Built for the Sound of Right Now
Trending Radio is an independent audio network for people who care more about what they're hearing than what's already been played to death. Today's hits, tomorrow's voices — we built it for you.
A radio station that listens first.
Trending Radio started in 2019 in a converted Brooklyn warehouse, with one transmitter, two turntables, and a stubborn belief: that radio could be smarter, sharper, and more in tune with what's actually happening in music right now — not what syndicated playlists decided six months ago.
Six years later, we're still independent, still obsessed with the details, and now reaching over 2.4 million listeners a month across nine stations, three podcasts, and a growing editorial team spread between New York, London, and Mexico City. We program every hour by hand. We don't run ads that interrupt the music. And we still think a great DJ intro is worth more than any algorithm.
Hits and tomorrow's voices, on the same dial.
Our mission is deceptively simple: play the music people actually want to hear, and give a platform to the artists who are about to define what comes next. No filler. No fatigue. Just the sound of right now — and a window into what's next.
Audio First, Always
Every decision — from playlist length to commercial load — starts with the listener's ear. We treat audio as the product, not the by-product of a media plan.
Global by Default
Music doesn't respect borders, and neither do we. Our editorial team covers scenes from Lagos to Seoul to São Paulo — because "trending" means everywhere.
Independently Owned
No parent corporation. No algorithm's quarterly earnings call shaping the rotation. We answer to listeners, not shareholders — and it shows in the music.
Six years. One signal. A lot of airplay.
How we decide what plays next.
Our programming team operates on a few rules we don't bend. They're the reason a Trending Radio listener knows they're listening to Trending Radio — even with the volume off.
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01
Hand-curated, every hour No fully automated rotations. A human producer touches every clock and signs off on every transition.
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02
60% new, 40% canon We balance the familiar with the undiscovered. Listeners should hear something they've never heard before — and something they forgot they loved.
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03
DJ introductions matter A 12-second voice break can turn a track into a moment. We write ours like liner notes — context, not chatter.
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04
Local scenes, global signal Each station has a regional editor who surfaces what their city's listening to. The best of it ripples outward.
The people behind the playlist.
A handful of the humans programming the signal. Our full editorial team is larger, but these are the voices you'll hear most — and the editors shaping what plays next.
Maya Reyes
Head of ProgrammingFormer music director at KEXP Seattle. Maya builds the weekly clock architecture for all nine stations and signs off on every premiere.
Daniel Okafor
Senior Music EditorLeads our Afrobeats, amapiano, and alt-R&B coverage. Has a standing rule: no single gets added without at least one contextual liner note from the editor.
Sofia Nakamura
On-Air Host & ProducerHosts the morning drive on Trending Now and produces the weekly artist spotlight podcast. Her Tokyo and Seoul scene reports are required listening for the team.
Jules Caron
Editorial Director, JournalRuns the Trending Radio Journal — long-form interviews, scene reports, and the annual "Voices of Tomorrow" artist list. Former editor at The Fader.
A short timeline of a long obsession.
First transmission
Launched from a converted Brooklyn warehouse with one station, two DJs, and a 2,000-watt signal. The first record played: Roisin Murphy, "Incapable."
Stations two through five
Added Late Night, The Glow (electronic), Roots (global folk), and The Vault (deep cuts). Hit our first million monthly listeners.
The Journal goes live
Long-form editorial launches with the "Voices of Tomorrow" list. Opened our London studio to cover UK and European scenes from the source.
Nine stations, three cities
Mexico City studio opens. Trending Now, our flagship, crosses 1.4M monthly listeners. The team grows past 35.
Press the play button.
The signal is up. The studios are warm. The next 12 records haven't been heard by most people yet — but we know which ones they are.