Company History

Big Toe Audio began in the summer of 1999 at a live-work loft in Oakland, California, near the Oakland Coliseum. The name "big toe" comes from the original studio setup, which involved founder Shane Sharkey reaching deep underneath the mixing console desk with his big toe to start the computer system. The bong/chime sound happening upon startup was the big-toe audio; the sound indicating it was time to produce.


Our first official project was The Putumayo World Music Hour, which began as a 13-week, one-time series in the summer of 1999.  It was so well received, after the summer was over it became an internationally syndicated program and is currently heard on over 200 radio stations around the world.


Since those early days the company has grown from one person, into the tight-knit team that it is today. 


We currently specialize in syndicated radio production and long-form (infomercial) radio production.