For more than 30 years, Geoff Bickerton has been helping businesses create radio advertising that actually works. But after thousands of commercials, his philosophy has become remarkably simple:

Stop writing for the client and start writing for the customer.

In this episode of Audio Academy, Geoff shares why so many ads miss the mark - not because they're badly written, but because they're focused on the wrong audience. Rather than filling 30 seconds with everything a business wants to say, Geoff believes the best advertising starts by asking one question: What does the customer actually want to hear?

Throughout the conversation, Geoff explains why advertisers often talk about the wrong things, how to avoid turning commercials into shopping lists, and why the most effective campaigns focus on one person, one message and one clear outcome. He also shares practical advice on handling difficult briefs, working directly with clients, using humour effectively, and the simple writing principles that have guided his career.

The hard-sell announcer voiceovers that once dominated radio and television ads have gradually been replaced by something much more conversational. Today, audiences don't want to feel like they're being sold to - they want to feel like someone's talking directly to them.

After more than two decades behind the microphone, Anna has voiced everything from national ad campaigns to corporate narration and educational content. Along the way, she's seen trends come and go, technology transform the industry, and home studios become the norm.

We caught up with Anna to talk about what makes a voiceover sound authentic, how she approaches every script, the biggest mistakes new voice actors make, and why she believes human connection will always have a place - even in the age of AI.

If you've spent any time around radio advertising, podcast advertising, or commercial audio production, you've probably come across Ralph van Dijk.

As the founder of Eardrum, Ralph has spent more than three decades helping brands create audio that captures attention, changes behaviour, and drives results.

We sat down with Ralph to talk about listener psychology, copywriting, voice casting, sonic branding, and why so many audio ads are forgotten the moment they finish.

As Head of Production Coordination at Abe's Audio, Britt oversees a team that handles 100+ incoming projects daily, manages voiceover casting, coordinates production workflows, and helps ensure everything is delivered on time and on brief.

We talked with Britt to talk about building team culture, managing remote teams, casting voiceovers, handling client briefs, and what it takes to keep a team running smoothly under pressure.

From regional WA radio through to some of the country's biggest breakfast and drive shows, Jeza has built a career around creating audio that grabs attention and tells stories.

Today, he's also building tools that are helping audio producers save hours every week.

We sat down with him to talk about these tools, his experience in audio production, creating great commercials, and breaking creative rules.

Find out more about AudioSnag at https://audiosnag.org/

Prithi Dey has an extensive background in music, publishing, and branded content.

Currently Head of Podcasts AUNZ at Spotify, she plays a pivotal role in shaping creator strategies and driving podcast growth for one of the world's largest streaming platforms.

We sat down with Prithi to talk about podcast audience growth, video podcasting, monetisation, discoverability, creator strategy, and why podcasting in 2026 looks completely different to a few years ago.

Chris Gregson is one of Australia’s most experienced commercial audio creatives, with more than 30 years across radio, copywriting, production, and creative leadership.

Today, he leads the creative division at Tapt Media, overseeing teams across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

We sat down with Chris to talk about radio copywriting, producing effective audio campaigns, creative leadership, voice casting, and why the best audio ads know when to stop talking.

The Key to Podcast Success: Insights from Claire Murphy.

Discover insights on building a successful podcast community, balancing content and production quality, and understanding your audience.

Podcasting has become a staple of modern media, but with so many shows available, what makes one podcast stand out from the rest? In this post, we explore key insights from Claire Murphy, a seasoned podcaster with over 20 years in the industry, shares her expertise on creating compelling podcast content and building a dedicated audience

## About Claire

Claire has spent more than two decades in the audio industry, beginning her career in radio before transitioning into the podcasting world in 2019. She has launched several successful podcasts, including a daily news show and a true crime series, showcasing her versatility and deep understanding of audio storytelling.

Audio Academy is a joint initiative of radioinfo and Abe’s Audio.

Yannick Lawry is an experienced voiceover artist who began his career in the UK. We talked to him about how he got started in the industry, what makes a VO performance cut through, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

We spoke with legendary producer (and SCA’s National Head of Audio Production and Sound Design) David Konsky to unpack the small things and creative decisions that can take your audio production from good to great.