The rise and rise of the podcast

By Rob Marshall - Podcast Producer at Nostairway Creative Studios

If you run a business, you’ve surely noticed the podcasting bug that has bitten the nation – and West London is no more immune than anywhere else.

The podcast originated in the early 2000s when the speed of the Internet enabled audio transmission. The name came from a simple combination of ‘iPod’ and ‘Broadcast’, and the format has since steadily gained popularity, earning a massive boost with each advancement in mobile technology.

But it’s video that has gained the medium a whole new audience, and such demand motivated my company to build The Nostairway Podcast Studio. Even we were surprised by the uptake. From film streaming platforms such as Yoreflix to Community Interest Companies (CIC) such as Yardo, everyone wants to jump on-board, and no topic is off limits. Last year, a typical week at the Nostairway Studio would consist of, say, a voice-over, a green screen shoot, event videography and a headshot session. Now, 70% of our time is employed shooting and editing podcasts. Advancements in monetisation, advertising and subscriptions have also fuelled improvements in the “set” where the shows are recorded. Today, it helps if your surroundings resemble a breakfast TV show on a mainstream channel. As the rate of podcast production climbs, there’s no shortage of demand; under 30s almost exclusively choose podcasts over traditional TV to stay informed.

Lifetime Achievement award for Brentford FC owner Matthew Benham

Matthew Benham, the owner of Brentford Football Club, has won the Lifetime Achievement award at the West London Business Awards 2025.

His contribution to the w est London community through the football club was recognised at the prestigious event.

As he was unable to attend the event in person, the award was accepted on his behalf by Nity Raj, who said in his acceptance speech: “West London Business awards are all about celebrating talent, entrepreneurship and excellence.

“And I have worked for Matthew as his lawyer since 2010 and having known him for so long I can say how deserving he is of this lifetime achievement award and how fitting this award is for him.

“Matthew helped Brentford Football Club in a difficult time in its history. He had the vision and leadership to make the club what it is today: a participant in the world’s most successful sports league, the Premier League, and a valued contributor to the west London community. It’s because of his vision that he has helped make us a club that aims to be an asset for west London.

“The core value that Matthew instilled in all of us from day one of this project was humility. The idea that it is not good enough to rely on the successes of yesterday. We must find a way to continue to improve and be better today. It is with that humility that I accept this award on Matthew’s behalf and –since he would definitely say this if he was here, with a big thank you to everyone who has built Brentford Football Club throughout the years: its players, its staff and most of all, its fans. Thank you.”

The West London Business Awards 2025 were held on 31 January at Allianz Stadium Twickenham and hosted by Tim Vine.

Entertainment is now the key draw, with comedy and TV shows the most sought-after topics. But B2B and B2C constitute the lion’s share of our particular podcast work. It isn’t hard to see why the medium is still growing, it’s the 21st century version of your favourite TV chat show, sports show, panel discussion and everyone can watch from anywhere. Andy Warhol wasn’t far off when he said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” In our west London business sphere, anything is possible now.