Built for the stations that make people fall in love with radio
RadioCult started with the same thing that keeps independent radio alive: someone tuning in, discovering new music, and feeling connected to a station they might never visit in person.
Before RadioCult became a platform for running online radio stations, Charlie Carey was a listener and producer sending tracks to independent, community, and pirate radio shows, then waiting to hear if they made it on air.
That experience shaped what RadioCult became: a platform built with real respect for the stations, hosts, DJs, and communities behind every broadcast.
From listener app
to station platform
RadioCult did not start as station management software. It started as a way to listen.
When Charlie moved from New Zealand to Sydney after university, he wanted a better way to follow the independent stations he loved around the world. Many of them had loyal audiences and great programming, but limited resources for apps, websites, and listener tools.
So he built the first RadioCult mobile app in 2019.
RadioCult launches as a listener app
The first version brought together the stations Charlie already listened to and wanted to keep close.
More stations, more conversations
As listeners asked for more stations to be added, RadioCult became more connected to the people running them.
Radio Cult Limited is incorporated
The company behind the platform was registered in Christchurch, New Zealand, three years after the first RadioCult app shipped.
Charlie and Barns go full time
Charlie and his brother Barns left corporate work to build RadioCult together, full time.
Streaming becomes the core
Stations kept asking for one thing: streaming. RadioCult added it, sign-ups followed, and it has been the core of the product ever since.
Still close to the stations
that shaped us
Some RadioCult milestones feel personal because they connect back to the stations and artists that inspired the product in the first place.
Mode FM
Mode FM was one of the first online stations to play one of Charlie's tracks when he was 16. Years later, seeing them stream with RadioCult became one of those full-circle moments.
Read the Mode FM story
Slimzee
Slimzee choosing RadioCult to host his new online station was another major milestone. As a co-founder of Rinse FM, he was part of the radio world Charlie grew up listening to and learning from.
These moments matter because RadioCult was never built from the outside looking in. It came from listening to the scene, respecting the people running it, and wanting to build something useful for them.
A note from the founders
RadioCult is still a small team, and that is part of what keeps us close to the stations we build for.
Charlie Carey
Co-Founder
“I started RadioCult because I loved listening to independent stations from around the world. These stations were where I found new music, heard the DJs I cared about, and even waited to see if my own tracks would get played.
The more I got to know the people running those stations, the clearer it became that they needed better tools behind the scenes. RadioCult grew out of that: listening first, then building around what stations actually needed.”
Barns Carey
Co-Founder
“RadioCult was always Charlie's baby. I came on because I'd always wanted to build something of my own, and because there's no one I'd rather build it with than my brother. I've been a music fan my whole life, from the drum and bass nights back home in New Zealand to every gig I could get to.
For a while it was hard going. Before we added streaming, we honestly talked about walking away. Then stations started paying for something we'd built for them, and it became real.”
Support that feels human
Running a station takes care, consistency, and a lot of work people never see.
RadioCult is here to make the technical side feel lighter, so station teams can spend more time on the music, shows, and communities that make people tune in.
“Having a team like RadioCult in our corner makes all the difference. They get what it’s like to be a small team trying to do something meaningful, and their support keeps things running smoothly.”
Zabrij Radio
Ready to run your station with RadioCult?
See how RadioCult helps online stations manage streaming, scheduling, presenters, listener tools, and analytics from one platform.
Built for stations with real programming- Shaped by conversations with station owners and teams
- Supported by people who understand what running a station takes
