SomaFM

SomaFM is a listener-supported, commercial-free internet radio station. Launched in February 2000 from a warehouse in San Francisco, we started with just one channel, playing “ambient” music, and developed a small but dedicated audience. By mid 2000, we had 3 channels. Our audience was small by broadcast standards – our AQH ratings were under a few hundred. By 2001, we had 7 different channels – all focusing on niche genres rarely if ever heard on commercial radio.

Thanks to listener support and generous bandwidth assistance from ISPs, our high quality MP3 and aacPro internet broadcasts now reach listeners around the world. With over 2 million “listener hours” a month, SomaFM is one of the larger independent internet-only broadcasters. Groove Salad, our most popular ambient/chill channel is the most listened to “chill out” station on the internet, with over 400,000 listener hours a week. At any given time, our station has between 4000-7500 listeners, with an AQH of 5500. We have over 38,000 unique listeners every day, over 150,000 weekly and over 440,000 unique listeners a month.
SomaFM plays music for a huge, previously ignored audience. Over-the-air commercial radio, now dominated by just a few corporations, plays formats geared towards mass appeal. With limited playlists, and limited genres, they seek to reach the most people with the least effort and risk. This model assumes an unsophisticated and captive listener.