Milwaukee Record

What Milwaukee Record does

Milwaukee Record is an independent digital media publication founded in April 2014 and operated as MKE REC LLC, a privately held Wisconsin LLC based in Milwaukee. The publication produces editorial content covering Milwaukee-area music, city life, food and drink, comedy, film, arts, and sports, distributed primarily through its WordPress-based website (milwaukeerecord.com) alongside a free Mailchimp newsletter, podcast distribution on SoundCloud and YouTube, and active social media presence on Instagram, Twitter/X, and Facebook. Co-founders Matt Wild (Editor) and Tyler Maas lead a team of 7 employees, with additional named contributors writing across verticals.

The publication's core product is free, ad-supported editorial content with a distinctive 'gentle sarcasm' voice and broad cultural-vertical coverage. Underlying technology is a WordPress content management system with no proprietary features, no mobile app, and no API integrations. Additional product surfaces include the podcast (including 'The Catered Quiz'), a monthly themed 'Milwaukee Record Club' live event hosted at Wiggle Room, and a branded merchandise storefront at milwaukeemerch.com.

Milwaukee Record's revenue model combines two streams: (1) display advertising served through a core partnership with Broadstreet Ads, and (2) recurring reader support via Patreon membership tiers offering exclusive content. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and podcast platforms, with a community-led go-to-market motion. The audience is geographically concentrated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and surrounding areas, with no enterprise customers, no app-store distribution, and no disclosed revenue figures. Strategic partnerships include core ties with Broadstreet Ads and the Milwaukee Comedy Festival, and minor alliances with Urban Cat Coalition, Lion's Tooth bookstore, and Wiggle Room.

Name

Milwaukee Record

Legal name

MKE REC LLC

Website

https://milwaukeerecord.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Milwaukee Record is an independent digital media publication founded in 2014 that covers Milwaukee-area music, food/drink, comedy, film, arts, and sports through a WordPress website, podcast, newsletter, and events, monetized via Broadstreet Ads display advertising and Patreon membership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: The website displays third-party advertisements through Broadstreet Ads network, generating revenue from display advertising on the site.
2. Patreon Support: Direct reader support through Patreon platform, offering exclusive articles and podcasts to supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Milwaukee Record is an independent digital publication that produces and distributes original editorial content covering Milwaukee-area music, city life, food/drink, comedy, film, arts, and sports. The publication maintains a free-to-read WordPress-based website, distributes podcasts, operates a weekly email newsletter, and accepts reader support through Patreon, monetizing primarily through display advertising and reader contributions.

Product overview

Milwaukee Record is a local digital news publication covering Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company produces editorial content across multiple vertical categories including music, city life, food/drink, comedy, film, arts, sports, and podcasts. Content is distributed through its website and supported via merchandise sales (Shop), newsletter subscriptions, and Patreon membership. The site operates as a content publication platform without distinct product modules or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milwaukee Record website (milwaukeerecord.com) Free, ad-supported digital publication covering Milwaukee-area music, city life, food/drink, comedy, film, arts, and sports for local readers.
• Milwaukee Record Podcast Audio podcast programming distributed via SoundCloud and YouTube, including shows such as "The Catered Quiz" and other on-demand audio content for Milwaukee-area audiences.
• Patreon Membership Recurring reader-support tier via Patreon offering exclusive articles and podcasts to paid supporters, billed monthly.
• Milwaukee Record Email Newsletter Free weekly email newsletter distributed via Mailchimp keeping subscribers updated on the latest Milwaukee Record content and events.
• Milwaukee Record Merchandise Shop Branded merchandise store hosted at milwaukeemerch.com selling Milwaukee Record branded apparel and goods.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Urban Cat CoalitionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilwaukee Record partners with Urban Cat Coalition on a weekly 'Cat of the Week' feature to help find homes for area cats, with sponsorship from Skilos, A Family Pet Store.
• Lion's Tooth bookstoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilwaukee Record partnered with Bay View bookstore Lion's Tooth for the 'Lion's Tooth + Milwaukee Record Music Book Club' featuring joint events and book discussions.
• Wiggle RoomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWiggle Room hosts the monthly 'Milwaukee Record Club' event where the publication takes over turntables for themed music programming.
• Broadstreet AdscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party advertising network used for displaying advertisements throughout the Milwaukee Record website.
• Milwaukee Comedy FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilwaukee Record collaborates with Milwaukee Comedy Festival on the annual 'Roast Of Milwaukee' event and maintains ongoing partnership for comedy coverage and promotion.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Pitchfork: Major music criticism publication with deep music coverage vertical that overlaps with Milwaukee Record's music section. Operates at national/global scale while Milwaukee Record remains hyperlocal.
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mainstream daily newspaper covering Milwaukee and Wisconsin with broader scope including hard news, sports, and cultural coverage. Larger incumbent competing for the same local audience and advertising dollars despite different editorial approach.
• The Chicago Reader: Long-running Chicago alt-weekly covering arts, music, food, and city life. Comparable alt-weekly editorial model with similar vertical mix, though operating in a much larger metro with print + digital distribution.

Direct peers

• Shepherd Express: Milwaukee's alternative weekly covering music, food, arts, and city life. Direct competitor to Milwaukee Record in the same local alt-media market with overlapping editorial verticals and similar advertising-supported model.
• Urban Milwaukee: Digital-first Milwaukee publication covering city life, development, arts, and local culture. Closest direct digital-native competitor targeting overlapping Milwaukee audiences with similar newsletter and free-content model.
• Isthmus: Madison, Wisconsin alt-weekly covering news, arts, music, and food. Operates the same community-focused digital publication model in an adjacent Wisconsin market with comparable editorial verticals and Patreon/newsletter monetization approach.

Regional players

• Block Club Chicago: Chicago neighborhood-focused digital news outlet with community-driven model and newsletter-centric distribution. Comparable digital-native local journalism approach with nonprofit/subscription support mix, though serving Chicago neighborhoods rather than a single city.
• Wisconsin Gazette: Wisconsin-based alternative publication covering local news, arts, and culture. Operates a comparable regional digital media model with overlapping cultural coverage and local focus, though with distinct editorial audience.

Others

• AV Club: Digital publication covering pop culture, music, film, TV, and comedy. Originally sibling to The Onion, now operating as a digital-first cultural publication with overlapping coverage verticals to Milwaukee Record's arts/comedy/film sections.

Emerging players

• Tone Madison: Madison-based digital publication covering music, arts, and local culture. Similar small-team digital-first model with overlapping cultural coverage verticals, though smaller scale and narrower scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/milwaukeerecord
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvYbZArd-cisVhsOkhBrHOg/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/milwaukeerecord
• Instagraminstagram.com/milwaukeerecord
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milwaukee-record

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 Milwaukee Record