With 18,000 songs, a passionate team of volunteers, support from local businesses and a determination to put Plymouth first, SoundWave Radio is already making waves. We visited the people behind the city's new community radio station to discover why local radio still matters.
In a world of algorithms, endless playlists and national broadcasters, there's still something special about switching on the radio and hearing a familiar voice talking about the place you call home.
It's radio with personality. Radio that champions local musicians, celebrates community organisations, introduces you to people doing extraordinary things on your doorstep and occasionally plays a song you haven't heard in years.
And in Plymouth, a new station is bringing that spirit to the airwaves.
Meet SoundWave Radio, a new community-focused station being built by Steve and Chris, two familiar faces with years of broadcasting experience, an impressive network of local connections and, perhaps most importantly, a genuine passion for radio and the city they call home.
When we visited the station, what immediately stood out wasn't simply the equipment or the growing collection of music. It was the enthusiasm. There is a real sense of people rolling up their sleeves, sharing their expertise and putting their energy into creating something they believe Plymouth needs. And they're already making waves.
Why community radio matters
Community radio has a long and important tradition of giving local people a voice.
In the UK, the modern community radio movement grew from early access radio trials in 2002, with the first full community radio licences awarded in 2005. Today, hundreds of stations serve communities across the country, offering something that larger broadcasters can't always provide: a truly local connection.
These stations have always been about more than music. They provide opportunities for people to learn new skills, give a platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard and create connections between people, organisations and neighbourhoods.
Research published by Ofcom in 2025 highlighted the significant contribution community radio makes, from supporting local arts and culture and providing companionship to creating volunteering opportunities and helping communities feel more connected.
Community radio doesn't just broadcast to a community. At its best, it's created by that community, for that community.
And that's exactly what SoundWave Radio is setting out to do.
Familiar voices, a fresh beginning
For Steve and Chris, creating SoundWave Radio was about much more than starting another radio station. It was an opportunity to build on their experience, bring together a talented team of presenters and create something with a genuinely local identity.
"We both thought that there was an element of unfinished business, that we could take this further," they explain.
"Both of us love our music and are passionate about Plymouth as a place to live and work, so combining these elements, backed by a team who share our vision, made sense."
Their enthusiasm for community broadcasting is clear. Steve has already established a strong following through his sports programming, while Chris has been championing Plymouth's local music scene, giving airtime to emerging bands and broadcasting professionally recorded sessions showcasing local talent.
But it's their shared belief in the importance of community that really drives them.
"There are so many hard working, committed people working for the benefit of the local community, not just in Plymouth itself, but the outlying towns and villages also. We love that energy and dedication in a time when community spirit has taken a bit of a knock and want to be part of that glue that holds communities together."
It's a lovely sentiment, and one that feels particularly relevant at a time when opportunities for people to connect can sometimes feel increasingly limited.
The station is run by volunteers, many of whom juggle their broadcasting commitments alongside full-time jobs, retirement or health challenges. Remarkably, members of the presenting team even contribute monthly subscriptions to help cover the station's running costs.
A station already making an impact
Although SoundWave Radio is still in its early stages, the response from the local community has been hugely encouraging.
Thanks in part to Steve and Chris's established relationships and reputation, the station has already attracted advertisers and sponsors keen to support the venture.
And there's already a rather brilliant success story. One advertiser secured a sale following their very first advert on the station. For a brand-new broadcaster, it's an encouraging illustration of the potential impact local radio can have for local businesses.
It also says something about the relationship between a community station and its listeners. When a trusted local voice recommends a business, it can carry a different kind of weight.
For independent businesses, particularly those without enormous marketing budgets, local radio can offer a valuable opportunity to reach people in their own community.
The station has also received invaluable practical support from local businesses, including Total ICT in Plympton and Umbrella Developments Ltd, who have contributed expertise and resources covering IT, sound engineering, web hosting and much more. For a voluntary organisation finding its feet, that kind of support is worth its weight in gold.
From local music to local conversations
Of course, a radio station is only as interesting as the people and programmes filling its schedule.
And SoundWave Radio has big ambitions. With a growing line-up of presenters, the station is developing a varied mix of music, local sport and community-focused programming, offering listeners something different from the familiar formats of national radio.
Local music is particularly close to Chris's heart. Plymouth has a thriving live music scene, packed with talented musicians, grassroots venues and passionate audiences, and SoundWave Radio wants to give those artists the attention they deserve.
Through dedicated airtime, interviews and professionally recorded sessions, the station hopes to help local musicians reach new audiences and celebrate the extraordinary range of talent on our doorstep.
Steve, meanwhile, brings his enthusiasm for local sport to the station, giving teams, clubs and sporting stories a platform.
There's also a growing connection with What's On Plymouth Culture, with the station sharing our weekly local gig guide and helping more people discover the fantastic live music happening across Plymouth. It's exactly the sort of partnership that makes community broadcasting so valuable: local organisations working together to make sure good things happening in the city get noticed.
Building a soundtrack for Plymouth
One of the more fascinating things about our visit was discovering just how much work goes into building a radio station's music library.
Unlike the way most of us listen to music at home, broadcasters can't simply open a personal Spotify account and play whatever takes their fancy. Radio broadcasting involves specific music licensing requirements, and consumer streaming subscriptions generally aren't licensed for that purpose.
For SoundWave Radio, that means building its own carefully curated music collection, and the scale of the task is quite extraordinary.
The station already has approximately 18,000 songs stored digitally, with the team adding around 1,500 more every week by transferring music from CDs to its computer system. Its studio collection includes 450 albums, 300 compilation albums and 45 Now That's What I Call Music! compilations, alongside music contributed by presenters from their own collections. And that's just the beginning. Within a year, the team hopes to build a digital library of an astonishing 250,000 legally purchased tracks.
It's a labour of love, made possible by a team of genuine music enthusiasts with wonderfully varied tastes.
Steve brings an extensive collection from his years as a mobile DJ, while Chris is constantly searching for new tracks to add to his eclectic programmes. Other presenters are sharing their digital collections, and there are even vinyl enthusiasts planning to play classic LPs from their own collections.
The result is a musical treasure trove spanning everything from old-time favourites to the latest releases. At a time when almost every song imaginable is available at the touch of a button, building a collection like this feels like a return to one of radio's great traditions: people who genuinely love music discovering it, collecting it and sharing it with others.
It's about more than pressing play. It's about the knowledge, personality and enthusiasm of the people choosing what we hear.
More than a radio station
Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of SoundWave Radio is the role it's already beginning to play beyond the studio.
Community radio has always been about connections, and the team is keen to use its platform to support local charities, voluntary groups and organisations making a difference across Plymouth.
The station's first community interview featured The Prevention Project, a Community Interest Company supporting people affected by gambling addiction.
It's an example of the kind of important work that can sometimes struggle to find space in mainstream media, but which deserves to be heard.
Looking ahead, the station hopes to work with organisations addressing mental health and wellbeing, autism, cancer, homelessness and food poverty, as well as groups supporting young and older people.
And some of the team are already taking that community spirit out into Plymouth's neighbourhoods.
One volunteer is working alongside Colebrook SW Ltd to organise regular morning gatherings for older residents in Crownhill. These sessions bring people together for conversation, music and quizzes, providing companionship and a welcoming place to spend time.
The initiative has already attracted interest from another part of Plymouth, where a similar gathering has been requested.
Another member of the team runs The Chatty Café at Foulston Park Hub, offering a friendly space for people who may be feeling lonely or simply need someone to talk to.
These might sound like small things, but for someone experiencing isolation, a regular conversation, a familiar face or somewhere to feel welcome can make an enormous difference.
And they demonstrate that the community spirit behind SoundWave Radio isn't confined to the airwaves.
It's already making a difference in people's everyday lives.
Powered by people
Behind every community radio station is something that can't be bought: people's time.
SoundWave Radio is being built entirely through voluntary commitment, with presenters and supporters contributing their experience, creativity and enthusiasm because they believe in what the station can become.
And as it grows, the team would love more people to get involved.
The good news? You don't need to be an experienced broadcaster.
"You don't have to be an experienced DJ. Many of our current team had no prior history when they joined us, so complete beginners are very welcome," Steve and Chris explain.
"The most important attributes for us are that you love your music and/or sport and want to share it, that you are keen to make a difference by supporting our community efforts and that you're committed, reliable and enthusiastic."
Training and support are available, including one-to-one guidance on using the studio equipment, instructional videos, handy reference guides and technical assistance from the team.
The aim is to make broadcasting accessible and enjoyable, giving people the confidence to find their own voice.
For anyone interested in music, sport, media or simply getting more involved in the community, it's an opportunity to learn new skills, meet like-minded people and be part of something exciting.
And who knows? There might be a future radio presenter out there who hasn't yet realised it.
Looking to the future
While the early support from sponsors, advertisers and volunteers has given SoundWave Radio an encouraging start, the team is already thinking about its longer-term future.
Plans include exploring grants and funding opportunities to help develop the station, strengthen its infrastructure and expand its community work.
As Steve and Chris acknowledge, the scale of their ambitions will depend on the financial support and volunteer resources available.
But there's certainly no shortage of enthusiasm.
The station's growing social media following, encouraging feedback from listeners and community organisations, and the response to its local music coverage all suggest that SoundWave Radio is finding its place in Plymouth.
And perhaps that's what makes the project particularly appealing.
It's not simply about broadcasting music or filling a schedule. It's about creating something that Plymouth can feel part of.
A place for local voices. A platform for local talent. A supporter of local businesses. And a friendly, familiar presence in people's everyday lives.
Tune in and be part of the story
There's something infectious about spending time with people who are genuinely passionate about what they do.
And that enthusiasm is at the heart of SoundWave Radio.
The station may be new, but the experience, commitment and community connections behind it are already helping to build something with real potential.
In an increasingly digital and sometimes disconnected world, there's still a place for radio that feels personal, familiar and proudly local.
A station where the people behind the microphone might be your neighbours, where the music includes artists playing in venues just down the road and where community stories are given the attention they deserve.
SoundWave Radio is inviting Plymouth to come along for the journey.
And judging by the support it's already received, plenty of people are ready to tune in.
Want to get involved? SoundWave Radio welcomes enquiries from potential volunteers, local musicians, community organisations and businesses interested in supporting the station.
Find out more, explore the programme schedule and listen online through SoundWave Radio's official channels. https://www.soundwaveradioplymouth.com/
