BirdNote
BirdNote (Tune In To Nature.org) is a U.S. nonprofit media organization that produces two-minute sound-rich audio stories about birds, broadcasting on 360+ U.S. radio stations and podcast platforms for general audiences, educators, and conservation communities, funded by donations, a BirdNote+ subscription, merchandise, and events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersAsheville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What BirdNote does
BirdNote, legally Tune In To Nature.org, is a U.S. nonprofit media organization that produces sound-rich, two-minute audio stories about birds and the natural world. Its core product, BirdNote Daily, is broadcast on more than 360 radio stations across the United States and distributed globally through all major podcast platforms. The content portfolio also includes Bring Birds Back (a conservation-action podcast), Threatened (a species and habitat protection series), BirdNote en Español (a Spanish-language edition), BirdNote Presents (curated specials), Sound Escapes (immersive audio experiences), and supporting digital properties such as Field Notes articles, a Sights & Sounds media gallery, and educator resources. Authenticity of bird vocalizations is supported by a content partnership with The Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology and a BirdNote Science Advisory Council.
The organization generates revenue primarily through listener donations supplemented by a BirdNote+ annual subscription (delivered via Supercast), merchandise sales through a Shopify storefront, and fundraising events such as the year-end Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown auction. It is governed by a board, led by an executive producer and a content director, and operates a production team of senior producers, managing producers, writers, and narrators. BirdNote distributes through radio, podcast, email newsletter, and an active presence on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and maintains the GuideStar Transparency Seal as a 501(c)(3) entity. There are no funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors disclosed in the source material, and no AI/ML capabilities, app, API, or SDK are indicated.
BirdNote firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BirdNote
- Legal name
- Tune In To Nature.org
- Website
- https://birdnote.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- BirdNote (Tune In To Nature.org) is a U.S. nonprofit media organization that produces two-minute sound-rich audio stories about birds, broadcasting on 360+ U.S. radio stations and podcast platforms for general audiences, educators, and conservation communities, funded by donations, a BirdNote+ subscription, merchandise, and events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where BirdNote is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Asheville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
BirdNote business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: BirdNote operates as a nonprofit and relies on donations from listeners. The website prominently features donation calls-to-action, indicating donations are the primary revenue source.
- BirdNote+ Subscription: Premium subscription service providing additional content and exclusive shows for supporters seeking more BirdNote programming.
- Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling BirdNote merchandise through their Shopify storefront.
- Auctions and Events: Year-end celebrations and online auctions as fundraising events, such as the Ultimate Bird Drawing Throwdown Showdown with David Sibley.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | BirdNote+ premium subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
BirdNote product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BirdNote is a nonprofit media organization that produces sound-rich, two-minute audio stories about birds and nature, distributed as a daily radio show on 360+ U.S. stations and across all major podcast platforms. Its offerings include themed podcasts (Bring Birds Back, Threatened, BirdNote en Español, Sound Escapes), a BirdNote+ premium subscription tier for additional content, editorial articles under Field Notes, and a Sights & Sounds media gallery. The organization is funded primarily through listener donations, supplemented by the BirdNote+ subscription, merchandise, and fundraising events.
Product overview
BirdNote is a nonprofit media organization offering a portfolio of bird-focused audio content. The core product is BirdNote Daily, a two-minute radio show available on over 360 stations and all major podcast platforms, providing sound-rich stories about birds and their conservation. Premium content is available through BirdNote+, a subscription add-on that offers additional programming beyond the free daily shows. Supporting content platforms include Bring Birds Back and Threatened podcasts (conservation-focused series), BirdNote en Español (Spanish-language content), BirdNote Presents (curated specials), and Sound Escapes (immersive audio experiences). Additional offerings include Field Notes (blog content), Sights & Sounds (media gallery), and Resources for Educators. The portfolio is distributed through radio broadcast, podcast platforms, and the BirdNote.org website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BirdNote+: A premium subscription service offering additional sound-rich shows about birds and nature.
- BirdNote en Español
- BirdNote Daily
- Bring Birds Back
- Threatened
- Sound Escapes
Products and services
- BirdNote Daily A two-minute daily radio show that celebrates the lives of birds through sound-rich storytelling, distributed on over 360 radio stations and via major podcast platforms.
- Bring Birds Back A podcast about the joy of birds and the ways humans can help them through simple, everyday conservation actions.
- Threatened A podcast about answering the call to protect birds and the places they inhabit.
- BirdNote en Español Spanish-language version of BirdNote content, expanding accessibility to Spanish-speaking audiences.
- BirdNote Presents Special curated content and featured episodes from BirdNote.
- Sound Escapes Immersive audio content featuring natural bird sounds and environmental soundscapes.
- BirdNote+ A premium subscription service offering additional bird-focused content beyond the free daily shows, enabling supporters to access more sound-rich programming.
- Field Notes Blog-style articles featuring conservation stories, research updates, and community contributions about birds and birdwatching.
- Sights & Sounds Gallery of bird photographs and videos, including species profiles and bird behavior footage.
- Resources for Educators Educational materials and lesson plans for teachers to incorporate bird education into classrooms.
Companies that use BirdNote
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
BirdNote technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
BirdNote partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Black AF in STEMcoreBlack AF in STEM co-hosted Black Birders Week 2026 with BirdNote, supporting diversity and inclusion in birding and ornithology communities.
- The Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of OrnithologycoreThe Macaulay Library provides authentic bird sound recordings used in BirdNote productions. This partnership ensures scientific accuracy and high-quality audio content featuring real bird vocalizations.
- Ducks UnlimitedcoreDucks Unlimited project manager Jerad Henson appeared on the Bring Birds Back podcast to discuss waterfowl conservation and hunter contributions to habitat protection. Partnership focuses on conservation education content.
- BirdNote Science Advisory CouncilcoreScientific advisory body providing expert guidance on ornithological accuracy and research-based content for BirdNote programming.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
BirdNote competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- National Geographic Society: Broad incumbent — large-scale nature and wildlife media brand spanning TV, print, podcast, and digital. Significantly larger portfolio and budget, with overlapping audience interested in wildlife/conservation storytelling.
- NPR (National Public Radio): Broad incumbent — distributes BirdNote Daily over its member-station network and operates parallel nature/science short-form content. Represents both a distribution partner and a broader competitor for short-form public radio audiences.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Broad incumbent — global wildlife conservation nonprofit with broad media output including podcasts, films, and digital content. Competes for conservation-mission donors at a much larger global scale.
- The Nature Conservancy: Broad incumbent — large environmental nonprofit with adjacent media properties (Cool Green Science blog, podcast content, films). Competes for the same conservation-engaged donor audience but with a broader habitat/land-conservation mission.
- PBS Nature: Broad incumbent — flagship public TV natural-history series with deep nature storytelling, comparable mission to educate audiences about wildlife and conservation, but distributed via long-form television rather than short-form audio.
- BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nature / Planet Earth): Broad incumbent — global gold-standard producer of natural-history audio/visual content (Planet Earth, Springwatch, podcast). Competes for the same nature-curious global audience but with much larger production budgets and longer-form format.
- Sierra Club: Broad incumbent — large environmental advocacy nonprofit with podcast and storytelling assets (Sierra Club Outdoors, etc.). Overlaps in conservation-audience fundraising but is more policy-advocacy driven than wildlife-storytelling focused.
Emerging players
- Ducks Unlimited: Direct content collaborator — focused waterfowl and wetland conservation nonprofit with growing podcast/media investments. Co-produces conservation content with BirdNote and competes for the same hunter/birder donor base.
Direct peers
- National Audubon Society: Direct peer — major U.S. nonprofit dedicated to bird conservation with parallel media properties (magazine, podcasts, films), overlapping donor base, and similar science-advisory governance. Operates in the same bird-conservation content niche.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Direct peer — partner organization operating in the same ornithology media/education niche; runs Birds of the World, eBird, and produces conservation audio including the Macaulay Library that supplies BirdNote's sound recordings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BirdNote social profiles
Digital presenceBirdNote financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BirdNote leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
BirdNote funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BirdNote 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 BirdNote
What does BirdNote do?
BirdNote is a nonprofit media organization that produces sound-rich, two-minute audio stories about birds and nature, distributed as a daily radio show on 360+ U.S. stations and across all major podcast platforms. Its offerings include themed podcasts (Bring Birds Back, Threatened, BirdNote en Español, Sound Escapes), a BirdNote+ premium subscription tier for additional content, editorial articles under Field Notes, and a Sights & Sounds media gallery. The organization is funded primarily through listener donations, supplemented by the BirdNote+ subscription, merchandise, and fundraising events.
Is BirdNote a public or private company?
BirdNote is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was BirdNote founded?
BirdNote was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is BirdNote based?
BirdNote is headquartered in Asheville, United States, in the North America region.
How does BirdNote make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are birdNote+ Subscription, merchandise Sales and auctions and Events.
Who are BirdNote's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are National Geographic Society, NPR (National Public Radio), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The Nature Conservancy, PBS Nature, BBC Studios Natural History Unit (Nature / Planet Earth) and Sierra Club. Ducks Unlimited is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Does BirdNote have an API?
No public API is recorded for BirdNote.