The £1m investment also includes a dedicated team and funding for the creation of original programming for audiences in the US and the UK.
The new division, called Sound Directions, will enable the agency to develop its own intellectual property, focusing on drama and narrative journalism, as well as creating entertainment properties with well-known figures.
The team will comprise eight new members of staff who will collaborate with existing talent at the agency, including Chris Skinner, who is the executive producer on The Bugle, the podcast created by John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman.
Steve Ackerman, managing director of Somethin’ Else, will lead the new division, which will take over production of the agency’s regular podcast commissions from Audible, Spotify and the BBC.
Sound Directions will also house a unit that will work with marketers and ad agencies to create branded audio content and give strategic advice on the creative delivery of podcasts and audio for smart speakers. Mark Rivers, a managing partner at Somethin’ Else, will lead this unit.
"As the UK’s biggest independent producer of audio, this is a natural step for us. Our first releases this year will feature some famous names as well as offer exciting drama and documentary series. We are aiming to quickly become the UK’s biggest podcast producer," Ackerman said.
Somethin’ Else already produces podcasts and audio content for clients such as Audible, Penguin Random House (The Penguin Podcast), the BBC and The Economist.
It is also the BBC’s biggest supplier for radio content, creating 35 programmes a week including Gardeners’ Question Time, The Kitchen Cabinet, The Essential Mix and shows with Gilles Peterson and Trevor Nelson.
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