Creating a Radio Play

What is a Radio Play?

In the year 2025, with music and podcasts on demand through streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, we do not often tune into the classic radio stations. Though “radio play” may seem like an outdated term, the concept is broad and quite popular today. A radio play is any story told only through audio. A radio play performance typically combines dialogue, sound effects, and music to create an immersive listening experience. Included in this medium are podcasts, which are taking over the media scene today. 

Radio plays came into prominence with the rise in availability of radios in the 1920s. Forty years later, the golden age of radio plays died as TVs became household staples in the 1960s. One of the most infamousAmerican radio dramas—due to the fact that it made a number of listeners believe an alien invasion was taking place—is Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” which aired in 1938. More recently, true crime podcasts are triumphing in popularity across the radio play genres. “Serial” (2014) and “My Favorite Murder” (2016) are two of many recent popular podcasts. 

While radio plays used to be exclusively played by major networks like NBC and BBC, the availability of technology today has democratized the medium. Now, almost anybody can start a podcast, as the resources that are needed are so readily available to the public. As most people own a cellphone that all standardly have good recording capabilities, the only other pieces of equipment you might need are a microphone, headset, or anything else that might get you a better sound quality recording. While none of these things are necessities, you can make your own radio play with the phone in your pocket. So, here are some tips and tricks for creating a radio play or podcast. 

Start With a Strong Concept 

Before you start writing, you need to have a good idea of what story you want to tell. Whether it is a true story or completely fictional and fantastical, the concept should be solid. If you have fictional characters, take the time to develop them. Figure out how they should sound. Because sound is so important in this medium of art, the characters’ voices cannot be overlooked. You can convey different character ages through tone and pitch in voice. As for the overarching story, now is when to decide if your radio play will be episodic, short-form, or long-form. Determine how much time you need to tell your story. Once you have a strong concept developed for your project, you can move onto writing. 

Write the Script 

If you choose to write a podcast-style show with multiple episodes, it may be a good idea to include an introduction that provides information about the show, the host, and the purpose of the current episode in each script. No matter what you choose to do, create a compelling story structure that suits the needs of your podcast or radio play format. 

Though the scriptwriting format of a radio play is similar to a screenplay, there are distinct differences between them. Like a screenplay, a radioplay has scenes, but there are no sluglines. Instead of having sluglines, because there are no visuals, the action of the scene is written central and both capitalized and underlined so set the scene. Scene headings in a radio play script are placed in the center of the page, as opposed to being left-aligned. Oppositionally, character names are placed aside to the left in a radio play script, instead of how they are normally centered in a screenplay. Writing for a medium you are not familiar with can be confusing. To save time and stress, finding a template for radio play scripts can be helpful in the writing process. 

A crucial element to remember when writing for radio is that you are completely and totally reliant on sound. There are no visuals, so you need to be prepared to accommodate for that change. If it can’t be interpreted by sound alone, do not include it. Use descriptive language and narration. Write in a way so that the dialogue and sound effects keep the story at a comprehensible level for listeners. The audience needs to be able to understand the story, so describe important details that would normally be perceived by visuals, but keep in mind that not all details are relevant. Too much sound can be overwhelming and confusing, but not enough descriptive audio can leave listeners lost. It is a tricky balance, but an important one to consider throughout the writing process. A good thing to remember is that even silence can be descriptive, depending on the moment, so use it to your advantage. 

Cast and Rehearse 

This process is similar to how you would cast a screenplay, but remember you will only be relying on the actor’s voice. It can be helpful to save time by having the actors submit audition voice recordings online. That way, you really only focus on the voice instead of appearance. 

Perform and Record

If it is your first time recording a radio play, this portion of the creation process may take longer than expected. You will need to sort out how your recording equipment will be organized around the actors. Will everyone be in the same room? Using the same microphone or different microphones? Will the actors be separated into individual rooms, with separate microphones? These are important questions to ask yourself throughout the development process. Try to experiment with your recording equipment in advance to be efficient in the recording process when your actors get involved. 

Edit

This is the step where everything comes together. You can add in sound effects from an online library, or record them through foley to create your own. Implement elements of soundtrack and background music to make the listening experience more intriguing. Because the radio play will only be listened to, not watched, the audio is, of course, extremely important. Take the time to make sure the cuts are smooth and the listening experience is pleasant.

With these things in mind, you can make a great radio play or podcast in no time. Experimenting with audio-focused mediums is a great way to get experience writing, directing, and producing a project without having to worry about the complications of things like set pieces, hair and makeup, lighting, and camera equipment. Use the medium of radio to your advantage and create something new.

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