Mercury and the Student Radio Association Announce Podcast Partnership

As announced on the Podnews Weekly Review, the Student Radio Association (SRA) has partnered with Mercury, in a groundbreaking deal which will see the new indie network distribute all podcast content from the SRA and its member stations.

The SRA is the voluntary body supporting student radio, representing 65 stations across the UK, and a long history of bringing through the next generation of radio stars. This new collaboration marks a clear move into podcasting.

The Mercury network will provide free hosting and distribution of all podcasts made by the SRA and any of its member stations. This is a non-exclusive deal, and the SRA will maintain full control over all content on its network.

By removing the financial barriers and providing a space where students can develop, launch, and distribute their own content, Mercury’s founder Liam Heffernan believes this “will empower the next generation of great podcasters.”

As well as hosting and distribution, Mercury will support students with additional training and expertise, and use its growing resource to promote and monetise SRA shows. The expectation is not only to provide cost savings, but also to generate revenue for the student radio network.

For graduates who launched their shows on the SRA network, it is Mercury’s intention to provide ongoing support beyond University, as it continues to expand its offering for the global independent podcast community.

To hear more about this partnership and the Mercury podcast network, listen to Liam’s full interview with Sam Sethi on Podnews Weekly Review.

“This partnership with Mercury marks a huge moment for student radio. Podcasting is an exciting and rapidly growing space, and this collaboration gives our members the tools, support, and platform they need to thrive in it.”

“By removing key barriers to entry, Mercury is helping us unlock even more opportunities for creativity, experimentation, and career development across our network. We’re excited to see where this takes our stations - and the future voices of the audio industry.” - Summer Wilde, SRA Chair

“Student radio is the primary gateway into the audio industry, and podcasts are now a huge part of the audio landscape. But student radio stations are run by volunteers with very little resource, and what they achieve under those circumstances is nothing short of spectacular.” “But podcasting still remains a side hustle for many stations, due to the limitations involved. By giving student radio this platform, we remove the financial barriers, not only making it easier for stations to launch their podcasts, but to do it with full creative autonomy. I am certain this partnership will empower the next generation of great podcasters, and I’m delighted to be supporting that.” - Liam Heffernan, Mercury Podcasts