Atlantic Sound Factory

At TBK Consult we are serious management consultants. We wear suits and ties. We ask nasty questions. However, when we’re back in the office doing analysis, writing reports and preparing workshops for our clients we tune in to a contemporary web based music channel: The Atlantic Sound Factory.

John, born and raised in Newcastle, England and now living Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA is running the radio station. The station began on February 11th, 2005 as “JDI Radio” with about 300 songs from his private CD collection. In spite of discouraging listener numbers (some days, no listeners at all) he continued to build the library of music.

Today the Atlantic Sound Factory has an extensive playlist and listeners all over the world. The station plays contemporary rock ‘n’ roll music 24/7. John makes sure that no tune is played more than once in a week. His play list is “hand made” based on a very simple concept:

John from the Atlantic Sound Factory

It’s important to note that my playlist is carefully selected. My station can be heard in almost every room in my house so if I don’t enjoy listening to it, it doesn’t make it on the radio. It’s as simple as that.

Running a radio station is not “for free”. There are expenses associated with royalties, storage and streaming. These expenses are covered through donations paid by the listeners. You can listen to the Atlantic Sound Factory free of charge, but then you have to accept a lower bit rate and advertisement. If you make donations you become a VIP and can enjoy the 192Kbit/s stream rate and no ads.

The great value of the Atlantic Sound Factory is generated through Johns’ personal engagement in the activity. Running the radio station is his passion. It is his personally selected music. The ASF website has a community, where the listeners can introduce themselves. From time to time John is shopping for music to add to the playlist. Through the web site he gets suggestions from his listeners. Especially Werner from Germany seems to be active in suggesting content for the station.

We also subscribe to Spotify, but 95% of the time we choose the Atlantic Sound Factory. Even the largest music library in the world cannot beat the personal touch and the engagement of a human being proposing music that you have never heard before, but somehow match your preferences anyway.

Go to the Atlantic Sound Factory and check it out.

Music has become an entirely software-driven business