper, founder of Made in Kent Radio, commented: “Bluewater isn’t just a shopping hub, it’s a destination in our community.
“Basing our new studio within such a dynamic environment is a dream come true. We’re not just opening doors to a studio, we’re unlocking opportunities for local engagement and entertainment.”
James Waugh, Centre Director at Bluewater, added: “Here at Bluewater, we pride ourselves on staying connected to our local community, which aligns perfectly with the ethos of Made in Kent Radio. We are thrilled to have them opening their studio at the centre and look forward to working closely together.
“The Media Lab is something we are particularly excited about, as it will help local budding creatives gain some truly unique experience in a broadcast environment.” […]

The UK Hot 40 Countdown hosted by ex-Capital, Heart and Virgin presenter Chris Brooks is now available to syndicate on overseas radio stations as well as the UK.

The chart is based on airplay on radio stations across the UK and is compiled using data from RadioMonitor..
It airs in the UK on several stations from Scotland down to Essex on Sunday afternoons at 4.
Chris said: “We have had a few stations interested in overseas territories and the chart is now running on XL106 In Caymen, Radio One in Mallorca and AXR covering the ExPat-community across Asia.
“So, we have decided to run two versions of the chart. Alongside the one for the UK where we can talk about Bank Holiday weekends, Mother’s day etc, we now have an additional chart that is tailor made for overseas stations.”
The Overseas version started last weekend and more information is available by emailing Chris on info@theukhot40.com. […]

Manx Radio Gold has launched playing ‘the greatest hits on earth’ primarily via connected devices but will also appear on AM and DAB.

It will simulcast on 1368am when it isn’t being used to relay Tynwald, Manx language programming, FC IoM live football commentary, radio Caroline North weekends and more from the main Manx Radio service.
A dedicated live breakfast show will air on the station, hosted by Andy Wint each weekday.
Christopher Sully, Manx Radio Managing Director told RadioToday: “As Manx Radio celebrates its Diamond anniversary (having been Britain’s first legal commercial radio station), we wanted to offer listeners greater choice in what we offer.
“Manx Radio will still fulfil its full public service remit with news, information, the Mannin Line phone in, the daily ‘Update’ news programme and a speech heavy breakfast show all on the FM service along with a huge range of podcasts via the website.
“The new smartspeaker station, Manx Radio Gold, will carry Manx Radio news bulletins but will be a music focussed and fun alternative listen for the Isle of Man community.”
The station started today, 1st July, at 7am. […]