Studio Phonic is a podcast production company with a tall antenna.
We gather stories from journalists, writers, actors, comedians – thinkers from all disciplines – to create bespoke shows for an elevated audience. In a noisy world, we listen for voices that demand a clear reception.
Studio Phonic
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Studio Phonic ☼
The studio was created by husband and wife duo Jonathan Shifflett and Mary Knauf. The pair met working in public radio and bonded over their passion for making ‘driveway radio’ – audio stories a person can’t turn off even after they’ve finished their commute home.
Mary has produced major shows like Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen’s “Renegades,” Tig Notaro’s “Don’t Ask Tig,” and NBC’s “The Thing About Pam,” which was adapted into a TV series starring Renée Zellweger. A talented writer with a keen eye for editing, Mary is known for her ability to sharpen a narrative and get to the heart of what a show is trying to do. Accolades include being featured as a “Producer to Watch” by Vulture Magazine, and executive producing the 2023 Tribeca finalist “Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto.” She was also the 2024 recipient of the Allegra Johnson Literary Prize for her novel-in-progress.
Jonathan is the Swiss Army Man of podcasts. With a foundation in radio journalism, he’s also an accomplished sound engineer, editor, sound designer and composer. While working as a producer at KPCC’s arts and entertainment program “The Frame,” he generated countless artist profiles, culminating in a Golden Mic award for his piece “Our Lady J Preaches The Gospel of Dolly Parton.” He has produced and sound designed critically acclaimed shows for outlets such as Wondery, HBO, Apple, Spotify, Pineapple Street Studios, Tidal Music and the Surfer’s Journal. Jonathan is meticulous in his writing and research, and as a trained classical musician, he brings a distinctly musical ear to his finished products.
Featured Work
A Top 10 debut in Apple’s fiction charts
“A unique, unexpected, and absurdly brilliant fiction adventure.”
— Apple Podcasts
“…an aquatic premise so fantastically absurd that it’s hard to communicate in any neutral manner.”
— Nick Quah, journalist (Vulture)
“That was one of the weirdest, most creative scripts and wildly fun recording sessions I’ve ever done.”
— Clancy Brown, actor
Our Services
research and development
story reporting and interviewing
writing
editing
production management
voice acting and voiceovers
casting
studio and field recording
sound design and scoring
post-production, mixing and mastering
show publishing
music and archival licensing
creative consulting
Ad spot production
AI audio and AI module development