A new worldwide podcasting project has launched to celebrate International Podcast Day 2025.
The initiative invites people across the globe to submit their “umms,” “uhhs,” and other filler words for a unique living archive of speech.
UmmmPodcast.com comes from podcast community leader Arielle Nissenblatt, alongside Certified Crucial founders Marz Marcello and Michael Bickett. Their aim is to collect filler words in every language and turn them into a searchable, collaborative database for podcasters, linguists and creators.
Contributors are encouraged to record and submit their umms, ehs, likes and other sounds directly through the website, where a recorder tool is available.
Submissions in all languages are welcome, with the long-term goal of capturing how people speak naturally across cultures and communities.
Nissenblatt said: “We are hoping to build a global database of speech that podcasters, linguists, and creators can explore for years to come.”
The team is also adding a creative dimension by commissioning an artist to transform selected waveform visualisations of these recordings into a limited-edition T-shirt design.
Pre-orders for the shirts are now open with an exclusive discount code, and a number of free shirts will be given away to lucky winners throughout the campaign.
Visitors to UmmmPodcast.com can not only submit their own filler words, but also access resources on audio creation, explore reflections on the value of filler words in speech, and learn how to become a partner in the initiative.
The project’s timeline began with its official launch today, 12 September. Submissions for the limited-edition T-shirt design will be accepted until 25 September, while the collection of umms and filler words will continue beyond that date to expand the archive into a long-term global project.
Marz Marcello, co-founder of Certified Crucial, said: “We started Certified Crucial to make merch that actually means something. Turning the world’s umms and uhhs into shirts feels like the perfect reminder that creativity lives in the smallest, most human moments.”
Arielle Nissenblatt is the founder of EarBuds Podcast Collective, Head of Community and Content at Pinwheel by Audily, and a well-known advocate for the global podcast community.
Certified Crucial, launched by Marcello and Bickett, provides creators with merchandising solutions that often feature inventive, handcrafted and limited-run items produced by independent makers.
Podcast fans and creators alike are invited to join the project, submit their recordings, and become part of a growing cultural experiment at UmmmPodcast.com.
