What DemonFM does

DemonFM is a student-run community radio station based at De Montfort University in Leicester, England, operated by De Montfort Students' Union as part of the Demon Media group alongside The Demon newspaper and Demon TV. Founded in 1995 by Communications Officer Rob Martin, the station originally broadcast under 25 Restricted Service Licences over 14 years before securing a five-year Ofcom community radio licence in 2009 to broadcast on 107.5 FM. The licence was extended in 2014, and FM broadcasting concluded in May 2019, after which DemonFM transitioned to an online-only platform.

The station's product surface consists of live audio streaming via its website (powered by the Broadcast.Radio technology platform), a podcast catch-up archive distributed through Mixcloud, and curated music playlists shared on Spotify. Programming covers music shows, talk programmes, news and journalism segments, and live event coverage, with a weekly schedule anchored by named shows such as United Frequencies, The Izaak De May Show, and Always Luke On The Brightside. All operations are conducted by volunteer student presenters and a 2025-2026 committee including a Station Manager, Deputy Station Manager, and Heads of Scheduling, Music, Events, Social Media, and Podcasting.

DemonFM's business model is non-commercial. The station provides free access to all programming, operates without disclosed pricing tiers or subscription revenue, and is funded institutionally through De Montfort University and De Montfort Students' Union. There is no evidence of advertising revenue, sponsorship, external investment, or funding rounds. The audience is geographically concentrated on students and young people living and studying in Leicester, reached through organic social channels (X/Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) and cross-promotion via the Demon Media group.

Name

DemonFM

Legal name

Demon FM

Website

https://demonfm.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DemonFM is a student-run community radio station based at De Montfort University in Leicester, broadcasting online-only since May 2019 with live music, talk, news, and podcast programming for students and young people in the local community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Sound Recording Studios (51224)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community/Low-Power Nonprofit Radio (LPFM/Community Radio) (MPABADAE)

Keywords

• Community radio broadcasting
• Student radio station
• Online radio streaming
• Podcast distribution
• Music programming services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Not Disclosed: As a student-run community radio station at De Montfort University, DemonFM's revenue model is not explicitly disclosed in the source material. The station appears to operate as a not-for-profit student society supported by the university and students' union.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DemonFM is a student-run community online radio station that broadcasts scheduled live programming including music shows, talk shows, and journalism content to listeners in Leicester. It also offers on-demand podcast catch-up content through Mixcloud and a curated Spotify playlist of songs played on air. All content is produced by volunteer student presenters from De Montfort University.

Product overview

Demon FM is an award-winning student community radio station operated by volunteers from De Montfort University. The station offers a unified platform combining live broadcasting, on-demand podcast access, and curated music content. Core offerings include the main radio station (Demon FM) with live streaming, the Catch Up podcast archive powered by Mixcloud, and the Playlist service linked to Spotify. Individual shows such as United Frequencies, DJ Patty, The Izaak De May Show, Always Luke On The Brightside, and DJ Sam provide scheduled programming across music, talk, and specialist content genres.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Demon FM Live Radio Live online community radio station broadcasting scheduled music shows, talk programs, news and journalism content to listeners, particularly young people and students in Leicester.
• Demon FM Catch Up (Podcast Archive) On-demand podcast archive of previously broadcast Demon FM shows and recordings, hosted on the Mixcloud platform for catch-up listening.
• Demon FM Hot Songs Playlist Curated music playlist on Spotify featuring hot songs currently being played on Demon FM, enabling music discovery for listeners.
• Demon Podcast Spotlight Weekly scheduled show that plays a selection of Demon FM podcasts and rebroadcasts of previous shows.
• DJ Patty on Demon FM Weekly radio show hosted by DJ Patty on Demon FM, airing Fridays from 12pm to 1pm.
• The Izaak De May Show Weekly radio show hosted by DJ Izaak on Demon FM, airing Friday afternoons from 1pm to 4pm, featuring music and conversation.
• Always Luke On The Brightside Weekly music show hosted by DJ Luke on Demon FM, airing Fridays from 4pm to 5pm.
• DJ Sam on Demon FM Weekly radio show hosted by DJ Sam on Demon FM, airing Fridays from 5pm to 6pm.
• United Frequencies Weekly DJ mix show hosted by DJ Adrian on Demon FM, airing Fridays from 6pm to 8pm.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• De Montfort UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership between De Montfort University and De Montfort Students' Union in 2009 enabled DemonFM to receive a five-year community radio licence, broadcasting on 107.5 FM 24 hours a day. The university provides institutional support and student volunteers.
• De Montfort Students' UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnered with De Montfort University in 2009 to secure community radio licence. The Students' Union provides organizational structure and student recruitment for the station as part of the Demon Media group.
• Broadcast.RadiocoreTechnology or IntegrationBroadcast.Radio provides the underlying technology platform that powers DemonFM's website, streaming infrastructure, and station management systems.
• Demon MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemonFM is part of Demon Media, an award-winning group that also comprises The Demon newspaper and Demon TV. This parent organization provides cross-promotion opportunities and integrated media experience.
• OfcomcoreOthersUK communications regulator that issued DemonFM's community radio licence. The station is committed to compliance with Ofcom requirements as part of its licensing obligations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• University Radio York (URY): University of York student radio station operating an analogous volunteer-presenter and committee structure, producing online broadcasts and podcast content for a university audience - directly comparable to DemonFM's student/community model.
• Fuse FM (University of Manchester): Manchester-based student radio station run by University of Manchester students with volunteer presenters and varied music, news, and talk programming - the same value proposition as DemonFM but scaled to a larger student population.
• University Radio Nottingham (URN): Volunteer-led student radio station at the University of Nottingham using the same operating model as DemonFM - student presenters, university-affiliated broadcasting, online streaming, and a training-ground value proposition for media and journalism students.

Others

• Mixcloud: Audio and podcast distribution platform that hosts DemonFM's Catch Up on-demand content. A platform enabler rather than direct competitor; relevant as adjacent ecosystem infrastructure that DemonFM depends on for podcast availability.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Radio Leicester: Local BBC radio station broadcasting in the same Leicester market where DemonFM previously held its 107.5 FM community licence. Represents a broad incumbent local broadcaster with significantly larger reach, professional staff, and funding that DemonFM competes against for local listener attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DemonFM
• Facebookfacebook.com/DemonFM
• Instagraminstagram.com/_demonfm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/demonfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 DemonFM