I have been running Folk Radio UK for over 17 years now. We have seen magazines disappear during that time, and websites close down as they struggle to make a sustainable income through advertising. Folk Radio UK is in no different position. Our advertising revenue has dropped over the past few years, which has been further exacerbated by covid and its impact on the music and gigging economy, where most of our advertising revenue comes from.
It makes perfect sense for online websites and journals like our own to shift and adopt a more sustainable model, one which offers greater stability and a base from which to better plan and build for our future.
There are over 12000 articles on Folk Radio UK covering news, reviews, interviews and features, as well as Mixes and shows which can be listened to on-demand. While we do not charge for this content, it all comes at a cost.
Today, I sent a newsletter out to our subscribers (I encourage you to read it here) in which I outlined how I am moving the current Folk Radio Newsletter (not the website) from a “free” to a largely fee-based newsletter. In short, the revenue from this subscription will help us to continue operating, plan and grow and offer richer content on here and via our newsletter as a perk to our supporters. To Note: This does not mean a paywall will be created on our website, although supporters will receive some great exclusive content via our newsletter as outlined below.
The newsletter will feature Exclusive Mixes & Playlists (via Spotify & Apple), Music Recommendations and will encourage community discussions. Posted below is a newsletter extract that explains more.
Please consider supporting Folk Radio by subscribing to the newsletter; it will literally make all the difference to our future. Read about the perks that subscribers will receive below and Subscribe here.
WHAT’S CHANGING?
First, let’s get into how the Folk Radio Newsletter will be improving and how it will help our website:
- Exclusive Mixes & Playlists: One of the most popular outputs from Folk Radio has been our music curation playlists and mixes. They have played an important role in introducing many to new music and it was also this attribute and focus that led to us growing a larger audience after the online streaming service Deezer launched a Folk channel on their service in 2012 run exclusively by Folk Radio (before they, like the rest, went down the dreaded algorithm route and ditched the humans). With the new model, I will be creating regular Spotify playlists (update: and Apple Music Playlists) to highlight both new music and gems from the past. I will also be creating exclusive monthly mixes that will be shared with you via a private link and will not be made available anywhere else. To note: The Mixcloud Select service will still continue.
- Comments: Earlier on, I mentioned a passion for music shared by our readers. Over the years this has been reflected in the emails I’ve received and it’s a shame that those conversations, reflections and memories haven’t been shared with our readers. Until now, I’ve been loath to turn on the comments as, based on past experience, free content somehow brings out the worst trolls and spammers who then ruin it for the rest of us. However, with my new model, I am excited to offer this. I welcome smart informed respectful pushback and hope to engage with you in the comments section. My commitment to you is that I will read all the comments, and try my best to respond in a timely fashion. It also means I can ask you questions and you will of course also be able to respond to each other’s comments, all of which will help to build a better-connected Folk Radio community.
- Music Recommendations: As the editor of Folk Radio, I am constantly hearing new music and I still spend considerable time seeking out new music. I rarely talk about these releases ahead of an article being published but part of the new content to be included in the newsletter will be my personal music recommendations. Think of this as an insider glimpse into Folk Radio which subscribers will have exclusive access to.
- Additional Feature Articles: I’ve always taken pride in the quality of the writing on Folk Radio but there have been plenty of times where I have wanted to commission features for the website but have not had the funds to do so. This new model will allow me even greater flexibility in building greater content on Folk Radio and in this newsletter.
- Growth: Up until now, I have managed to just keep things ticking over and I see this newsletter as an important and vital next step in Folk Radio’s journey and it’s one I want our readers to play a part in as we move forward and grow. It is after all because of you that I continue to do this.
Why am I doing this:
Over the last few years, Folk Radio has witnessed a significant reduction in advertising revenue. While this hasn’t been helped by covid, the writing was on the wall before covid arrived. Advertising revenue has been falling across the board, and it makes sense to now look at alternative viable options which will provide a secure future. This new revenue model has the potential to offer us greater stability and help Folk Radio maintain and build its independent output.
In short, the revenue from this subscription allows us to continue operating, plan and grow and offer richer content.
SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
I have no additional resources/staff to handle subscriptions, so after some careful research, I decided to go with substack.com. They are one of the leaders in offering subscription email services, and having a third-party handle all the billing helps both me and you; me because I can focus on creating content, and you because there is a trusted third-party to ensure credit card information is all kept secure.
Subscribe and help support us:
As I sign off, I would like to take a final moment to thank all my readers once again. I am excited about this next chapter in the life of Folk Radio. I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Thanks for reading
Alex Gallacher
Founder and Editor of Folk Radio