NTS Radio: How a £5,000 blog became a cult station

NTS Radio has evolved from a one-man project with £5,000 in seed capital into one of the most influential platforms for curated music radio. Founded in 2011 in Hackney, London, by Femi Adeyemi, the station now reaches millions of listeners worldwide.

At a glance

• Founded in April 2011 in Hackney, London, by Femi Adeyemi
• Around 700 permanent residents, producers, and record collectors on two live channels
• According to 032c (December 2025), approximately 6 million listeners worldwide per month
• Since June 2023, Universal Music Group holds a 25 to 50 percent stake

From blog to global station

The name NTS is an abbreviation of Adeyemi's earlier blog called "Nuts To Soup." Adeyemi, who was previously involved in the founding of Boiler Room, launched NTS with a budget of just £5,000. He was inspired by pirate radio, the music channel MTV2, US college radios like WFMU, and the creative scene around London's Plastic People club – where he also met Sean McAuliffe, who played as a resident DJ and now manages NTS's business as CEO. In 2013, they jointly founded the company NTS Live Ltd and hired the first employees, Shane Connelly, Fergus McDonald, Tabitha Thorlu-Bangura, and Padraigh Perkins Edge, who had previously worked as volunteers for the station.

"Don't Assume" as a program

NTS's claim is "Don't Assume," and it accurately describes the station's orientation: the platform deliberately highlights niche artists instead of relying on airplay rotation. The two live channels now feature shows from more than 700 permanent residents, producers, DJs, and record collectors from all over the world, many of whom hold equity options in the company. Around 40 percent of the music played on NTS isn't even available on Spotify – a value that shows how far the station curates outside the mainstream.

„From a curatorial point of view, the global community of artists and record collectors involved in NTS is nuts. They make NTS what it is. We don't chase numbers. We're just passionate about the music and artists we love and we let the music do the talking … we're not like traditional radio where hosts may be told what to play. All of that is out the window. NTS is all about total freedom of expression."

Big names, big involvement

Over the years, NTS has presented guest shows and takeovers from artists such as Björk, Thom Yorke, Robert Smith, Robyn, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Jarvis Cocker, Questlove, Erykah Badu, Neneh Cherry, Aphex Twin, and Mac DeMarco. In 2018, the "Infinite Mixtapes" were added as an additional format: purely musical, thematically sorted streams without any moderation. In June 2023, Universal Music Group acquired a stake of between 25 and 50 percent, becoming the largest shareholder of NTS – a signal of how seriously the music industry now takes this niche format.

FAQ

What does the abbreviation NTS stand for?

NTS stands for "Nuts To Soup," the name of an earlier blog by founder Femi Adeyemi, from which the station emerged.

How is NTS Radio financed?

In addition to its own revenues, Universal Music Group has been the largest shareholder of the station since June 2023, with a 25 to 50 percent stake.

Source: NTS Radio – Wikipedia, retrieved 25.09.2026.