What Burli Software does

Burli Software Inc., founded in 1996 by Stefan Ellis and headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, develops Windows-based client-server newsroom computer systems for radio broadcasters and, increasingly, television and multi-platform newsrooms. The company's product suite comprises two core systems — Burli Newsroom, the long-standing radio workflow product, and Burli NE, the next-generation flagship — along with Burli NewsHub, a hosted cloud platform for content pooling across news networks, and Burli Beat, a browser-based mobile reporting tool integrated into Burli NE. The product stack is built on Microsoft Windows and Microsoft SQL Server with Active Directory integration, and includes purpose-built broadcast features such as a multi-track audio editor with VST/LADSPA plugin support, prompter/play-to-air, newswire ingestion (AP, Canadian Press), audio logging, and integrations with broadcast automation systems (RCS, WideOrbit, Enco), IP-Audio systems (Axia, Wheatstone), and digital publishing (WordPress, SoundCloud). Burli's customer base includes major all-news operations such as 1010 WINS (New York), Global Radio (London), WTOP (Washington, DC), Bell Media (Canada), and Radio4 (Denmark), alongside mid-market and community broadcasters, with thousands of journalists across roughly a dozen countries and languages. Revenue is generated primarily through per-concurrent-user software licensing on multi-year contracts that bundle support and upgrades, supplemented by tailored installation and training services, discounted educational licensing for journalism schools, and a worldwide authorized reseller channel spanning nine countries across the Americas, EMEA, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

Name

Burli Software

Legal name

Burli Software Inc.

Website

https://burli.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Burli Software develops Windows-based newsroom computer systems for radio, television, and multi-platform broadcasters. Its Burli NE, Burli Newsroom, Burli NewsHub, and Burli Beat products are sold under per-concurrent-user licensing to professional broadcasters and journalism schools worldwide via direct sales and authorized resellers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Newsroom software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Rights, Access Control & Clearance for Archives (Permissions, Audit, Policy) (MPAHAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scheduling, Programming & Window Planning (Linear/OTT Calendars) (MPAHALAF), Ingest, Recording & Capture Systems (MPAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Newsroom software systems
• Broadcast journalism tools
• Radio newsroom automation
• Audio editing software
• Multi-site news production

Headquarters

HQ city

Burnaby

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software License Sales (Per Concurrent User): Burli is sold on a per-concurrent-user (per-workstation) basis. Licensing terms include complete support service and software upgrades. Packages are available to suit a variety of station sizes and budgets. Installation and training packages are tailored to individual clients. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Educational and Non-Profit Discounts: Special pricing is offered to qualified educational institutions and to community and indigenous broadcasters. This segment serves journalism schools worldwide at a fraction of standard pricing, creating a pipeline of trained users who may drive adoption in professional newsrooms.
3. Professional Services (Installation and Training): Burli offers installation and training packages that are tailored to individual clients, providing an additional revenue stream on top of software licensing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Burli Software develops and sells Windows-based computer newsroom systems for radio, television, and digital journalists. Its products cover the full news production lifecycle — gathering stories from newswires and the field, editing text and audio, running newscasts through built-in prompter and play-to-air tools, and publishing to websites, podcasts, and broadcast automation systems. The portfolio includes the flagship Burli NE, the classic Burli Newsroom, the cloud-hosted Burli NewsHub for cross-network content pooling, and Burli Beat for mobile/remote reporting.

Product overview

Burli Software provides a suite of computer newsroom tools for electronic journalists to gather, edit, broadcast, and publish news. The product portfolio consists of two core products: Burli NE (the flagship next-generation newsroom system with advanced editing tools, editorial controls, and mobile capabilities including Burli Beat) and Burli Newsroom (the classic radio newsroom system designed for smaller operations). Both products share common features for news gathering, story editing, sharing, and presentation. Burli NewsHub serves as a cloud-hosted platform for sharing content across networks. The suite also includes specialized features like the Multi-Track Audio Editor, Audio Logger, Quick Record, and Virtual Newsroom for remote access. All products are designed for journalists by journalists and run on standard Windows PCs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burli NE: Next generation newsroom system with advanced features including image editing, video/PDF handling, advanced searching, and full API integration.
• Burli Newsroom
• Burli NewsHub
• Burli Beat

Products and services

• Burli NE

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% graduate employment success rate at partner journalism programs using Burli
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EuMediaNet BVcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuMediaNet BV is based in Maastricht, Netherlands and provides software solutions for broadcasters across Western Europe. Serves as Burli's authorized reseller and support provider for Western Europe.
• RCS (RCS UK, RCS Africa, RCS Taiwan)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRCS is based in New York with offices worldwide, known for the Selector music scheduler and Zetta broadcast automation system. Serves as Burli's authorized reseller and support provider for the United Kingdom, Ireland, Africa (Johannesburg office), and Taiwan (Taipei office).
• Optimum Team (Poland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of Poland's leading suppliers of broadcast systems, selling and supporting Burli to radio and television operations across the country from Warsaw office.
• AVC Group (Middle East, Australia, New Zealand)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAVC Group sells and supports professional broadcast 'best of breed' products and services in Australia (Chatswood, NSW), New Zealand (Auckland), the Pacific, India (Mumbai), and the Middle East (Mumbai). Part of the 360° Radio cooperative group.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationBurli's entire product line runs on Microsoft Windows operating systems and Microsoft SQL Server databases. The products are tightly integrated with Windows infrastructure including Active Directory for single-sign-on. Any changes in Microsoft OS support policies directly affect Burli's product roadmap.
• Associated Press (AP)coreTechnology or IntegrationBurli newsroom systems integrate with Associated Press news feeds for wire content. Burli was updated ahead of the AP's June 2024 security changes to ensure compatibility with new encryption and header token requirements. AP is a critical news source for Burli's customer base.
• College of Sports MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by David Lanys in 2008, the College of Sports Media provides hands-on broadcast training using Burli Newsroom System as the foundation for its newsroom-style curriculum. Partnership extends beyond software licensing to include mentorship, workflow support, and student scholarships. The program reports an 85% success rate with ~700 graduates now employed at major Canadian networks including Sportsnet and TSN.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avid iNEWS: Avid's iNEWS is one of the most widely deployed broadcast newsroom computer systems globally, serving radio and TV newsrooms with story editing, rundown management, and integration with Avid playout. It competes head-to-head with Burli NE in multi-site TV and radio newsroom workflows.
• Octopus Newsroom: Octopus NRCS is a dedicated newsroom computer system used by broadcasters worldwide, offering rundown planning, script editing, wire ingest, and multi-site collaboration. It is a direct functional competitor to both Burli NE and Burli Newsroom.
• Dalet: Dalet offers newsroom and media asset management solutions (Dalet Galaxy) used by major radio and TV broadcasters for news production, archiving, and multi-platform publishing. It competes with Burli NE in larger TV and multi-platform newsroom deployments.
• ENCO Systems: ENCO provides broadcast automation (DAD, EnCaption) and adjacent newsroom-adjacent tools integrated with Burli's playout partners. ENCO overlaps with Burli at the playout/automation edge of the newsroom workflow and is also listed as a Burli integration partner.
• RCS (Radio Computing Services): RCS provides Zetta broadcast automation and Selector music scheduling used by radio broadcasters worldwide. It is simultaneously a Burli reseller in UK/Ireland/Africa/Taiwan and a competitor in adjacent broadcast software categories, making it a uniquely positioned channel-conflict peer.
• Bitcentral: Bitcentral provides news production and workflow solutions (Oasis, Newsroom) used by US TV stations and broadcasters. It serves a similar newsroom computer system function for broadcast journalists and competes with Burli in TV newsroom deployments.
• Ross Video Inception: Ross Video's Inception is a newsroom computer system for TV broadcasters offering rundown management, script editing, and MOS-based integration with Ross and third-party playout. It competes with Burli NE for TV and multi-platform newsroom contracts.

Broad incumbents

• WideOrbit: WideOrbit is a major broadcast management software vendor offering traffic, scheduling, and automation solutions (WO Automation for Radio/TV) used by large broadcasters. It is a Burli integration partner but also competes in adjacent automation and playout workflows.

Emerging players

• PlayoutONE: PlayoutONE provides radio broadcast automation software used by smaller and community stations. It is a Burli integration partner for playout, and competes at the automation edge for budget-conscious radio operators who may not adopt a full Burli newsroom system.
• VSN (Newsroom Solutions): VSN provides broadcast newsroom, automation, and MAM solutions for TV and radio broadcasters, with a presence in EMEA and Latin America. It competes with Burli in selected international markets and shares overlap in media asset management and newsroom workflow.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burli-software-inc
• Xx.com/burlisoftware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Burli Software