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Contents
Supporting and learning from our competitors has been a priority for us at Quill since day one, a process we internally refer to as “competitive collaboration.” How could we not? Rival podcast companies spur us to ever greater heights, not to mention help to move our industry forward by putting out such great content. While we love creating podcasts for brands, we also thoroughly enjoy collaborating with other podcast companies to achieve something greater together than would have been possible siloed. So, when an opportunity for co-opetition—an admittedly eye-watering portmanteau for cooperation and competition—comes along, we are one of the first to put our hands up.
In the spirit of this philosophy, we wanted to profile a few other podcast companies who specialize in production that we have admired from afar, and whose work we look to for daily inspiration. Read on below to find out more about these 20 ground-breaking companies, as well as some of our picks for their top must-listen podcasts:
1. Quill
About our Agency: Quill is a full-service podcast production and marketing agency that specializes in branded podcasts. We work with enterprise clients to launch, grow, and measure the impact of their podcasts. We are the parent company to CoHost, a podcast analytics and audience insights platform that provides brands with the data they need to know if they're hitting their target audience and measure ROI.
Our favorite shows produced by our team:
Although it's challenging to pick our favorites, a few stand-outs include:
2. Pacific Content
About the Agency: If you’re at all involved in podcast production, you’ve heard of Pacific Content. They are one of the leading podcast agencies and media production companies in Canada, helping some of our favorite and most well-known brands create and market compelling audio stories. We also recommend checking out their blog. It’s simply one of the best in the industry!
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
McAfee’s branded podcast: Hackable
About the Podcast: A podcast that combines MythBusters and cyber security. Powered by McAfee, Hackable is educating all of us on cyber security but in a fun, entertaining, and thought-provoking way. But we think the most important aspect of the show is that it is relevant to all of us in today’s day and age of technology. Learn how to protect yourself with Hackable.
Slack’s branded podcast: Work in Progress
About the Podcast: Produced by Slack and hosted by Pacific Content’s Dan Misener, Work in Progress is diving into the identity that we find within our work. Episodes cover everything from a dream-like career success to some of our most debilitating insecurities.
Morgan Stanley’s branded podcast: Now What’s Next?
About the Podcast: We can all collectively agree that the pandemic has altered our life in one way or another. We’ve all been stuck in the now, but what will happen after the global pandemic. Now What’s Next is on a mission to find the answers to that question.
3. JAR Audio
About the Agency: Based out of Vancouver, Canada, JAR Audio works with brands across North America to launch their branded shows and continues to produce podcasts that create meaningful connections between podcast consumers and brands.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Cineplex’s podcast: Hello Movies
About the Podcast: Are you a movie lover? If that’s a yes, Cineplex’s, Hello Movies is for you. The gist of the podcast is to get you closer to the films coming out on the big screen. The host, Natasha Gargiulo, will sit down with guests to discuss ideas and insights into the top movies that are in theatres right now.
Saje Natural Wellness’ podcast: Well Now
About the Podcast: Powered by Saje Natural Wellness, Well Now is uncovering the difference between your basic health and fully empowered, personal wellness. The podcast merges the world of traditional doctors, alternative therapists, and real people to create a dialogue that gives you a holistic understanding of healing and being well.
Vancity’s podcast: Good Money
About the Podcast: COVID-19 has touched our lives in so many different ways. For many, it has been financial. Good Money, produced by Vancity, is here to give you the practical answers to your questions and make the discussion around your finances more relevant to the world right now.
4. Lower Street
About the Agency: Lower Street works with companies of all sizes across a variety of different verticals, developing shows that are unique to each company’s audience. Their focus is on quality vs quantity, and they prefer to work on a small number of podcasts so that they can make the best possible content.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
HPE's podcast: Technology Untangled
About the Podcast: We're constantly witnessing so many incredible innovations coming to life but we're left with the question - what's really going to impact our future? Technology Untangled, powered by HPE, is answering just that. Through stories, interviews, and analyses, the podcast is untangling some of the greatest innovations to date.
Stanford Business School's podcast: Grit & Growth
About the Podcast: Grit & Growth, produced by Stanford Business School, is introducing you to entrepreneurs all over Africa and South Asia to hear their stories of trial and triumph. By listening to the podcast, you'll be gaining insights and expertise from leading business experts as well as the faculty at Stanford University.
5. The Podglomerate
About the Agency: The Podglomerate is an award-winning podcast services firm that specializes in production, marketing, and monetization of outstanding content. Founded in 2017, the company has grown to represent more than 70 podcasts.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Original Series: Missing Pages
Missing Pages is an investigative podcast hosted by world-renowned literary critic and publishing insider, Bethanne Patrick. This podcast is a creative look into the literary world and what’s happening as celebrities and influencers publishing books with ghostwriters is on the rise.
Original Series: Podcast Perspectives
Podcast Perspectives is helping you understand the ever-changing podcast industry. Hosted by the founder and CEO of The Podglomerate, Jeff Umbro, the series is geared towards leaders in the podcast space looking to keep up to date with the latest insights and news.
6. Fame
About the Agency: Fame focuses on B2B brand podcasts, helping you to make your podcast famous within a specific niche. Fame works with you to drive revenue and growth within the B2B audio world.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Fresh Consulting’s podcast: The Future Of
About the Podcast: Created by Fresh Consulting, The Future Of sits down with visionaries to have conversations around the future with experts from different industries, markets, and technology verticals.
Storemaven’s podcast: Mobile Growth & Pancakes
About the Podcast: Hosted by Esther Shatz and created by Storemaven, Mobile Growth & Pancakes is breaking down how and why mobile apps grow. Each episode speaks to a mobile growth expert to chat all things strategy.
7. Podfly
About the Agency: Based out of Montreal, Podfly creates podcasts with individuals, education institutions, and Fortune 500 companies. They work directly with organizations on messaging, targeting the right audience, alongside helping with the creative process for shows.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Nasdaq's podcast: World Reimagined
About the Podcast: As we watch the world change before our eyes, having content to make sense of it all can be incredibly helpful. In World Reimagined, powered by Nasdaq, listeners explore what it takes to lead through times of change and crises.
The American Kennel Club's podcast: Down & Back
About the Podcast: Down & Back, produced by The American Kennel Club is telling the tales of breeds, dogs, and the dog-loving humans that have shaped America. The podcast is diving into history, telling powerful stories, and bringing forward archival footage, all for the goal of bringing the sport of dogs to life.
PEGASystems' podcast: Bold Stories, Future Focused
About the Podcast: All business people out there can speak to the challenge that we experience as our business changes. Bold Stories, Future Focused is a podcast that is exploring what success can look like when innovative minds rise to the challenge of a changing business.
8. Content Allies
About the Agency: Content Allies specialize in supporting B2B companies through their podcasting journey. Their mission is to build relationships that drive revenue through podcast networking.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Nils Vinje’s podcast: Customer Strategy Podcast
About the Podcast: Customer success is key, but building your strategy isn’t always easy. Customer Strategy Podcast by Nils Vinje is helping CEOs, COOs, CROs, VPs, Directors, and the like, improve their customer strategy so that their businesses can thrive.
Sagemark’s podcast: Talent Acquisition Leaders
About the Podcast: Talent Acquisition Leaders, powered by Sagemark, interviews top leaders in talent acquisition to discuss the challenges and best practices around finding the right talent. They also peer into what the future of talent acquisition might look like.
9. Motion Agency
About the Agency: Motion Agency sets an impressive pace, working hard to help B2B companies launch their podcasts...all within 21 days or less. Their focus is to work with in-house teams to create quality content and develop new industry relationships.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Motion Agency’s podcast: Recorded Content
About the Podcast: Recorded Content is for all those scrappy marketing teams out there that want to launch a successful B2B podcast. Each episode teaches you how to overcome some of the challenges around bringing a podcast to life.
Motion Agency’s podcast: Rep Your Brand
About the Podcast: Looking to improve your personal brand? Rep Your Brand is giving you the tools and advice you need to do just that. The podcast uncovers stories around how to overcome some of the challenges that marketers face when it comes to growing their personal brand.
10. Q'd Up
About the Agency: With over 50 years of combined experience, Q'd Up is an award-winning production house. The company believes that podcasting is an art form and places focus on doing it justice. They want to help their clients tell inspiring and engaging stories through audio.
Our favorite shows produced by their team
Concinnity's podcast: Survive & Thrive
About the podcast: Hosted by Jennifer Ayres, the Survive & Thrive podcast is helping leaders create meaningful and sustainable change. With over 20 years of experience leading large-scale global transformation programs for Fortune 500 companies, Jennifer highlights ideas, learnings, and stories about organizational and personal transformation.
Yelp's podcast: Happy Mouth
About the podcast: The Happy Mouth podcast is hosted by acclaimed restauranteur, Phillip Camino and star chef, Nyesha Arrington. Created in partnership with Yelp and Q'd Up, the podcast is giving you daily news about the hospitality industry.
11. Evergreen Podcasts
About the Agency: Evergreen Podcasts are storytellers who bring diverse programming to the table with a focus on uniting audiences. They have a dazzling range of clients under their belt, from founders and philosophers to jazz musicians, artists, and designers.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Evergreen’s podcast: Pop Culture Confidential
About the Podcast: Pop Culture Confidential is sitting down with today’s innovators, entertainers, and newsmakers to discuss the latest in pop culture.
Evergreen’s podcast: Press Box Access
About the Podcast: Any sports fans out there? Press Box Access, hosted by Todd Jones and other sportswriters, discuss their relationship with the greatest athletes and some of the first-hand experiences that they had with the biggest sports moments in the past 50 years.
Evergreen’s podcast: Big Audacious Idea
Description: We all have these big questions that we don’t always get the answers to. But the Big Audacious Idea is here to help. The podcast is for listeners who think boldly and beyond conventional perception. You’ll hear from some of the most provocative thinkers to explore the questions we all have about life.
12. Pineapple Street Studios
About the Agency: Pineapple Street was founded in 2016 in Brooklyn, New York. Their mission is to work with the most creative corporate partners to create shows of the highest possible audio quality. They have a flexible approach when working with their partners and concentrate on bringing diverse programming to the industry.
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Pineapple Street’s podcast: My Fugitive
About the Podcast: My Fugitive is a story about a girl whose dad represented a man who was accused of burning down an Air Force building in St. Louis. The man went on the run and became the longest-running fugitive in U.S. history. And as the girl grew older, she went on a journey to uncover what happened to this man, where did he go?
Pineapple Street’s podcast: Back Issue
About the Podcast: Back Issue is here to tell the stories behind some of the most formative and pivotal moments in pop culture. From the moments that shocked us, that changed us, and that disappointed us, the podcast is diving into some of culture’s biggest questions.
Gizmodo’s podcast: The Gateway
About the Podcast: Gizmodo is a podcast about Teal Swan, a spiritual guru that draws followers in through her hypnotic YouTube videos, all aimed at those struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Some followers move to her healing centre but critics say Teal’s healing tactics are dangerous. A reporter travels to Costa Rica to understand the teachings and investigate the deaths of some of the followers.
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13. Cadence13
About the Agency: Formerly DGital Media, Cadence13 is a podcast development, sales, and distribution company based out of Manhattan. Some of our very favorite agency podcasts have been created by their production team!
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Johanna Maska, Darienne Page, Alejandra Campoverdi’s podcast: Pod is a Woman
About the Podcast: Pod is a Woman is a podcast hosted by three veterans of the Obama Whitehouse. The three women have conversations about politics and pop culture while keeping it relatable to listeners. You’ll hear from guests from a variety of backgrounds such as politicians, tastemakers, journalists, and more.
goop’s podcast: The goop Podcast
About the Podcast: Powered by Gwyneth Paltrow’s company, goop, The goop Podcast is sitting down with the brightest thinkers and cultural changers of today to talk about our overall well being.
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14. Podcast.co
About the Agency: Podcast.co offers almost everything you could possibly need for a podcast, from hosting, distribution, and marketing services to a full production house including concept, production, and editing. This one-stop shop is a dream come true for aspiring podcasters everywhere, whether you’re a complete newbie, budding aficionado, or seasoned veteran.
Our favorite show produced by their team: Good for A Girl
About the Podcast: Good for A Girl is a podcast that dives into the realities and challenges of being a woman in the music industry, specifically looking at the male-dominated metal industry. Host, Courtney LaPlante, sits down with women in music and discusses how gender inequalities influenced their paths and forced them to make difficult career decisions.
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15. Kast Media
About the Agency: The masterminds behind an ever-growing list of hit podcasts, Kast Media’s goal is to leverage podcasting as a medium to amplify conversations and align content creators with advertisers. From murder, crime, and the paranormal to comedy, relationships, and the entertainment industry, this multi-channel podcast network offers a true cornucopia of content. There is most definitely a Kast Media show out there for every taste and sensibility!
Our favorite show produced by their team: The Sarah Silverman podcast
About the Podcast: Sarah Silverman sits down and talks all things big and small. The podcast covers every topic imaginable, making it a relatable podcast for everyone out there.
16. Vocal Fry Studios
About the Agency: As a female-dominated, Toronto-based podcasting agency, Vocal Fry is everything we love to stand behind. Between working with brands and companies to make original audio content and actively coaching the next generation of podcasters, it seems like there’s nothing this small powerhouse company can’t do!
Our favorite show produced by their team:
Indigo’s podcast: Well Said
About the Podcast: Well Said is giving you ideas and inspiration on how to live a better life on the inside and outside. Each episode hosts a meaningful conversation around our well-being and leaves you with takeaways on how you can implement the discussions had into your own life.
17. Radiotopia
About the Agency: Co-founded by the host of the hit show 99% Invisible, Roman Mars and PRX, Radiotopia is a podcast collective designed to give producers complete artistic control over their own work. With a rapidly growing collection of fantastic podcasts under their belt, the network continues to grow more popular every year, with upwards of 19 million downloads per month.
Our favorite show produced by their team: Criminal
About the Podcast: Your new go-to crime podcast, Criminal is telling stories of those who have either done wrong, been wronged, or are maybe caught somewhere in the middle. If you’re a true-crime podcast lover, we highly recommend this series.
18. Crooked Media
About the Agency: Wherever you sit on the political spectrum, you have to admire Crooked Media for their dedication to prompting honest conversation about the intersection between politics and culture in America. Founded by former Obama staffers, this media company with an unashamed liberal bias is on a mission to inform, entertain, and inspire activism.
Our favorite show produced by their team: Pod Save America
About the Podcast: Pod Save America is sitting down with four former aides to President Obama as they chat with politicians, journalists, activists, and more. The podcast is focused on having a no b******t conversation about politics by cutting through all the noise and figuring out what really matters.
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19. LWC Studios
About the Agency: Founded in 2017 by Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, an American journalist and WOC, this award-winning podcast production company is dedicated to giving a voice to individuals and POC. Nominated in 2020 for a Peabody Award, Lantigua Williams & CO uses unique audio and video experiences to help break down barriers and tell the stories of minority communities, and remains an inspiration for the entire podcasting industry.
Our favorite show produced by their team: Ascend at Aspen Institute's podcast, 1 in 5
About the Podcast: Powered by Ascend at Aspen Institute, 1 in 5 is a podcast that is diving into the lives of college students who are pursuing their education while also raising children. It's a narrative documentary that explores student parents balancing education, parenting, working, as well as leading their families and communities.
20. Sweet Fish Media
About the Agency: Sweet Fish Media is a full-service podcast production company that specializes in podcasts for B2B brands. As they say on their website: “You’re busier than a one legged man at a butt kickin’ contest. You don’t have time to build the strategy, find your guests, edit audio, repurpose content, and the 17 other things it takes to actually drive revenue with your podcast. You can try herding cats and hire 9 different freelancers. Or you can hire us.” If that’s not a creative call out to brands, we don’t know what is!
Our favorite shows produced by their team:
Gorilla 76’s podcast: The Manufacturing Executive
Description: The Manufacturing Executive is produced by Gorilla 76 and has the goal of exploring the strategies and experiences that are driving mid-sized manufacturers forward. Throughout the podcast you’ll hear from leaders in manufacturing that discuss the stories, strategies, and struggles that got them to where they are today.
Sweet Fish Media’s podcast: The B2B Sales Show
Description: All about B2B, The B2B Sales Show is here to help sales professionals learn how to better engage their target accounts while ultimately, becoming more successful sellers.
Gravy’s podcast: Recurring Revenue Show
Description: Gravy’s Recurring Revenue Show is here to assist businesses that are interested in improving their customer experience and recurring revenue by building better relationships. In each episode you’ll hear from business leaders that are giving you their insights and tips into creating effective connections.
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