Sony Music has entered into a podcast venture with leading British independent audio producer Somethin’ Else to expand its development of shows across multiple genres both in the U.K. and globally. The partnership strengthens a growing focus on podcasts at the label.

“We are building a diverse music and entertainment company by working with partners who are the best in their fields,” said Sony Music U.K. chief Jason Iley. “Somethin’ Else have driven so much of the creativity and innovation in British podcasting, and we are delighted to help bring their work to audiences around the world.”

Under the agreement, Somethin’ Else will work with Sony to expand its leadership position in the U.K. market. In addition, the companies will pursue a range of new international podcasting opportunities, including in the U.S., where Somethin’ Else has opened an office in New York. As a partner in podcasting, Sony will provide expertise in content creation, marketing and monetisation.

Somethin’ Else is behind series such as David Tennant Does a Podcast With..., Unheard: The Fred & Rose West Tapes and The Sun King with David Dimbleby. The team have produced content across audio, TV and social media for the past 25 years, and their work has seen them win numerous awards, including eight BAFTAs.

Somethin’ Else founder/CEO Jez Nelson described the pairing as “a dream combination of our decades of audio production expertise and podcast success with their global reach, market expertise, marketing power and creative nous… Sony’s ambition in this space matches ours, and we look forward to playing an even bigger part in the podcast revolution.”

Added Sony Music President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales Dennis Kooker, “Somethin’ Else is an established podcast leader focused on bringing high-quality programming to listeners, and we are very impressed with the company Jez Nelson and team have built. Our new partnership will support Somethin’ Else’s continued creative success and expand the reach of its shows to a truly global audience.”

The Somethin’ Else deal follows Adam Cardew being recently promoted to the newly created role of VP of Podcasting & Creative Strategy at Sony Music, and the arrival of JV Broccoli Content, which will develop a range of original scripted and unscripted podcasts with producer Renay Richardson.

Photo credit: Andy Willsher