AudioUK said they are conducting a ‘short and anonymized’ survey to gather data, hoping it will help persuade the government to take adequate steps to see the podcast and audiobook segment expand and flourish in the country. The association for audio production companies in the UK said they are hoping the government will lend out the same levels of support it has offered to the film or other creative segments, including tax reliefs, radiotoday.co.uk stated. Such acts will also attract more foreign investments to the audiobook production business.
“With an incoming Government in the UK, we are renewing our case for a podcast and audiobook tax relief to ensure we don’t lose out in terms of investment from international brands, broadcasters, media companies, and platforms,” Chloe Straw, Managing Director of AudioUK, said. “We are therefore gathering a small amount of data, anonymized at the point of input, to help update our 2021 report and make the strongest case possible.”
AudioUK’s manifesto proposed relaxing the tax structure for the audio and podcast segments. The government has already provided enough incentives to the film and TV production segments to attract investments from foreign companies. AudioUK is seeking similar support from the new government, which it feels is needed for the segment to take off.
“We urge podcast and audiobook producers of all shapes and sizes to take a few minutes to complete this survey, which will be crucial in helping us to grow our industry and secure its place alongside other creative industries regarding tax policy,” Straw said. Here is the link to the AudioUK survey for those interested.