Sonoro
Sonoro is an audio-first media company that develops, produces, and distributes Spanish, English, and Spanglish podcasts for US Latinx and Global Hispanic audiences, monetizing primarily through brand advertising and sponsorships from Fortune 500 advertisers across its 100M+ monthly download network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Sonoro does
Sonoro (legal entity: Sonoro Global Media Corp) is an audio-first media company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Los Angeles that develops, produces, and distributes Spanish, English, and Spanglish podcasts targeting US Latinx and Global Hispanic audiences. The company operates a catalog of approximately 30+ podcast titles spanning comedy, true crime, scripted drama, horror, romance, and lifestyle genres, featuring both signed Latino creators (Franco Escamilla, La Cotorrisa, Relatos de la Noche, Marco Antonio Regil) and original scripted IP (Princess of South Beach, Cassettes, Tejana, HUMO, SED). Content is distributed through major third-party platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, YouTube, and iHeartRadio, reaching an audience of over 100 million monthly downloads and 1 billion monthly impressions. The company is co-founded by Gerónimo Ávila (CEO), Joshua Weinstein, and Camila Victoriano (head of partnerships), with Ávila additionally being the founder of Element, one of Mexico's most prominent digital agencies. Sonoro has raised approximately $12.5M across funding rounds led by Lerer Hippeau and supported by Kli Capital, Stormbreaker Ventures, and TechNexus Venture Collaborative.
The company's product surface extends beyond podcast production into a multi-component media ecosystem: the Sonoro Ad Platform for brand sponsorship sales, Sonoro Imprints (talent-led production deals with Manolo Cardona and Martha Higareda), a direct-to-consumer merchandise store (Sonoro Merch), and a TV/streaming adaptation pipeline including the Netflix development of Princess of South Beach with Gina Rodríguez and Telemundo co-productions Tejana and Parábola. Technology architecture details are not publicly disclosed; the operating model is built on editorial curation, in-house production, cross-platform distribution, and IP development rather than proprietary technology platforms. Sonoro has received industry recognition including Signal Awards nominations, iHeartRadio Podcast Awards, The Ambies wins, NMSDC Certified Minority Business Enterprise status, and Fast Company Best Workplaces for Innovators (2024).
Revenue is generated predominantly through brand advertising and sponsorship deals with Fortune 500 advertisers including Adidas, AT&T, Disney, Airbnb, McDonald's, Toyota, Shopify, Topo Chico, CoverGirl, State Farm, and Heineken. The company operates a direct enterprise sales motion targeting brands seeking authentic reach into multicultural Latino audiences, supplemented by podcast up-front participation (IAB Podcast Upfront 2025) and co-production revenue. The business model is fundamentally a B2B media/advertising platform on the revenue side, with consumer-side engagement (merchandise, audience growth) functioning as a value driver for advertiser pricing power rather than a direct monetization stream.
Sonoro firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sonoro
- Legal name
- Sonoro Global Media Corp
- Website
- https://sonoromedia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sonoro is an audio-first media company that develops, produces, and distributes Spanish, English, and Spanglish podcasts for US Latinx and Global Hispanic audiences, monetizing primarily through brand advertising and sponsorships from Fortune 500 advertisers across its 100M+ monthly download network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sonoro industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Podcast Media Network
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Record Production and Distribution (512250)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Podcast Production, Editing & Post-Production Services (MPACADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Podcast Syndication, Cross-Promotion & Growth Networks (MPACADAG), Podcast Hosting & Distribution Platforms (MPAIADAB), Creator Tools & Monetization Platforms (Podcasts/Audio) (MPAIADAG), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)
Keywords
Where Sonoro is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Sonoro business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Brand Advertising and Sponsorship: Sonoro generates revenue primarily through advertising and sponsorship deals with major brands including Adidas, AT&T, Disney, Airbnb, McDonald's, Toyota, Shopify, Topo Chico, CoverGirl, State Farm, and Heineken. Brands advertise to Sonoro's engaged audience of over 100 million monthly downloads and 1 billion monthly impressions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Sonoro product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sonoro is an audio-first media company that develops, produces, and distributes original podcasts in English, Spanish, and Spanglish for the US Latinx and Global Hispanic communities. The company connects creators, brands, and audiences by offering podcast production, multi-platform distribution across major podcast services, brand advertising and sponsorship opportunities, and talent-led content development through its imprint system.
Product overview
Sonoro is an audio-first media company operating as a multi-platform network for the US Latinx and Global Hispanic communities. The core product is the Sonoro Podcast Platform (sonoromedia.com), which enables podcast creation, distribution, and monetization across major platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio. The platform encompasses numerous branded podcast sub-products organized by genre and talent, including award-winning series (Leyendas Legendarias, Chins & Giggles, TOXICOMANÍA, Ídolo, Princess of South Beach), premium scripted audio dramas (Cassettes, Tejana, Faraway, Parábola, Ciudad Mágica, SED, Cuba 58, Muerte Súbita, Potato), and comedy/content podcasts (La Cotorrisa, Hablando Huevadas, Franco Escamilla, Tamarindo). Supporting offerings include Sonoro Merch for podcast merchandise, the Sonoro Ad Platform for brand partnerships, and Sonoro Imprints for talent-led content development. The company positions itself as an IP development pipeline, adapting podcast content into TV/streaming series.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sonoro Podcast Platform Audio-first media platform connecting Latino creators with audiences and brands, offering podcast creation, distribution, and monetization services for US Latinx and Global Hispanic communities.
- Sonoro Ad Platform Advertising and brand partnership services connecting Fortune 500 brands with the Latino audience through podcast content, offering access to 100M+ monthly downloads and 1B monthly impressions.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 million monthly downloads across the platform
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sonoro
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sonoro technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sonoro partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- IABminorSonoro participates in IAB Podcast Upfront events, a major industry event for the podcast advertising ecosystem.
- Business InsiderminorBusiness Insider published an article about Latino-focused media company Sonoro and its plans to become the next 'IP machine' like Warner Bros., positioning the company in mainstream business media coverage.
- NetflixcoreGina Rodríguez is developing a series adaptation of Sonoro's podcast 'Princess of South Beach' for Netflix, demonstrating Sonoro's ability to create original IP with television adaptation potential.
- Manolo CardonacoreSonoro launched an imprint with Colombian actor Manolo Cardona for developing original audio content. Cardona co-founded 11:11 Films & TV and has produced successful projects in Latin American markets.
- Martha HigaredacoreSonoro launched an imprint with Martha Higareda for developing original audio content. Higareda is a Mexican actress and producer known for her work on Netflix's 'Altered Carbon' and the 'No Manches Frida' film franchise.
- TelemundocoreSonoro partnered with Telemundo to produce original podcast series including 'Tejana' starring Stephanie Beatriz and 'Parábola', demonstrating cross-media content development capabilities.
- TenderfootcoreSonoro partnered with Tenderfoot (producer of 'Culpable?' and 'The Shrink Next Door') for production of 'Ciudad Mágica', a crime thriller podcast.
- BengalaminorSonoro partnered with Bengala for the production of 'Muerte Súbita', a fictional political thriller series inspired by rumors in Mexican politics.
- San Francisco 110minorSonoro partnered with San Francisco 110 and Xook Audio for the production of 'SED: La Advertencia' podcast series.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sonoro competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wondery: Amazon-owned podcast studio and network producing original serialized audio content with brand advertising and IP adaptation deals (e.g., Amazon/MGM). Directly comparable to Sonoro as a podcast-first media company monetizing through ads and screen adaptations.
- iHeartPodcasts: Largest US podcast publisher and network, combining iHeartRadio distribution with original content production and a dominant advertising sales operation. Operates in the same podcast production/distribution/advertising stack as Sonoro at much larger scale.
- Gimlet Media: Spotify-owned podcast studio known for premium narrative and branded content. Closely comparable to Sonoro as a podcast production company building IP and brand partnerships, though without the Latino/Hispanic audience focus.
- Lemonada Media: Independent, female-founded podcast network producing original shows and building brand sponsorship businesses. Comparable as an indie podcast network competing for ad budgets and creator talent without Big Tech ownership.
- Cadence13: Audacy-owned podcast studio and network producing and distributing premium audio content with advertising sales. Overlaps with Sonoro in original podcast production, distribution, and brand monetization.
- Audioboom: Podcast hosting and ad-tech platform enabling creators and publishers to publish, monetize, and measure audio content. Comparable as a podcast-first platform competing on hosting, distribution, and ad sales.
Broad incumbents
- Spotify: Dominant audio streaming platform and major podcast investor (Gimlet, The Ringer, Spotify Studios). Functions as both a key distribution channel for Sonoro and a vertically integrated competitor with deeper capital and owned content.
- Audacy: Multi-platform audio company combining terrestrial radio with podcasting (Cadence13). Competes with Sonoro for advertiser share in the broader audio ecosystem while operating a much wider broadcast footprint.
- NPR: Major public broadcaster and one of the largest US podcast publishers, including NPR Latino USA. Competes for advertiser attention and audience share in the podcast space, with structural advantages in production funding and brand recognition.
Emerging players
- mitú: Digital media company focused on US Latino audiences across video, social, and editorial. Most directly comparable as a Latino-focused media brand chasing the same multicultural ad budgets and audiences as Sonoro, though video-led.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sonoro social profiles
Digital presenceSonoro compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sonoro financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sonoro leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sonoro funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sonoro M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sonoro
What does Sonoro do?
Sonoro is an audio-first media company that develops, produces, and distributes original podcasts in English, Spanish, and Spanglish for the US Latinx and Global Hispanic communities. The company connects creators, brands, and audiences by offering podcast production, multi-platform distribution across major podcast services, brand advertising and sponsorship opportunities, and talent-led content development through its imprint system.
Is Sonoro a public or private company?
Sonoro is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Sonoro founded?
Sonoro was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sonoro based?
Sonoro is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sonoro make money?
One revenue line is on record: brand Advertising and Sponsorship.
Who are Sonoro's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wondery, iHeartPodcasts, Gimlet Media, Lemonada Media, Cadence13 and Audioboom. Broad incumbents are Spotify, Audacy and NPR. mitú is listed as an emerging player.
Does Sonoro have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sonoro.
What industry is Sonoro in?
Sonoro's product category is Podcast Media Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAE, Podcast Production, Editing & Post-Production Services, with a secondary code of MPACADAG, Podcast Syndication, Cross-Promotion & Growth Networks. Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7822.