Nocturnal Worlds podcast

Prepare to descend into a world of sonic wonder with Nocturnal Worlds, an Audiocraft original podcast created with the Australian Museum.

Nocturnal Worlds: journeys through nature for sleep and relaxation weaves together a symphony of nature sounds and captivating storytelling in an audio experience that highlights Australia’s unique nocturnal ecosystems.

Drawing upon the scientific expertise of the Australian Museum, and the audio expertise of Audiocraft, Nocturnal Worlds goes beyond storytelling: it creates an immersive experience that lulls listeners into a state of wonder and relaxation.

Each episode delves into the hidden lives of three iconic Australian animals - the Powerful Owl, the Red-Crowned Toadlet, and the Long-finned Eel - unveiling their captivating night life.

Whether you're seeking a calm meditation, a restful night's sleep, or want to learn about our amazing natural world, this podcast will transport you to a nocturnal wonderland.

Nocturnal Worlds was inspired by the Audiocraft team to create an audio experience with the sounds of wildlife that exist in pockets of nature within urban environments. They were also excited by the rising demand for sleep and relaxation content in the podcast medium, and the opportunity to create something unique and immersive for this audience. This challenged the team to deliver captivating bedtime content that also subtly educates its audience about Australia's extraordinary native wildlife. The underlying goal was to reconnect listeners with the wonder of nature and inspire them to invest in its preservation.

The key to producing such an intimate and immersive project lay in finding the perfect creative partner. When the Australian Museum came on board, it felt like a match made in heaven. By combining the expertise of scientists from the Australian Museum with Audiocraft's audio expertise, Nocturnal Worlds transcends mere narration; it crafts a sonic experience that gently lulls listeners into a state of awe and relaxation, effortlessly blending conservation with storytelling, magical realism with factual information.

The making of this podcast was an immersive endeavour, quite literally. Audiocraft used an underwater microphone to record; this required Sound Engineer Laura to don a wetsuit and venture into the winter ocean, capturing ethereal underwater sounds, including the melody of whale song. Producer Olivia wrote the scripts with research provided by the Australian Museum, and Senior Producer Marcus wrangled these creative explosions into clear journeys. Audiocraft’s CEO Kate Montague and the Australian Museum’s ear for detail pulled everything together into a cohesive series. After several midnight recording sessions and a lost wetsuit later, the first three episodes were born featuring nocturnal animals including the Powerful Owl and the Red-Crowned Toadlet, that was identified using the Australian Museum's FrogID App.

Launching with National Science Week 2023, the first three episodes are freely available on all major podcast platforms. Help us spread the wonder by leaving a rating and review of Nocturnal Worlds podcast on your favourite podcast App.

Credits

Nocturnal Worlds was produced by the Audiocraft team: Olivia O'Flynn, Laura Brierley Newton, Kate Montague, Marcus Costello and Selena Shannon, and supported by the Australian Museum.