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 foundation Liam Heffernan believe 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 exiting and rapidly growing space, and this collaboration gives our members the tools, support, and platform that 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.

“Students audio is the primary gateway into the audio industry, and podcast 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 that this partnership will empower there next generation of great podcasters, and I’m delighted to be supporting that.” —Liam Heffernan, Mercury Podcasts.

Mercury, the network representing independent podcasts from around the world, is partnering with audio ad-tech monetization platform SoundCast, as it looks to scale up its advertising and create more revenue for independent creators. SoundCast is a European company launched in France and looking to strengthen its footprint in the UK.

Mercury currently represents shows including the chart-topping Warhammer podcast The 40K Forecast, British comedy time-travel show PastMaster, and the Canadian Dad’s Bedtime Stories for Kids.

“One of the driving forces behind Mercury is being able to level the playing field in our industry, and democratize the resources usually reserved for the big players,” says Mercury founder Liam Heffernan. “This partnership unlocks major monetisiation opportunities for our shows, and finally brings these platforms to the creators who can benefit most from them.”

SoundCast provides solutions for publishers, networks and advertisers to deliver programmatic audio advertising.

“Our SSP will help Mercury utilize its ad inventory and fulfill programmatic demand,” says SoundCast. “This partnership also allows us to strengthen our presence in the UK, towards becoming the number one solution for publishers, media agencies and advertisers.”

Mercury, a new UK-based podcast network, has officially launched. It is designed to support the unique needs of independent creators looking to grow and monetize their podcasts.

Since onboarding its first show in November, Mercury has already sold over one million ad impressions, and boasts over 500,000 downloads per month.

It’s initial roster represents independent shows across entertainment, history and leisure ranging from four to six-figure downloads per month. Additionally, Mercury plans to launch a slate of original titles to launch a slate of original titles over the coming year, and is also in development with two prominent true crime podcasters on a new show to launch in late 2025.

Mercury’s ambition is to represent the world’s best independent podcasts and creators. It’s offering differs from other networks, with a strong focus on ensuring podcasters keep full control of their content. Benefits include direct involvement and sponsorship decisions. Mercury also promises a more personalized approach than other networks, prioritizing ‘value over volume.’

Mercury is founded by Liam Heffernan, an award-winning independent podcaster from the UK, whose own shows include: America: A History. He has previously worked for companies including Auddy and The Podcast Boutique, and was featured on Podpod’s 30 Faces to Watch list, touted as a future industry leader.

“As an independent podcaster myself, I know that the biggest challenge facing creators isn’t content’ it’s time and resource,” says Liam. “Current networks are failing to address these needs, and are failing to offer a truly valuable network proposition to those podcasters who are big enough to monetise but need support, and don’t want to surrender control over their show for it. This shouldn’t be a compromise.”

“In Mercury, we have revolutionized what it mean to be a podcast network. It places value over volume, it puts content before ads, and it puts creator support at the very heart of its offering. By coming at it from this mindset, we’ve been able to hit the ground running an go toe to toe with the biggest networks for the best independent shows and creators out there … and we’re winning.”

“Passion is something you can find in abundance in the independent podcasting space. We wouldn’t take time out of our busy life to create podcasts unless we had the passion for the subject,” says Em McGowan, co-founder of the Independent Podcast Awards and host of Verbal Diaorama.

“Film history is mine, and I wouldn’t be making episodes almost six years later if I still didn’t have that passion. But no-one said it was easy, and it remains just as tough to be an indie podcast as it has ever been.”

“What drew me to Mercury was that passion for independent podcasts. It was clear from the get-go that Liam was eager to have a Verbal Diorama aboard, and passionate about increasing its visibility in an often crowded space. As an independent podcaster himself, he understands the issues we face. I have big goals for Verbal Diorama; joining Mercury is one step closer to me achieving them.”