For my project, I am composing original music for a New Zealand-based Formula 1 podcast, creating a cohesive sonic identity that supports the growth and professional presentation of the podcast. F1 viewership has grown by 63% since 2018, now boasting a viewership of 827 million, with this, alongside motorsport-related media continuing to expand globally; podcasts have become a key platform for fan engagement. Despite New Zealand’s strong motorsport culture, there are very few locally produced F1 podcasts, offering a very clear opportunity to enhance the distinctiveness and production quality of this show. Original music will help to improve listener recognition, strengthen brand consistency, and help support clearer episode structure through tailored themes, stingers, and transititons. Collaborating with a podcast team outside the music industry broadens my practical experience, allowing me to work to client briefs, deliver media-ready music, and apply my music production skills in a real-world broadcast context. The project is therefore both culturally relevant and professionally valuable, with clear creative and practical benefits for all collaborators.
As Formula 1 continues to expand on an international scale, there is an ever-growing pressure on smallers independent podcasts to stand out. This project aims to address that need by creating original music and sonic branding, using my music production skills to help the show develop a clearer and more distinctive identity.
After speaking with the podcast owner, he expressed that he wants to fill the gap left by the limited Formula 1 representation in New Zealand media. Due to the significant time difference, many races take place in the early of the morning, meaning New Zealand viewers often have to catch up after the events have finished. This becomes a challenge when F1 coverage is already limited. Peter’s goal is to create an accessible platform that allows Kiwis to stay informed about the in their own time and on the move.
We also discussed the importance of original music for establishing a strong brand identity. Our aim is to create a piece that reflects the energy and intensity of Formula q while acting as a recognisable sonic asset for the podcast’s promotion and audience engagement. This is something that generic stock music cannot achieve, as it lacks the specificity and personality requierd to target New Zealand’s F1 community.
This collaboration is meaningful to me as a long-time Formula 1 fan, and the opportunity to contribute creatively to a platform for fellow enthusiasts is highly motivating. It also allows me to develop professional skills such as working to deadlines, responding to briefs, and intergrating feedback, all while working on a project I am genuinely passionate about.
In recent years, Formula 1 has become a major part of global sporting culture, bringing with it more demand for anaylisis, commentary and fan-accessible media. Formula 1 has expanded from just a sport to a cultural phenomenon with a large and fast-growing media ecosystem, with F1 social media following rising to 107.6 million from 18.7 million in 2018. Alongside, this rapid growth, we have seen Formula 1 fan content skyrocket too, especially within the podcast industry, creating a large rise in competitiveness. This is why brand recognition is now crucial in terms of commercial values; a strong memorable identity helps differentiate a podcast from others targeting the same audience. All of this highlights how the wider cultural and commercial landscape justifies the need for this project.
As I mentioned before, New Zealand has a strong motorsport heritage, producing world class drivers such as Denny Hulme, Chris Amon, and Bruce McLaren, the founder of McLaren’s Formula 1 team whose continued success in F1 has solidified New Zealand’s place in motorsport history. Yet there is still only a limited focus on F1 media. Again, time zones make live viewing extremely difficult for New Zealand based fans, meaning fans mostly rely on catch-up content which creates a social need for accessible, on demand commentary, specifically targeted towards NZ audiences. Our collaboration aims to support local representation in the global sports community.
In terms of original music and sonic branding, music gives the podcast a recognisbale identity in a competitive market. In an industry that is becoming ever more competitive, and because of media fragmentation, it is more challenging to build awareness and brand associations from advertising and promotion than previously. This had led to a significant rise in the use of sonic branding to create awareness and memorability “Sonic branding is essentially a system of strategically crafted sound that makes people feel something about a brand or experience” – John Taite, Executive Vice President of Made Music Studio. I have also collaborated with a New Zealand born singer for one of the tracks, which contributes to New Zealand creative culture by using local talent, creating further cultural relevance towards this project.
As for social value, this project aims to build a community and create accessibilty within the New Zealand F1 fan base, as the podcast will help connect New Zealand fans, going hand in hand with audio branding, which can help build a sense of belinging and identity for listeners. Therefore, I believe that my contributuion to the project will make the podcast more accessible, engaging and consistent.
This project’s feasibility stems from a clear workflow, manageable scope, and an already established collaboration with the podcast team. Regular communication with the podcast owner provides ongoing feedback, allowing the project to stay organised and aligned with the show’s creative direction and timeframes. I have been asked to deliver 3-4 tracks with one being the main theme and outro for the podcast, which has already been mixed and mastered and given the green light from the podcast.
In terms of my workflow for the main theme (a workflow I am likely to follow for future tracks) I first began with research and reference gathering. Thankfully, I already had the main brief from the podcast, so I knew that they were looking for something energetic and intense, something to really capture the feeling of being an F1 fan and the thrill of watching the cars on the track. I went back and listened to old F1 themes, making notes on what makes them stand out, and how they as tracks were also able to capture the essence of Formula 1. With this I was able to create a few initial demos that I sent over to the podcast so we could narrow it down to one idea for me to expand on and finish. I had numerous online meetings and with constant communication with the podcast I was able to make revisions in real time and finalise the track, constantly sending them new versions of mixes to make sure they were happy with my work. All of this took place from early October to the end of November, giving me plenty of time to be able to work on the track, and with constant feedback, this timeline was able to work perfectly.
Throughout the entire process so far, I have had clear communication with all collaborators (both the podcast and the vocalist I have been working with) via email, zoom and WhatsApp, with everyone being actively involved and responsive. And with briefs and expectations being established from the beginning, it has made the work flow a lot more efficient, as at no point have I been left in the dark regarding creative direction.
Overall, the timeline and workflow of this project thus far has been extremely efficient, as all required resources and collaborators have already been confirmed. All of this shows that the project is mutually beneficial, practical, and realistic.
However, there are many risks that could delay this project, as with any project that is entirely based via online communication. For example, technical risks such as file corruption or DAW issues, creative risks such as difficulty aligning musical ideas with the podcasts owner’s vision and communication risks such as delays in receiving feedback.
I have put multiple contingencies in place in case of these risks. For example, I have multiple copies of song mixes and masters saved in multiple locations, such as on my laptop and numerous saves on google drive across different google accounts.
One issue I have certainly faced is delayed feedback. Due to the podcast being based in New Zealand and myself being based in the UK, the time difference has certainly caused delays in communications. Finding times for online meetings can be difficult due to busy schedules and a 13 hour time difference, and sometimes feedback isn’t received until early morning or late at night. Thankfully, despite this, we have been able to work around these issues very well, and communication has always been instant when it can be. We also implemented a shared drive folder so that any revisions or new mixes could be instantly shared without means of direct communication, also allowing for feedback to be sent even when I was not available.
By being able to anticipate these risks and putting contingency plans in place, we have been able to ensure the project remains on schedule and maintains a high standard of quality, even if unexpected challenges arrive.
In summary, this project combines creative practice, cultural insight, and practical production skills to support a New Zealand-based Formula 1 podcast in building a stronger, more recognisable identity. Through the creation of original music, as well as sonic branding, the work encompasses both the commercial need to stand out and the cultural gap in New Zealand’s limited F1 coverage. With a clear production plan, ongoing collaboration, and realistic contingency strategies, the project is certainly achievable in the timeframe given. Ultimately, this project enhances the podcast’s accessibility, strengthens its community impact, and contributes positively to New Zealand’s creative and motorsport culture.
Bibliography
Records, growth and unforgettable moments – the 2025 Formual One season so far – https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/records-growth-and-unforgettable-moments-the-2025-formula-1-season-so-far.1usXKBpUsYIndrYz22GQTq
McLaren Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLaren#:~:text=Bruce%20McLaren%20Motor%20Racing%20was,in%20the%201960%20World%20Championship.
Motorsport in New Zealand Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_sport_in_New_Zealand
The Need To Be Heard: Why Sonic Branding Growing In Importance – https://www.forbes.com/sites/charlesrtaylor/2023/07/31/the-need-to-be-heard-why-sonic-branding-is-growing-in-importance/
