Manchester’s new tech company Radio.co is ‘future-proofing the radio’ as it offers an easy and practical platform for broadcasting radio shows globally without the need for a studio.
Developing from the big brand Wavestreaming, Radio.co supplies its users with everything they need to set up their own radio station or human curated radio experience.
Seven weeks on from the launch, the company is trending as it boasts 40% week-on-week growth, with its 300 subscribers broadcasting more than 22 million hours of radio to more than 5.5 million listeners.
Founder James Mulvany told MM: “Video never did kill the radio star. And far from killing off radio, the internet has in fact made it stronger than it has ever been.
“You can invite a DJ to come and broadcast on your station from anywhere in the world and they can do it by being sat on their computer.
“They don’t need to go and buy a big fancy studio or anything, it’s really straight forward to do from any regular desktop or laptop just via standard broadband connection.”
The 28-year-old tech entrepreneur founded Igniso ten years ago at the age of just 18.
He added: “Research proves that people are increasingly turning away from on-demand music and content, and back to live.
“Because in our busy lives we tend to trust our favourite DJs and presenters to select or ‘curate’ for us rather than always having to search for ourselves.”
Partners already with Tunein and Apple, Radio.co are on-track to its target of attaining 1,000 broadcasting radio stations by Christmas.
James explained why he has decided to use the ‘power of the internet’ to drive his company forward.
He said: “Conventionally your traditional FM radio station will try and cater for a very broad market.
“Because of the power of the internet, it allows you to spin up very focussed radio stations and draw in a really specific audience.”
In fact, global radio industry statistics reveal that internet radio is thriving. With over 90% of people listening to radio per week, online listening plays the biggest growing part of this.
Appealing to online listening, Radio.co’s practicality makes it an attractive and user-friendly platform, growing into the internet’s most reliable radio broadcasting means.
Catering to beginners as well as more experienced radio broadcasters, they focus on giving content as well as the actual technical solutions, offering a range of tutorials and content strategies.
Particularly attractive to advertising companies, individual radio stations are increasingly ‘niche’.
James said: “For listeners it means you get a really enjoyable experience because they’re not having to listen to something that’s been crafted to try and deal with lots of people.
“It’s really just for them and so we’re seeing our clients doing this niche stuff where they’re being really decisive as to who they’re after.”
The web-based service has also proven popular amongst restaurant chains, gyms, religious groups, event organisers and musicians in creating a specific human curated audio experience for customers.
