Podcasts by AUT staff and students

Podcasting in New Zealand has expanded from a specialist medium pioneered by independent producers to a desirable and growing sector of the local media market.

Listen to AUT academics share their expertise

Sam Madanian

The Detail: AI and brain disease detection

Dr Sam Madanian from AUT's School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences discusses the use of AI to help detect brain disease.



Listen now
AUT staff podcast

The Detail: Swift101

Dr Rebecca Trelease and Angela Asuncion from AUT’s School of Communication Studies on The Detail discussing Swift101: The study of Taylor.



Listen now
AUT staff

The Detail: Why We Leap

Drs Emily O’Hara and Sergei Gulyaev explore the mysteries of time and space ahead of Leap Day 2024.



Listen now
Maureen

PhD Unpacked

Dr Maureen Sinton on what talkback radio teaches us about society



Listen now
Dr Lewis

The Fold

Dr Lewis Tennant joins Duncan Grieve to discuss his survey of New Zealand’s podcasts and more.



Listen now
Newsable by stuff

Newsable

Dr Marcus de Jong unpacks the AUKUS defence pact.



Listen now
AUT staff

NZ Herald – Tangiwai: A Forgotten History

Drs Gail Pacheco and Sam Madanian on the lessons of history.



Listen now
Rhema

The New Zealand Initiative - Part 1

Dr Rhema Vaithianathan on data analytics for social impact with the New Zealand Initiative’s Dr Eric Crampton.



Listen now
Rhema

The New Zealand Initiative - Part 2

Dr Rhema Vaithianathan on data analytics for social impact with the New Zealand Initiative’s Dr Eric Crampton.



Listen now
Paul

RNZ Saturday Mornings : Framing A Life – Ans Westra

Professor Paul Moon joins Susie Ferguson to discuss his new book on photographer Ans Westra.



Listen now
Paul

History Reclaimed

Paul Moon, Professor of History at Auckland University of Technology, talks about his new book Colonising New Zealand: A Reappraisal.



Listen now

Podcasts by AUT staff and students

AUT is home to many talented staff and student podcasters who host and or produce a range of podcasts.

Ad Dads podcast
Ad Dads

Join Dan Fastnedge and Matt Halliday for AUT’s Ad and Brand Creativity Team for Ad Dads. Two dads talk about ads. They're almost qualified to do it and everything.

Listen now

Dr Tennants Verbal Highs podcast
Dr Tennant’s Verbal Highs

Based in Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand, Lewis Tennant explores the lives & thoughts of the likes of musicians, writers, film makers, actors, and comedians... as well as hosting those that make things happen side of stage, below the line, and under the radar.

Listen now

The noisy librarian podcast
The Noisy Librarian

The Noisy Librarian Podcast comes to you from Te Mātāpuna Library & Learning Services at AUT. Students are not expected to keep quiet in our libraries, quite the opposite! And this podcast is going to tell you why.

Listen now

Share the elevator podcast
Share The Elevator

What started out as a podcast celebrating young women in corporate Aotearoa, has transpired into a series on trauma, privilege, family, intersectionality, inequality, advocacy, identity and so much more. (produced by Communication Studies student Ella Simanu)

Listen now

Suzy and Friends podcast
Suzy & Friends

Join Suzy & Friends for a weekly slice of a Kiwi kid’s life! Kids share their thoughts, talents, and tales; and hosts Suzy Cato and Trevor Plant share songs, stories, and silliness; and there’s always loads of love and laughter! Made with support from NZ On Air.

Listen now

Research findings on podcasts

Recent research by AUT Lecturer Dr Lewis Tennant looked at 723 podcasts across 13 categories, providing nearly 10,000 data points.

  • As of March 2024, the New Zealand Podcast Directory tracks 798 podcasts, a significant number for a country of just over five million people. Created in late 2018, the directory reflects the growing prominence of podcasts in New Zealand's media landscape.
  • The first decade of podcast production in New Zealand was driven mainly by independent producers, with media organisations joining in from 2015 onwards.
  • The first highly produced podcast in New Zealand by NZME debuted ‘Mad Monday’, NRL a rugby league podcast, in September 2015, a time where narrative non-fiction dominated the genres. This was followed by RNZ releasing ‘First Person’ later in the year.
  • The most popular style of podcasts (41%) in NZ follows an interview format, reflecting its popularity globally - most likely due to its lower barrier to entry compared to narrative non-fiction podcasts.
  • The number of new NZ podcasts peaked in 2020, consistent with global trends, and the average number of episodes produced per podcast is 68.5.

Read more about Dr Lewis Tennant's research

Podcasting is taught at AUT in the School of Communication Studies’ radio and audio media department.