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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3 and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Contains Strong Language are working together to find the best emerging sound designers in the UK.

We are looking for people with a real passion for sound design who are keen to develop their skills.

Sound First is a talent development scheme for young sound designers. Selected artists will be given the chance to attend a series of workshops in July 2025. They will develop their work with Benbrick and Eloise Whitmore, both award-winning producers, composers, and sound designers. Their work will then appear on a specially commissioned episode of Radio 3’s Between the Ears later in the year.

Sound First judge Benbrick’s work ranges from production on the Japanese award winning album Fantôme by Hikaru Utada, to his stirring production for George The Poet’s Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, and the original music idents and station sound for Radio 3 Unwind. In 2020 Benbrick won Best Podcast Producer, Best Sound Designer, and Best Arts Producer at the Audio UK Awards.

Workshops will also be led by Eloise Whitmore, who has been producing, composing and designing sound for radio for 20 years. Her work ranges from projects for Audible and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, to working with musician Björk and film-maker Peter Strickland.

To take part, simply complete the sound design task below and upload your finished sound file using the link provided. Anyone over the age of 18 who has the right to work in the UK is welcome to apply.

Your file should be no more than 4'00" (four minutes) long.

Your application must be submitted before entries close at 17:00 on Friday 6th June 2025. Please read the information below to apply.

How do I apply?

To apply, you will need to email soundfirst@bbc.co.uk to express your interest in the scheme. We don’t need any information from you in this initial email, just a note to say you would like to apply.

Task: You will be sent a list of audio recordings of poems, we would like you to demonstrate your creativity in sound design by working with one of them. Please create an exciting soundscape around the dialogue which supports the text of one poem that you prefer.

We want to hear something original and exciting, but something which doesn’t overshadow the poetry performance. You are welcome to do what you wish with the poem.

Please only choose one piece. Your submission should be in mp3 form and no longer than 4 minutes long.

Applicants can use any sounds to build their entries and are also welcome to use the – to complete their tasks. Please note, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Sound Effects Archive is for non-commercial use.

When you’re ready to submit your finished piece, head to the Sounds First uploader and upload your mp3 there.

What if I’ve never edited professionally before?

The talent development scheme is open to sound designers of all levels, whether you’re just starting out and looking for opportunities to get started or you’ve been editing for years.

What do you mean by narrative form?

"Narrative form" refers to any audio output which may consist of poetry, spoken word, drama or documentary. You can find a brilliant example here.

What quality does my audio need to be?

Your submission must be high enough in quality to demonstrate your skills – as long as it’s a clear session and we are able to hear what you have created clearly. Applications must be no longer than 4 minutes long, and applications longer than this will not be considered.

Please consider the technical presentation of your application, paying close attention to the levels and transitions you may choose to use.

Who will be shortlisting applications?

You will be shortlisted by the Sound First board, which is made up of Head of Content Commissioning, Matthew Dodd; ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Audio North’s Head of Culture, Arts and Music, Sue Roberts; Senior Technical Producer Sharon Hughes, and Sound First ambassador and Peabody Award-winner,‵þ±ð²Ô²ú°ù¾±³¦°ì. They aren’t looking for perfectly polished productions, just designers who can show their passion, originality and creativity.

How will you be contacting the successful participants to join the workshops?

We’ll be in touch by email with each selected candidate no later than the 4th July 2025. We will expect a reply from you within a week, so be sure to get back to us as soon as you can!

Please note, if selected you will be invited to participate in workshops between the 21st July and the 25th July 2025, so please do ensure you are free to attend. These will be hosted online.

Due to the volume of entries, unsuccessful candidates will not be contacted. Please note the workshops are only open to people aged over 18 years old.

°Õ³ó±ð²õ±ð Terms and Conditions are subject to review and update. Please check back regularly for updates. As well as these Terms and Conditions, when you upload your application via the Sound First website, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s Terms of Use will also apply.

Entry to the talent development scheme (the “Scheme”) is open to people aged 18 years and over, who are full-time residents of the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), and have the right to work in the United Kingdom, except employees of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ (or any ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Group company), their close relatives or any person closely connected to the Scheme. Proof of age, identity and eligibility may be requested.

Applicants will be asked to provide their name; contact number, email, county, and assistance requirements. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

All applications must be submitted in English.

Applications for entries open on Friday 9th May 2025 and the deadline for entries is 17:00 on Friday 6th June 2025. Applications outside this timeframe will not be considered, so please do not wait until the last minute to upload your mp3 file.

Applicants can only enter the Scheme individually. Entries must be made using mp3 files and only 1 mp3 file per person is permitted. If more than one mp3 file is submitted, only the applicant’s first submission will be considered.

Mp3 entries cannot be returned, so please remember to retain a copy for your records. Due to the volume of entries, unsuccessful applicants may not be contacted. All successful participants will be contacted by Friday 4th July.

All entries and other contributions from participants (in workshops, tasks or otherwise) must be the original work of the participant and must not infringe the intellectual property rights of any other party. Participants must not use generative artificial intelligence tools to ideate, develop, create or generate entries. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ accepts no responsibility where participants fail to comply with these Terms and Conditions.

By entering the Scheme, each participant agrees to fully indemnify the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ for any and all resulting liabilities related to any breach by a participant of these Terms and Conditions.

Participants retain the copyright in their mp3 entries and any contribution they make as part of the Scheme, however, by entering the Scheme each participant grants to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ a perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty free license across all media - to publish, broadcast and post the entries and or any contributions from the participants, which includes online, and on any other platforms yet to be envisaged. The said license also includes all necessary rights and permissions to enable the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to fulfil and complete the administration and promotion of the Scheme.

By submitting mp3 files each participant agrees that the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ may in its sole discretion, edit, adapt, abridge or translate the mp3 files and or any contribution from participants, as part of the Scheme, to fulfil the intended purpose of the Scheme (as set out above).

Following the online application (mp3 file submission), applicants will be considered based on a) the originality of the sound(s) used in the piece(s) provided, considering the overall quality and creativity, and b) the impact it has in how it supports the text.

Thereafter, participants will be selected to attend a series of workshop sessions and mirroring opportunities within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. Selected participants will be asked to complete a task at the end of their workshop, and shadowing sessions will be considered by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and partners in their absolute discretion (in accordance with the criteria set out in these Terms and Conditions) and participants with entries and contribution found to be most appropriate to the criteria shall receive a commission with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 3, to be broadcast in part or full on R3’s Between the Ears.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ reserves the right to exclude any participant, mp3 files, performance, etc. that breaches any law or regulation, any of these Terms and Conditions, or where the participant or any contribution may in any way, bring the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ into disrepute.

For the avoidance of any doubt, there is no obligation on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to ensure that workshops or any aspect of the Scheme take place, and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions and or cancel the Scheme (or any part of the Scheme) at any stage, if deemed appropriate or necessary by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, or where circumstances arise, outside of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s control. To the extent permitted by law, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ excludes liability for any loss and or damage (whether such damage or any losses were foreseen, foreseeable, known or otherwise) including financial, reputational loss or disappointment.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, its sub-contractors, subsidiaries, agencies and or any other organisations associated with the Scheme, do not accept any liability whatsoever for any technical failure, malfunction or any other problems with any server, internet access, electronic or mechanical system issues or otherwise, which may result in any participant contribution (mp3 files or otherwise) being lost, not properly registered or recorded.

These Terms and Conditions are governed exclusively by the laws of England and Wales and for the avoidance of any doubt, the English courts shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

Your trust is very important to us.

This means the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. It is important that you read this notice so that you are aware of how and why we are using such personal data.

This privacy notice describes how we collect and use personal data about you during and after your relationship with us, in accordance with data protection law.

Why are we doing this and how can you participate?

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is giving the chance for young sound designers to be involved in our ‘Sound First’ scheme for 2025, which is a talent development scheme to enhance your sound design skills through workshops, with the opportunity for the finished product to be part of a commission for Radio 3.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will collect your personal data via an online platform used by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

If we broadcast your contribution on-air, this may include the programme being available online and/or on demand, and your contribution may be used again in a future broadcast.

We may use your contribution for promotional purposes on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s social media sites.

For information in relation to how the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will process your personal data where you are providing contributions to our programmes, please see our Privacy Notice for Contributors .

What personal data will the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ collect?

There are two types of personal data: personal data and special category data. Special category data is still personal data, but its processing by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ requires the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to follow additional compliance steps.

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will collect and process the following personal data about you:

Name

E-mail address

Telephone number

County location

Should you wish to share additional information with us as part of your application, or need support with your application due to a health condition, we will also collect special category data, which may include information about your:

Racial or ethnic origin

Religious or philosophical beliefs

Health information

Sexual orientation

Who is the Data Controller?

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is the “data controller” of your personal data. This means that the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ decides what your personal data is used for, and the ways in which it is processed. For the avoidance of doubt, your personal data will be collected and processed solely for the purposes set out in this privacy notice. As the data controller, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has the responsibility to comply, and to demonstrate compliance with, data protection law.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

The lawful basis on which the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ processes the personal data and special category data is the performance of its public task. The additional condition we use to process special category data is for reasons of substantial public interest, related to ‘statutory and government purposes’ under the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s Royal Charter. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s role is to act in the public interest and to serve all audiences with content which informs, educates and entertains, and to reflect the United Kingdom and its cultures and values to the world.

This is in line with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s public purpose which requires the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to: “…reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities of all of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions and, in doing so, support the creative economy across the United Kingdom: the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ should reflect the diversity of the United Kingdom both in its output and services. In doing so, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ should accurately and authentically represent and portray the lives of the people of the United Kingdom today, and raise awareness of the different cultures and alternative viewpoints that make up its society …In commissioning and delivering output the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ should invest in the creative economies of each of the nations and contribute to their development.”

Sharing your personal data

The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ works with our approved third-party providers who help us to provide some of our services. These partners only use your personal data on behalf of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ and not independently of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ. For this scheme we use a third-party platform to collect and store your application.

If you are shortlisted, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ will share your personal data with the Sound First scheme partners, Benbrick and Eloise Whitmore, who will run workshops as part of the scheme. They will also be part of the judging panel that will decide on the finalists who will participate in the Radio 3 commission.

We may share personal data with a third party where required or permitted by law.

Retaining your personal data

If you are not selected to take part in the Sound First scheme, we will delete your personal data two (2) months after the closing date for applications.

We will retain the personal data of shortlisted candidates for a period of three (3) months after the closing date.

If you are successful, your personal data will be held for two (2) years after the closing date.

If you appear on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ programming or in our content, a copy of the broadcast or content will be held in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ archive in perpetuity.

Your personal data will be stored in the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Your rights and more information

You have rights under data protection law.

You can request a copy of the personal data the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ stores about you.

You have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you.

You have the right to ask for the personal data we collect about you to be deleted, however there are limitations and exceptions to this right which may entitle the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ to refuse your request.

In certain circumstances you have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data, or to object to the processing of your personal data.

You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal data to you or to another organisation, in certain circumstances.

You can contact our, Data Protection Officer if you have questions or you wish to find out more details about your rights, please visit the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ’s Privacy and Cookies Policy at Keeping your info safe and sound.

If you have a concern about the way the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ has handled your personal data, you can raise your concern with the supervisory authority in the UK, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Information Commissioner's Office

Updating this privacy notice

We will revise the privacy notice if there are significant changes to how we use your personal data.