Mi-Soul

What Mi-Soul does

Mi-Soul is a UK-based digital music platform and DAB+ radio station broadcasting soul, house, R&B, reggae, and related genres 24/7 to a global listener base. Founded in 2011 by Gordon Mac — previously the youngest Managing Director of Kiss FM and the figure credited with growing Kiss from pirate radio to a £40m company — and staffed with the core Kiss FM team alongside a roster of 70+ DJs, Mi-Soul operates from London with its broadcast studio in the Stephen Lawrence Trust building. Distribution is multi-platform: DAB+ digital radio in London and Brighton, worldwide online streaming, native iOS/Android apps with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, smart TV apps across Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Vidaa, an Alexa skill, a Chrome browser extension, and third-party aggregators including TuneIn, GetMeRadio, and Radioplayer. Sister stations Mi-House Radio and Mi-Grooves Radio extend the brand into adjacent genres.

The company's product portfolio is broader than a typical radio station. Beyond the core Mi-Soul Radio stream, the platform includes a web radio player, mobile apps, a Chrome extension, a weekly published playlist, live video streaming, and the Mi-Soul Shop for merchandise and ticketing. A distinctive physical asset is the 45ft Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit — a self-contained staging, sound, lighting, LED video, and broadcast-production vehicle used for festivals, council events, and brand activations. The events business includes weekly club nights (Boisdale Fridays, Karma Sanctum Soho), Brighton beach all-dayers, the Brighton Weekender, and international festival programming such as Sharm Soul.

Mi-Soul is operated by Tristar Communications Limited, a private limited company registered in England and Wales (company no. 7681651). The company is bootstrapped with no external institutional investors disclosed. Revenue is generated through airtime advertising, brand sponsorship of programming and events, event ticketing across multiple price tiers (£10 to £140), and merchandise sales. The customer base is fragmented: long-tail consumer listeners supplemented by SMB advertisers and event sponsors, with venue partnerships providing physical activation channels. Gordon Mac's continued involvement, validated by his 2024 MBE award for services to music, remains the central governance signal.

Name

Mi-Soul

Legal name

Tristar Communications Limited

Website

https://mi-soul.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mi-Soul is a UK-based digital music platform and DAB+ radio station broadcasting soul, house, R&B, and reggae 24/7 to global audiences via multi-platform delivery, complemented by live events, ticketed festivals, and a roster of 70+ DJs. Founded in 2011 by Gordon Mac and the core Kiss FM team, it serves soulful music enthusiasts and brands seeking targeted advertising reach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Interactive Digital Radio (Lean-Back Streaming) (MPAIACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Music & DJ Live Streaming Platforms (MPACACAE)

Keywords

• Digital radio broadcasting
• Soul music streaming
• Live music events
• Mobile radio app
• DAB+ radio station

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Airtime Advertising: Radio advertising slots during programming, reaching listeners within two hours of their most important purchase decisions when they are planning shopping or activities.
2. Sponsorship: Brand sponsorship of programming, events, and platform features.
3. Event Ticketing: Sale of tickets to live events including club nights, beach all-dayers, weekenders, and festivals. Tickets range from £10-£140 plus booking fees.
4. Shop Merchandise: Online shop selling merchandise and event-related products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mi-Soul is a music platform broadcasting soul, house, R&B, reggae, and related 'soulful' genres 24/7 via DAB+ digital radio in London and Brighton, with worldwide online streaming, mobile apps, smart TV apps, Alexa voice skill, and in-car integration. The platform extends into live events (club nights, beach all-dayers, weekenders, and international festivals), a 45ft Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit for hire, plus ticketing and merchandise through the Mi-Soul Shop. Programming is delivered by over 70 experienced DJs and is supported by related streams Mi-House Radio and Mi-Grooves Radio.

Product overview

Mi-Soul is a UK-based music platform and DAB+ radio station operating as a portfolio of interconnected products. The core offering is Mi-Soul Radio (mi-soul.com), a 24/7 soul, house, R&B, and reggae broadcaster available via DAB+ in London/Brighton, online streaming, and native mobile apps. Supporting products include the web-based Radio Player, mobile apps for iOS/Android with CarPlay/Android Auto support, a Chrome browser extension, and the Mi-Soul Playlist (weekly updated track listings). The portfolio extends into live events through Mi-Soul Events (club nights, beach all-dayers, and weekenders), the Mi-Soul Shop (ticketing/merchandise), and a Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit (45ft mobile stage/truck). Sister stations Mi-House Radio and Mi-Grooves Radio expand the brand into adjacent genres. Live video streaming is also available through the Live page.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mi-House Radio: An additional radio stream operated by Mi-Soul, focusing on house music.
• Mi-Grooves Radio

Products and services

• Mi-Soul Radio Primary 24/7 DAB+ digital radio station broadcasting soul, house, R&B, reggae, and related genres across London and Brighton, with worldwide online streaming and mobile app distribution.
• Mi-Soul Radio Player Web-based pop-up radio player enabling live streaming of Mi-Soul Radio directly from the mi-soul.com website via the Radioplayer platform.
• Mi-Soul Radio App (iOS/Android) Native mobile application for iOS and Android enabling live Mi-Soul listening, additional radio streams, programme schedule viewing, and track sharing, with native CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
• Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit Fully self-contained 45ft mobile stage and broadcast truck for festivals, live events, council activations, brand experiences, and community celebrations, with integrated sound, lighting, LED video capability, and self-powered operation.
• Mi-Soul Playlist Weekly updated playlist of tracks currently in rotation on Mi-Soul Radio, available for download and featuring new releases.
• Mi-Soul Events Mi-Soul-branded event series including weekly club nights (Boisdale Fridays, Karma Sanctum Soho), annual beach parties (Brighton Beach All-Dayer), weekend festivals (Brighton Weekender), and international holidays (Sharm Soul).
• Mi-Soul Shop Online store for event tickets, merchandise, and related purchases.
• Mi-Soul Chrome Browser Extension Browser extension for Chrome enabling direct listening to Mi-Soul Radio without visiting the website.
• Mi-House Radio Sister station focused on house music, operated under the Mi-Soul umbrella and cross-promoted on Mi-Soul platforms as an additional stream.
• Mi-Grooves Radio Sister station featuring groove-oriented music, operated under the Mi-Soul umbrella and cross-promoted on Mi-Soul platforms as an additional stream.
• Mi-Soul Live Video Live video streaming feature available on the Mi-Soul website and linked from the navigation menu for real-time video broadcasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded by team that grew Kiss FM from pirate to £40m company

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AlphaThetaminorOthersIndustry partner supporting the Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit. AlphaTheta manufactures professional DJ equipment including Pioneer DJ products.
• Centre Transport SalesminorOthersIndustry partner supporting the Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit. Provides transport and vehicle sales services.
• Wharfedale Pro & 2 Big AudiominorOthersIndustry partners supporting the Mobile Event Stage & Broadcast Unit. Provide professional audio equipment including speakers and sound systems.
• Mi-House RadiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated radio station under the Mi-Soul umbrella, broadcasting house music. Listed as an additional stream on the Mi-Soul platform.
• Mi-Grooves RadiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated radio station under the Mi-Soul umbrella, broadcasting groove music. Listed as an additional stream on the Mi-Soul platform.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Heart Radio: One of the UK's largest commercial radio networks (Global). Comparable as a competing national DAB+ advertiser and audio inventory, but with mass-market (rather than soulful) programming.
• Smooth Radio: UK national adult/soul-adjacent music station competing for the same 'lean-back' listening occasions. Comparable as a digital radio competitor for mature, soulful-music listeners and advertiser spend.
• Capital XTRA: Major UK national DAB station owned by Global, focused on hip-hop, R&B and grime. Comparable in audience overlap (urban/Black music) and ad-sales model, but operates at much greater scale as part of a national portfolio.
• BBC Radio 1Xtra: BBC's national digital station for hip-hop, R&B, and grime. Competes for the same core listener segment, with materially larger reach, public funding, and brand authority across DAB+, online, and app distribution.

Direct peers

• Colourful Radio: London-focused digital radio station serving multicultural and soul/R&B audiences. Comparable niche urban-music positioning, event-led community engagement, and DAB+ distribution model.
• Jazz FM: UK digital radio station broadcasting jazz, soul, and blues. Closely aligned music-format focus, similar advertiser mix, and overlapping event programming make it a like-for-like operating comparable.
• Solar Radio: London-based soul, R&B, and jazz digital radio station targeting a similar 'soulful music' audience. Directly comparable niche positioning, single-genre focus, and event-driven community GTM.
• Kiss FM (UK): UK dance and R&B-leaning radio station founded by the same team behind Mi-Soul. Highly comparable as the same genre family, same audience demographic, and same distribution model (DAB+/digital), making it the closest historical and operational benchmark.

Emerging players

• Reprezent Radio: London youth/community digital radio station broadcasting urban, hip-hop, and R&B. Comparable niche digital-radio positioning, community-driven GTM, and multi-platform distribution (DAB+/online).
• Flex FM: UK dance music station with pirate-to-legal heritage and a niche following in London. Comparable in genre (dance/soulful house), origin story, and digital-only distribution model, though smaller and more narrowly focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/misoulradio
• Facebookfacebook.com/misoulradio
• Instagraminstagram.com/misoulradio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mi-soul-radio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mi-Soul