Business set to boom for Belfast recording studio

1620 Audio received funding from the Go Succeed business support service

A Belfast recording studio is set to capitalise on the boom in locally made podcasts as it responds to an increasing number of entertainers and businesses seeking to produce their own content.

The expansion for 1620 Audio, the studio behind some of Northern Ireland’s best-known podcasts, including the Mudblood Podcast featuring comedians William Thompson and Paddy McDonnell, follows grant funding from the government-backed business support service Go Succeed.

Based at the Innovation Factory in the west of the city, the business was set up by first-time entrepreneurs Sean McDonnell and Luke O’Neill in 2023.

In addition to recording the podcasts, 1620 Audio, edit and distribute them, and create social media content to promote each episode.

Sean said the company is entering a new phase of expansion as the Northern Ireland podcast scene continues to grow unabated.

“When we initially started, it was to produce podcasts for comedians and entertainers, which is where the real growth has been in podcasts, but now we are seeing other industries and businesses coming forward too. They see it as a new way to advertise their business and creating content that really resonates with their audience.

“Through money received from the Go Succeed grant, we’ve purchased new sound
equipment and cameras that has allowed us to increase our capacity. It means we can increase the number of podcasts we are making and significantly speed up turnaround time.”

The studio also produces Pop My Cherry with social media personality Gerry Lavz, the weekly comedy podcast The Word Up Podcast with Bronagh Diamond, Cork in the North featuring comedian Andrew Ryan, and The Natural Resilience Podcast with mindset and human performance consultant Ciaran May.

Luke said the move to starting their own business came sooner than they both expected.

“We are both qualified sound engineers so have worked in the live sound and studio recording industries for a lot of years.

“We did always hope to run our own studio one day, but as musicians expected to be focused on recording bands and other artists.

“But when we started making podcasts for some friends, interest generated fast – particularly around Mudblood – and before we knew it, other entertainers came forward and it grew, really by word of mouth.

“It came to a point where we had to decide whether we would continue to do it in our spare time or start our own business, and the choice was simple.”

Go Succeed services are delivered completely free of charge via each of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils and offers support for entrepreneurs just starting out as well as established businesses seeking to grow or scale.

Sean said the help 1620 Audio has received has “really elevated what we are doing”.

“Through Go Succeed, we received some incredible mentorship providing a real crash course in business. Having that guidance helped us to realise some of the mistakes that we were making and better understand our structures and have a more solid foundation for the business for the years ahead,” he said.

Councillor Sam Nelson, Belfast City Council, added:

“1620 Audio is a fantastic example of how Go Succeed is helping entrepreneurs harness creativity and innovation to build sustainable businesses in Belfast.

“It’s great to see Sean and Luke turning their technical expertise into a thriving venture that not only supports the local creative scene but also offers new promotional platforms for businesses. Belfast City Council is proud to play a part in delivering Go Succeed and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs across the city.”

Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support including mentoring, peer networks, access to grant funding and a business plan, at every stage of their growth journey. Participants also have exclusive access to the Go Succeed Members Area which provides business templates, bitesize business tutorials, and more.