AiAi Studios

06/05/2024

Continuing our series inspired by the Stacked podcast, we're asking the AiAi Studios team to pick a book to share with you, that means a lot to them.

This week we asked Operations Director Tony for his pick - and he chose Liberation Through Hearing, by Richard Russell. Essential reading for fans of British music culture.

"The book brings back memories of discovering Hip Hop music in the 80s, and subsequently dance music in the same decade. To be taken through the journey by someone of a similar age who was living it, releasing the records with XL, and ultimately signing The Prodigy, Dizzee Rascal and Basement Jaxx is pretty crazy ride!"

What are your favourite books about music?

22/04/2024

Continuing our series inspired by the Stacked podcast, we're asking the AiAi Studios team to pick a book to share with you, that means a lot to them.

This week we asked Producer Adedamola for a pick - and they chose The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop, by Clover Hope. We're big Hip-Hop fans at AiAi Studios 🎵

"I picked up this book from one of my favourite q***r bookshops in London . I literally felt my eyes light up when I found it.

When I discovered Hip Hop and Rap as a young q***r kid, I was completely enamoured by it but I wasn't like most of the women who were represented as the face of the industry. Don't get me wrong; Jackie O, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Trina - those are some of my faves, but when I found Heather B, Missy Elliot, Da Brat, Queen Latifah, Siya, I felt a sense of relief that there were more ways to be within that culture.

I knew there had to be more but it was so hard to find! Then went and created this magical thing."

What books inspire you?

15/04/2024

Meet Stephen Morris, our Project Manager and Production Coordinator! What excites you about working for AiAi Studios?

"As a Project Manager at AiAi Studios, I thrive on the hustle of coordinating diverse teams and resources, all while ensuring we hit our project milestones on time and within budget. But what really lights me up about my role? It's the incredible camaraderie and talent within our team – working alongside such passionate and friendly individuals makes me a bit giddy!

There's something truly magical about seeing our projects evolve from just ideas scribbled on paper to vibrant, real-life creations. And when we receive glowing feedback from stakeholders, it's like a validation of all the hard work and dedication. In this fast-paced and ever-evolving environment, I'm constantly energised by the challenges and rewards that come with the territory."

Find out more about Stephen and our amazing team - website link in bio 💫

10/04/2024

We are super excited to have been accepted on the Creative Enterprise: Investment Readiness Programme 2024!

The programme, funded by , is designed to equip screen companies with the necessary tools and knowledge for securing various forms of investment, as well as empowering businesses to feel confident about their investment journey.

We’re really looking forward to taking AiAi Studios to the next stage 🤩

25/03/2024

Welcome our Director of Operations Tony Green. Why Did You join AiAi Studios?

"I was working with Aiwan when she was a young rapper 23 years ago in Leeds, when I had a record label called C-Side Trax. I released her music on vinyl and helped promote her band. We ended up running a live jazz soul Hip Hop night together every Wednesday at the Elbow Room in Leeds, around 2008. Then Aiwan moved to London.

Cut to last October, 2023. I’ve decided to leave my job for a change in direction after 10 years as Operations Director at Dowsing & Reynolds. Unbeknown to me, Aiwan’s done very well and built a BAFTA-winning media business. We reconnect and I’m offered the position to run it alongside a team of greats. Hip-Hop wins again! Three months in and I really love it!"

Find out more about Tony and our amazing team - website link in bio 💫

18/03/2024

This year marks 10 years since Aiwan set up AiAi Studios. But what kick-started her career in sound?

“As a kid, I was always writing songs and sermons (long story), using my little Casio keyboard from Argos with and then recording them on my mum’s cassette tape deck. I’d get my friend Jennifer to come over and work with me on my songs. I’d get us organised so we both came in at the right points with the right harmonies. Even back then I was a mini-audio engineer, producer and musician. Guess some things never change - except now my creative stage is film, TV, and podcasts!”

What did you do as a child that you still do now in your career?

Find out more about Aiwan and our amazing team here 💫 - https://aiaistudios.com/

15/02/2024

It's been another busy, productive week at AIAI Studios, pitching, producing and perfecting! In no particular order:

1. Aiwan with legendary club promoter

2. 3. 4. At Tag Warner’s (CEO of Gay Times) birthday - 
In the pic: Rashida Hassan, Aiwan, Tamanda, John Beardsworth & custom on point branding   

5. Tamanda and Aiwan at Fearns Leeds

6. Trainee Holly deep in the editing trenches!

***rPodcast

09/02/2024

How lucky are we to welcome social researcher, scholar, cultural consultant, and secret songstress Dr. Tamanda Walker to the AiAi Studios team?! 🤩

"There's nothing more exciting than figuring out how to make nerdy research, data, and stats more accessible and entertaining to everyone! Especially on the social issues of our time - you know, the ones we should ALL be talking and thinking about, but fear addressing the most. Joining forces with the AiAi Studios team is an incredible opportunity to do what I love most - to bring new visions to life and work with and learn from the best in the game!"

Find out more about Tamanda and our wonderful team - website link in bio 💫

03/10/2023

Being recognised as the 'Best International Podcast' by for the Time Capsule Podcast is just so plantain sweet! 🥰
We make work to build bridges and uplift our stories around the world so it feels to great to be seen, and heard of course lol, by fellow storytellers and community building conspirators✊🏾
Thank you for the love , and for the work you do. Shout out to the other pods in our category, & from , this work is not easy!💪🏾
You can listen to the UK Black Pride Time Capsule Podcast wherever you get your pods 🎧✨🌈✨🖤
*Image Description*
A darker orange square which fades into purple right near the top of the square. The podcast artwork sits in the middle. Above it is bold white text that reads 'The UK Black Pride Time Capsule Podcast'. Below the image, slightly larger bold white text across the square, that reads 'Best International Podcast' overlaid on top of the word 'WINNER' in transparent, capital font. The small, Black Podcasting Awards logo sits below that, centred.

14/09/2023

Amanda & Ziporah, hosts of brought the knowledge, wisdoms and laughter with Season 2 of their brilliant podcast.
Episode 5 is a GREAT start if you're new to the show. They bless us with some awesome suggestions you can fit into a train journey or a lunch break ;)
Look out for them at at the end of Sept and keep your 👂🏻👂🏼🦻🏽👂🏾out for the new season, coming soon.
*Image description*
A high contrast, black and white photo of two black women, who are friends, standing close together and looking into the camera. There are blurry bookshelves behind them and they are both wearing coats and different interpretations of hoop earrings.

15/11/2022

Freedom & Joy, the minimum we deserve as Black lgbtqia+ people and POC ✨✨
In EP4 we chat to , head of Comms at and host of , about his journey to joining the UK Black Pride Team🏳️‍🌈🖤✊🏾
You can find the UK Black Pride Time Capsule Pod on all the platforms; Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, Deezer, Castbox, Stitcher and any other ones you can think of, so go take a listen!🎧
Recorded on location with .mango Van & in the studio at
Produced & Hosted by
Production Assistant: Adedamola Bajomo
Development: Abby Hollick
Field Recordings:
Theme Music: GrownGirlBiscuits
Lyrics & Performance: (Adedamola Bajomo)
Artwork:
*Image Description*
3 Black le****ns of varying shades stand huddled together on a stage facing a huge crowd outside. In the graphic, the sky is a surreal mix of teal, pink, purple and yellow. Text reads 'AiAi Studios Presents....UK Black Pride, EP4: Freedom & Joy...'
***rhistory

12/08/2022

Who’s excited for this weekend!

AiAi Studios celebrates UK Black Pride! on Sunday 14th of Aug at Hopkins Field, E15 2HB

Come say hello, take a picture and share your story at the AiAi Studios x UKBP Podcast Time Capsule.

Find us near the Wellbeing Stage by the Community stalls from 12pm-6pm.

***rpodcast

25/07/2022

Guess what happened over the weekend?

‘Forced to Flee’ won at the British Podcast Awards 🥳🥳

AiAi provided strategy and distribution for the podcast.

You too can have an award winning podcast 🤩 contact us for more details.

07/06/2022

AiAi Studios went to our 1st ! 🤓
13 podcasts+ into the game, It was very exciting to finally be able to network and meet people from the industry in person again!
our director was also on a panel with some of the gal-dem team talking about the process of making the Growing up w gal-dem Podcast. 😁
*Image Description*
A photograph of the front of the Business Design Center in the day time, with 'The Podcast Show 2022' above the glass paned entrance in large white writing.

02/06/2022

Back again with another season of Growing Up with gal-dem 🥳🥳🥳
Catch up with the new season with the 1st episode of S7 where singer-songwriter talks creative process, the UK Music scene and heartbreak in its various forms 🎧🎙️💔
*Image Description*
A graphic with a purple background with faintly lined geometric building blocks with arrows pointing upwards. The Growing Up with gal-dem logo is centered at the top of the image. Underneath it, smaller text that says 'with Mahalia' introduces her as the guest on the episode this week. Cut outs of Niellah, Mahalia and Natty run along the bottom of the image
***rpodcast

31/05/2022

Our final SPOTLIGHT of this series goes to founder of Matriarch Digital Media - An education and entertainment platform created by women for women🔥
Not only is she creating intentional space for women to step into the podcasting realm comfortably, she also recently created the 1st BIPOC Women in Podcasting Survey to get a clearer idea of what the podcast landscape looks like when it comes to Women of colour! And you know how we feel about STATS!🤓
So Big Up! Twila Dang for the foundational, long-lasting work she is doing for the industry and may we all continue to smash down barriers and glass ceilings for those coming behind us💪🏾🤎✊🏾

*Image Description*
A black and white headshot of a smiling black woman, teeth showing, with her afro textured hair styled to the back and side. She is wearing half black, half clear frames, small hoop earrings, a black t-shirt and is looking to the left of the image. A gold bar at the bottom of the picture reads 'Twila Dang - Founder & CEO of Matriarch Digital Media''
#

23/05/2022

One of the things we love the most about the podcasting industry is that like Beverley Wang said, pretty much anyone, anywhere, can start a podcast!🎙️
This is amazing for us as a production house because 'telling stories that challenge the status quo' is not always easy in a world that discourages certain groups of people from speaking their truth.
But the barriers to entry are so low for podcasting that the key is just to get going!
Write that script, Set up that 1st recording session, and start getting your episodes out into the world. There's lots of space for everyone🙌🏾

*Image description*
Off white text on a dark gold background reads "AT ITS CORE, IT IS MUCH MORE DEMOCRATIC. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA, A VOICE, A PHONE OR MICROPHONE AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, IT'S SO SIMPLE" - Beverley Wang, JOURNALIST
***rpodcast

18/05/2022

This was just in 2020! 😶
We know that amazing women are contributing amazing things to the podcasting industry all the time so why aren't we seeing the growth and accolades in the same way? 🤔
From a consumer standpoint, women have also proven to be a committed listenership with consistently high engagement, purchasing potential and listener counts. So what's the deal?🤷🏾‍♂️
Here at AiAi Studios, we're excited to be a part of building bridges where the gaps are and amplifying the voices of those who need it.
So If you've got an idea brewing then swing us a message! Let's change things up, one awesome podcast at a time 💪🏾
*Image Description
Dark purple text on a dark gold background reads "AT IT'S CORE, IT IS MUCH MORE DEMOCRATIC. IF YOU HAVE AN IDEA, A VOICE, A PHONE OR MICROPHONE AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, IT'S SO SIMPLE"
***rpodcast

11/05/2022

Spotlight on Berry Sykes! Founder of , the largest directory for Podcasters of Color there is!
In an industry that is rapidly expanding but still carries the same biases as the everyday world, it is invaluable to be able to go to a website that is FULL of all sorts of podcasts on all sorts of topics, all being hosted and/or created by POC!
We don't know where to begin!😁 Thank you Berry Sykes for all the work you're doing! And check out Berry's podcast , a Podcast about podcasts 💪🏾🖤👏🏾
*Image Description*
A black and white headshot of a smiling black woman, teeth showing, with braided cornrows tied up in a bun, medium sized gold hoop earrings and a light coloured t-shirt on. A gold bar at the bottom of the picture reads 'Berry Sykes- Creator of 'Podcasts In Color'

05/05/2022

Straight Facts from !

*Image description*
Off white text on a dark red background reads "“NETWORKS NEED TO HAVE MORE WOMEN IN CHARGE OF THEIR CONTENT ARMS,” Meinzer said. “WE NEED MORE WOMEN AT THE TOP (AND) WE NEED TO BE RECRUITING AND MENTORING MORE WOMEN.” - Kristen Meinzer, PODCASTER, CULTURE CRITIC"
***rpodcast

27/04/2022

Like we said, every month is Women's History Month so we're still going! 💪🏾
Now, if the numbers for women listening to podcasts are this high, why are the numbers of popular podcasts hosted by women so low?
Some of this has been attributed to the way women's podcasts are being classified, often being classed as 'niche' by networks or being put under the general 'lifestyle' umbrella by hosting platforms, which can mean less exposure to new listeners.
In reflecting on the harsher standards they are held to compared with their men counterparts, women podcasters also mention receiving complaints about the pitch, tone and timbre of their voices, as well as cursing on their shows 🙄
So let's help out our fellow podcasters today, if you have 10mins, head over to the pages of your favourite podcasts hosted by women, rate them 5 stars and give them positive reviews!

Because unlike Whose Line is it anyway, the points DO matter!😉
*Image description*
A teal text box with black text which reads 'Amongst people listening to podcasts for 4 years or more 43% are women. Women also account for 60 percent of new listeners over the last year '

25/04/2022

Our 2nd spotlight of the month goes to Emma Butt 👏🏾👏🏾
Now if there's one thing missing about women in sound, it's STATS!
Statistics are such an important way to keep track of patterns and also note where we need change. Unfortunately even stats collection is affected by bias and what is deemed worth knowing.
Emma is our spotlight this week for her work on the 'Diversity in post-production sound roles in UK television production'. This research, conducted with The Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity, examined the highest rated shows across UK television in 2019 and compared them against the diversity across the key post-production sound team roles.
We think this kind of work is essential to shifting people's ways of thinking so BIG UP Emma for being the change we want to see in our industry 😊
To check out the research in full, you can go to her website at www.emmabuttsound.co.uk/diversity
*Image description*
A black and white close up photo of a mixed race woman with long, dark, slightly wavy hair. She is smiling and looking straight to camera. Red text on a gold bar reads 'Emma Butt- Dubbing Mixer, ADR Recordist, Sound Editor

22/03/2022

Yep, it's still 😎
Telling women's stories are one of the tenets of what we do here at AiAi studios because it makes our collective, societal, truth so much richer!
It is impossible to build an equitable world for all of us if we are only ever hearing the same stories and experiences.
We totally agree with Global Content Partnerships Director, Sophie Herdman; and think that when women's voices are amplified, we are given the opportunity to create change.
Let's put these opportunities to good use and be the change we want to see 📣✊🏾💪🏾
*Image description*
Dark red text on an off white background reads "I THINK STORIES HAVE THE POWER TO REALLY CHANGE THINGS, AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WOMEN ARE IN PODCASTING" - Sophie Herdman, ACAST
***rpodcast

17/03/2022

It's Women's History Month! And our company director has only gone and won a bloody BAFTA (yes you read that correctly!)
as Sound Designer on Cherish Oteka's short film 'The Black Cop' 🙌🏾😲🙌🏾😁🙌🏾
We want to wish a MASSIVE, DESERVED congratulations to the whole team involved in the making of this film and shout-out Aiwan & Cherish, 2 Black, Q***r, Nigerian humans killing the game in their respective fields, killing the game collaboratively and all the while lifting each other and our communities up. That's what it's about man 😭🖤💪🏾.
If you haven't seen The Black Cop' yet, watch it here ( https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2022/jan/19/the-black-cop-a-police-officers-story-of-racism-remorse-and-resistance-video ) and see exactly why they won 😊
*Image description*
1- Cherish Oteka, A black and white headshot of a black person with shoulder length locs and a white collared shirt, mid speech.
2- Aiwan Obinyan, a photo of a smiling black woman looking straight to camera, with cropped black hair and black, round-ish glasses. She is wearing a navy t-shirt and a silver chain and gesturing towards the game of mahjong on a table on the edge of the shot.
***rafricans

10/03/2022

04/01/2022

More Stories, More Knowledge, More Power! 🎇🎉🎆
Here's to a 2022 filled with learning more about each other so we can continue to build a better, more compassionate world together☺️
Happy New Year! 🥂🖤🍻

14/12/2021

to the inspiring and script-flipping podcast that is Escape: The Underground Railroad podcast!
Hosted by Miquita Oliver and Desiree Burch, it feels so good to be a part of creating something that really challenges the usual narrative. 💪🏾
One of the best parts of our job is just how much we get to learn doing what we do and lucky for you, podcasts don't expire!
So go ahead and add this one to your holiday playlists and discover some stories you're definitely not going to find in British OR American history books 👩🏽‍🏫

07/12/2021

Episode 1 is out today! Tune in on and and let us know your thoughts 💭

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MkpJS5eV5maCWYryOFvzB?si=NcCgFaouQmyuF0WkefWD0Q&utm_source=copy-link
***rfilm

07/12/2021

Lucky number 13! Presenting 'Rewritten and Reclaimed', our newest podcast with 💪🏽
Hosted by , dives into the myths and realities surrounding the dreadful Tulsa Massacre of 1921 and connects our stories by delving into how these patterns of decimating Black Community and prosperity at its peak, occur throughout world history.
Episode 1 is out today! Tune in on and and let us know your thoughts 💭

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4MkpJS5eV5maCWYryOFvzB?si=EoF6XbWaS_aIEViOW7qiuw&utm_source=copy-link

***rfilm

03/12/2021

Unlucky for some, but not for us here at AiAi Studios!🙌🏾⁠ ⁠
This year our team has managed to produce enough podcasts for EVERY month of 2021! ⁠
And because we love you so much look out for lucky number 13 coming out next week to get you into 2022 😉⁠ ⁠
This has been a very productive year for the team!💪🏾 Special shout outs to our director , a powerhouse that keeps us all motivated and maintains a standard and quality of work that makes us feel proud to be part of the AiAi Studios team😎⁠⁠
Bring it on 2022!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠