“Close to the Mic makes sense,” says Sonia Yee, editor and founder of the new platform that aims to bring podcast industry voices together from New Zealand, Australia and Asia.

The mission behind Close to the Mic is to promote and profile the work of those in the sector in what Yee described as “an increasingly competitive environment that continues to change.”

“News outlets outside of broadcasting have been trying to catch up over recent years because it’s still a relatively new form of media for some. But it’s exciting and makes for a much more dynamic landscape,” she says.  

Yee formed the basis of her audio career at New Zealand’s public broadcaster, RNZ, where she worked for more than a decade. A specialist in podcasting and long form radio documentaries, over the course of her career she has covered everything from arts and culture to fashion, science, tech, social history, business, and more.

After working alongside the best in the industry and achieving everything on her list - including winning Gold at the New York Festivals Radio Awards (2019) for women’s suffrage series Beyond Kate - Yee transitioned to the corporate sector to gain an insight into the business world. She left RNZ in September 2021 “with a desire to stretch herself outside of broadcasting”. 

“I wanted to find a place where I could utilise the totality of my skill set,” she says. That break away from the media allowed her to see what was missing in the podcast industry, and that’s when she had a moment of clarity.  

The platform provides a space for industry profiles and stories, new podcast launches, events, awards announcements, and industry appointments. Audio professionals and those in related-storytelling industries can also submit podcast reviews.

“Review and critique in the industry is so essential if we want to increase the professionalism and standard of podcasting,” says Yee, adding that with so much happening in the podcast sector including an increased output overall, there is a need to focus on “lifting the bar and creating strong content that makes an impact”.

She says through reviews, listeners can find recommendations, while new podcast makers with little experience can read useful tips and tricks when making their own.

“It takes ‘craft’ to produce compelling audio content regardless of how simple or complex the style of production. But if the benchmark is becoming blurred and people continue to think that average is good - because that is increasingly what they are exposed to - the same mistakes will be repeated and replicated,” she says.

Close to the Mic is about elevating the professionalism of podcasting, creativity and innovation in audio storytelling.

“It’s as much about profiling great work coming out of New Zealand, Australia and Asia, as it is about unifying the industry and professional body as whole.”

The former broadcaster says having a platform for voices in the industry will also contribute to positive change.

“There are so many talented, intelligent, creative people in broadcast media and the podcasting industry, so creating a platform that brings great content and podcast-related news together in one place will help to build a strong community,” says Yee.