Soundings Trade Only

What Soundings Trade Only does

Soundings Trade Only, operating under the Trade Only Today brand, is a U.S. B2B trade media company serving the recreational marine industry. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Essex, Connecticut, it operates as a division of Firecrown Media's portfolio of marine and boating publications. The company targets boat manufacturers, boat dealers and retailers, marinas and boatyards, engine and electronics manufacturers, accessory makers and sellers, and marine service companies with a combination of daily editorial, a monthly print/digital magazine, a daily business-day e-newsletter, a digital boat show, a job board, classifieds, and recurring event franchises including the Marine Ideas Exchange (MIX) at IBEX, a co-programmed Women in the Marine Industry International event at METSTRADE, and the EPIC Awards.

The core technology stack is a multi-format B2B media platform: a CMS-driven daily news website (tradeonlytoday.com), print and digital editions of the monthly Trade Only magazine, email newsletter distribution, and supporting portals for jobs, classifieds, and a virtual boat show. Distribution is omnichannel, spanning the website, Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn, daily email, and live industry events. The business makes money through two primary streams: advertising sold against the print magazine and digital surfaces, and recurring subscriptions to the printed and digital magazine. Lead generation and recruitment inventory (job board, classifieds) and event sponsorships (MIX, EPIC Awards) extend the revenue mix beyond traditional media buying.

Name

Soundings Trade Only

Legal name

Soundings Trade Only

Website

https://tradeonlytoday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Soundings Trade Only is a U.S. B2B trade media company serving boat manufacturers, dealers, marinas, engine and electronics makers, and accessory sellers via a daily news website, monthly print and digital magazine, daily e-newsletter, digital boat show, job board, classifieds, and recurring marine industry events, operating as a division of Firecrown Media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Essex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based content: The company generates revenue through magazine subscriptions available in printed or digital format. The publication provides industry news relevant to marine professionals.
2. Advertising: Revenue is generated through advertising in the print magazine and digital platform, serving marine industry companies wanting to reach trade professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Soundings Trade Only publishes B2B trade media for the marine industry, operating the Trade Only Today news website, a monthly print and digital magazine, and a daily e-newsletter. It also runs a Digital Boat Show virtual platform, a marine industry job board, classified listings, the EPIC Awards program, and the Marine Ideas Exchange (MIX) event series, all aimed at boat manufacturers, dealers, marinas, engine and electronics makers, accessory vendors, and marine service companies.

Product overview

Soundings Trade Only is a B2B media company serving the marine industry with a multi-platform portfolio consisting of its flagship Trade Only Today website (delivering daily industry news), a monthly print/digital magazine, daily e-newsletters, a Digital Boat Show virtual platform, Job Board, Classifieds, the EPIC Awards program, and the Marine Ideas Exchange (MIX) event series. These products work together to inform and connect marine industry professionals including boat manufacturers, dealers, marinas, engine and electronics manufacturers, and marine service companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Trade Only Today Website

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IBEX (International BoatBuilders Exhibition & Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundings Trade Only Group hosts the Marine Ideas Exchange (MIX) program during IBEX, featuring keynote conversations, forums and networking to foster collaboration and creativity in the marine industry.
• FirecrowncoreOthersSoundings Trade Only is part of the Firecrown media group, which owns multiple marine and boating publications including Soundings magazine and manages the Trade Only Today brand.
• Women in the Marine Industry InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the free event at METSTRADE focused on building the next generation of marine industry leaders, scheduled for November 18 at RAI in Amsterdam.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Boats.com: Marine marketplace and consumer-facing boat listing platform. Overlaps with Soundings Trade Only in serving marine industry participants, though operating a marketplace rather than trade-publication model.

Direct peers

• WorkBoat Magazine: B2B trade publication covering the commercial marine industry, including vessel operators, builders, and marine services. Comparable trade-media business model serving a marine professional audience.
• Boating Industry: B2B trade publication serving marine dealers, manufacturers, and marine industry professionals. Operates a similar news, magazine, and digital model targeting the same trade audience as Soundings Trade Only.
• Marine Business Journal: B2B publication covering the recreational marine industry, including boat dealers, manufacturers, and marine retailers. Closely comparable business model and target audience to Soundings Trade Only.
• Professional Mariner: B2B publication covering the professional maritime sector including vessel operations, marine engineering, and commercial marine. Same B2B trade-media business model in the broader marine vertical.
• Marine Electronics Journal: B2B publication focused on marine electronics and technology, targeting marine electronics manufacturers, dealers, and installers. Adjacent trade-media model serving a segment of the same marine industry audience.

Broad incumbents

• Soundings Magazine: Consumer-facing marine publication also owned by Firecrown Media, serving recreational boaters. Sister brand within the same parent company, providing portfolio and audience synergies with Soundings Trade Only.
• Maritime Reporter: Long-running B2B maritime publication covering commercial shipping, marine technology, and offshore sectors. Adjacent trade-media model serving marine professionals, broader in scope than the recreational focus of Soundings Trade Only.

Regional players

• Yachting Times / Trade-A-Boat: Regional marine trade publication serving the Australian and Asia-Pacific boating industry. Similar trade-publication model and marine-industry focus, but operating in a different geography than Soundings Trade Only.

Others

• IBEX (International BoatBuilders Exhibition & Conference): Major annual marine industry trade show and conference for boat builders, dealers, and marine product manufacturers. Partner of Soundings Trade Only through the MIX program; comparable as a marine-industry audience monetization channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tradeonlytoday
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SoundingsTradeOnly
• Facebookfacebook.com/TradeOnlyToday
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soundings-trade-only

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Soundings Trade Only