How can I get involved in the Audio Alliance?
For writers
- If you are negotiating with a large production company or platform, ask for your work to be covered under a Guild contract.
- Spread the word about the organizing effort — and share this website — with other writers, and follow us on social media.
- If you’re interested in learning more about the WGA Audio Alliance or would like to get involved in our work, fill out our informational form to get in touch.
- If you have an audio fiction writing credit, for a third-party funded or self-produced show, add your name to our Scripted Audio Writers Database to share your work and be connected to potential collaborators and producers.
- Tell us about your experience writing scripted podcasts by contacting Guild Organizer Dana Trentalange at dtrentalange@wgaeast.org. The more information the Guild has on the industry, the better able we will be to help writers navigate it. The conversation and its content will be kept strictly confidential.
Learn more about getting your podcast Guild-covered.
Learn 5 ways to optimize your audio fiction contract.
Join the Scripted Audio Writers Database
In the film and television industry, the Guild is fighting to achieve pay and opportunity equity for writers, and to secure hiring and retention transparency from the companies employing them. Because the industry is densely unionized, the Guild has the ability to bargain directly with companies to achieve these goals; our aim is to build the union density necessary to make collective demands of the audio industry, as well. In the meantime, we commit to sharing information with the goal of undercutting pay disparity; to showcasing BIPOC writers in our events and panels; to utilizing our platform to highlight the work of BIPOC creators, networks, and organizing efforts; and to learning from the experiences of current and aspiring writers from underrepresented communities.
We have created a database of writers of audio fiction designed to be shared with writers looking for collaborators, with showrunners, and with production companies. Our goal is to connect writers to new projects and work and, specifically, to highlight those among us whose voices are traditionally underrepresented – BIPOC writers, LGBTQ+ writers, veterans, and disabled writers.
You are welcome to add your own entry to the form if you have an audio fiction writing credit for a third-party funded or indie show. Please note that the database is designed for writers who have already written audio fiction, and that your contact information will be available to anyone viewing the database. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please contact Guild Organizer Dana Trentalange at dtrentalange@wgaeast.org.
Access the Scripted Audio Writers Database
Add your name to the Database
For Producers
I am a producer or writer/producer. How can I cover a podcast I am producing?
Covering a podcast is low-cost, as there are no minimum terms or residuals for scripted audio; and it is simple, as there are no complicated working rules in a Guild contract for scripted podcasts. Your obligations as a producer center around following WGA credit rules, paying the writer in a timely manner, recognizing the writer’s creative rights, and making pension and health contributions.
Becoming a signatory to the Guild contract is an easy process. Please contact Director of Contract Enforcement and Credits Geoff Betts at gbetts@wgaeast.org to receive the signatory application and submit it along with a draft of the writer’s contract.
As a signatory company, you will also be able to register your company on the WGA Staffing & Development Platform and can use the platform to connect with WGA members, set up general meetings, and share information about open writing assignments.
How else can I assist writers in this effort?
The scripted podcast industry is still finding its sea legs as large platforms determine how best to monetize and profit from this increasingly popular medium. In that goal they depend on smaller production companies to produce the content they need to attract listeners, subscribers, and advertisers. If your production company is working with a larger platform, then lending your voice and advocating for the writers you employ will have a huge impact on the writers’ ability to get Guild coverage. This will not only benefit the writers, but will also make your company a more attractive one to work with.
Nonfiction Podcasts
I write nonfiction podcasts. Can I get my podcast Guild-covered?
Yes. If you are a freelance writer hired to write a nonfiction podcast, your podcast can be covered under the New Media Agreement.
If you are not a freelance writer, but rather are full- or part-time staff working at a podcast company, you can also organize with the Guild. Writer-producers at several podcast companies, including Gimlet, The Ringer, and Parcast, have formed staff unions with the Writers Guild of America, East. To talk about organizing your company, please reach out to WGAE Organizer Dana Trentalange at dtrentalange@wgaeast.org for more information.
I’m not sure if my podcast can be Guild-covered. Who should I contact?
If you’re not sure whether your podcast can be Guild-covered, please contact WGAE Organizer Dana Trentalange at dtrentalange@wgaeast.org. The conversation and its content will be kept strictly confidential.
If you’re a scripted podcast writer, you can help us learn more by completing our Scripted Podcast industry surveys.
We hope to draw conclusions on what is standard – to the extent that anything is standard in this new and evolving industry – so that writers know what to expect from and negotiate for in their deals.