Media Sound Holdings

What Media Sound Holdings does

Media Sound Holdings, operating as Total Sense Media Ltd, is a privately-held UK regional media company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Hassocks, West Sussex. The business owns and operates a multi-platform local media portfolio serving Sussex and the Isle of Wight, comprising three radio stations (More Radio Sussex, More Radio Retro, and Isle of Wight Radio), two magazines (Sussex Living Magazine and Beacon Magazine), subscription membership programs (Hidden and Hidden Island), annual community awards events (Child of Sussex and Child of Wight Awards), and a skills/training initiative (08_SKILLS). Its core technology is a multi-platform media delivery system that combines broadcast, print, digital, social media, and event channels with content delivered via webinars, podcasts, and e-mags.

The company's revenue model is advertising-led: it sells integrated, multi-platform multimedia marketing campaigns to local businesses, enabling clients to purchase radio, print, digital, social, and event media from a single source under bespoke quote-based pricing. Its go-to-market is direct sales targeting SMBs in Sussex and the Isle of Wight, positioning the business as a one-stop shop for advertisers seeking larger aggregated audiences than any single local outlet could provide. Social media content reportedly reaches millions of people monthly across all platforms and brands. The company employs 51-100 staff, is legally organized as Total Sense Media Ltd (a private limited company), and has historically pursued inorganic expansion, having acquired More Radio Hastings in June 2009.

The business has executed a digital transformation across its entire brand portfolio over recent years, converting legacy print and broadcast assets into multi-platform operations with strong digital and social media presence. The Hidden Membership scheme represents a recurring-revenue content layer complementing the core advertising model. No AI, patent, certification, or institutional ownership signals are evident in the available data, and the company appears to be independently and locally owned without disclosed PE/VC backing.

Name

Media Sound Holdings

Legal name

Total Sense Media Ltd

Website

https://mediasoundholdings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Media Sound Holdings (Total Sense Media Ltd) is a UK regional media company operating radio stations, magazines, membership content, and events across Sussex and the Isle of Wight, selling integrated multi-platform advertising campaigns to local businesses via direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Media & Advertising Services

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224), Media Buying Agencies (541830), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Radio Advertising Sales & Representation (Local/National, Network Ad Sales) (MPAIAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL), Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE), Audio/Podcast/Streaming Media Buying (MPAAABAF)

Keywords

• Local radio stations
• Regional magazines
• Multimedia marketing
• Digital media publishing
• Branded events

Headquarters

HQ city

Uckfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Multimedia Marketing Campaigns: Revenue generated from delivering integrated multimedia, multi-platform marketing campaigns to local businesses. Clients pay for combined media solutions across radio, print, digital, social media, and branded events from a single source.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Media Sound Holdings (operating as Total Sense Media) sells integrated multimedia, multi-platform marketing campaigns to local businesses across Sussex and the Isle of Wight. Its portfolio includes three radio stations (More Radio Sussex, More Radio Retro, Isle of Wight Radio), two local magazines (Sussex Living Magazine, Beacon Magazine), the Hidden membership scheme, branded awards events, and the 08_SKILLS training initiative, enabling clients to purchase radio, print, digital, social media, and event advertising from a single media source.

Product overview

Total Sense Media operates as a locally-owned multimedia, multi-platform marketing company serving Sussex and the Isle of Wight. The portfolio consists of three radio stations (More Radio Sussex, More Radio Retro, and Isle of Wight Radio), two print/digital magazines (Sussex Living Magazine and Beacon Magazine), and a membership program called Hidden (with separate Sussex and Island variants). The company also organizes community awards events (Child of Sussex Awards and Child of Wight Awards) and operates an 08_SKILLS training initiative. All brands have undergone digital transformation and now operate across multi-platform channels including radio, print, digital, social media, and branded events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MORE RADIO SUSSEX: Radio station serving Sussex
• MORE RADIO RETRO
• ISLE OF WIGHT RADIO
• SUSSEX LIVING MAGAZINE
• BEACON MAGAZINE
• HIDDEN MEMBERSHIP
• HIDDEN ISLAND
• CHILD OF SUSSEX AWARDS
• CHILD OF WIGHT AWARDS

Products and services

• More Radio Sussex Local radio station serving Sussex, providing broadcast and digital content as a media channel for advertising and audience reach within Total Sense Media's multimedia marketing portfolio.
• More Radio Retro Retro/classic hits radio station format within the More Radio network, operated as part of the Total Sense Media multi-platform brand portfolio.
• Isle of Wight Radio Local radio station serving the Isle of Wight with broadcast and digital content, providing a regional media channel for advertising within the Total Sense Media portfolio.
• Sussex Living Magazine Local lifestyle magazine covering Sussex, published in print and digital editions and used as a media channel for advertising and editorial content.
• Beacon Magazine Local magazine brand offering print and digital content as part of Total Sense Media's regional media portfolio.
• Hidden Membership Membership scheme for Sussex subscribers offering exclusive content delivered via webinars, podcasts, and e-mags as part of Total Sense Media's digital offering.
• Hidden Island Membership scheme for Isle of Wight subscribers offering exclusive content delivered via webinars, podcasts, and e-mags as the regional variant of the Hidden membership offering.
• 08_SKILLS Skills and training initiative forming part of Total Sense Media's multimedia marketing offerings and supporting client marketing knowledge.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• KM Media Group: Independent Kent-based regional media group operating newspapers, radio (kmfm), magazines, and digital platforms. Closely mirrors Media Sound Holdings' combined radio + print + digital local media model, with overlapping value proposition of integrated multi-platform campaigns for local businesses.
• Iliffe Media: UK family-owned regional media group with a portfolio of local newspapers, magazines, and digital sites across multiple counties. Comparable as an independently owned multi-title local media operator monetising local advertising across print and digital channels.
• Newsquest Media Group: One of the UK's largest regional news and media groups, operating local newspapers, websites, and digital platforms across multiple UK regions. Highly comparable to Media Sound Holdings as a multi-platform local media company monetising local audiences via advertising, but operating at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Archant: UK regional media group (now part of Newsquest) operating local newspapers, magazines, and digital platforms across East Anglia and beyond. Comparable in independent multi-platform local media model, though now owned by a larger group and serving a different UK region.
• Tindle Newspapers: Independent UK family-owned local newspaper group operating local and regional titles in southern England, the Midlands, and Channel Islands. Comparable as an independent multi-title local media operator monetising print and digital advertising, with overlapping geographies to Media Sound Holdings' Sussex presence.
• National World: UK regional news publisher (formerly JPI Media) operating local titles, websites, and digital advertising across multiple UK regions. Comparable as a multi-platform local media monetisation model targeting regional advertisers, but listed and at larger scale than Media Sound Holdings.

Broad incumbents

• Bauer Media UK: Major UK commercial radio broadcaster and magazine publisher operating national radio brands (Absolute, Magic, Kiss, Hits) alongside a large magazine portfolio. Competes with Media Sound Holdings in radio advertising and local/regional audience monetisation, but at vastly greater scale and with a national footprint.
• Global Media & Entertainment: Largest UK commercial radio group operating Heart, Capital, LBC, Classic FM, Smooth and other national brands. Directly comparable in radio advertising sales, but with national reach, proprietary DAX digital audio ad exchange, and significantly greater scale than Media Sound Holdings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media-sound-holdings-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Media Sound Holdings