Founded in Bologna in 2018, Neu Radio has grown from a small collective of former FM broadcasters into one of Italy’s most vital independent web radio platforms.

With an archive of more than 5,400 broadcasts — spanning DJ mixes, in-depth music explorations and interviews with artists, curators and cultural workers — the station has built a reputation for thoughtful curation over click-driven speed. Rooted in community yet outward-looking in perspective, Neu Radio treats broadcasting as a collective act: a space where research, experimentation and shared cultural energy converge across the airwaves.

To learn more, we spoke to Neu Radio representative Caterina De Feo to hear about their mission, the beauty of Bologna and why community trumps clicks.

How did Neu Radio come about?

Caterina De Feo: Neu Radio was founded by a group of about ten people who came together as a collective of radio writers and editors, all of whom had previously worked at a historic local FM station. Since 2019, we have been streaming from different locations across the city. Our first studio is in the Dopo Lavoro Ferroviario park, at Baumhaus. The second is inside the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna (MAMbo).

Our goal has always been to promote a free and independent radio culture, expressing the sense of community that has characterized our journey from the very beginning. That’s why we chose the name Neu Radio: a new radio station (“neu” means “new” in German) where noi (Italian for “we” pronounced like the German “neu”) is at the center. A “we” made up of individuals united by the need and the desire to catalyze creative forces and energies. It’s a play on the ambiguity of the German pronunciation, one that also evokes a Krautrock atmosphere. We liked it immediately.

Over the years, the station has evolved and succeeded in its aim of attracting more creative energy. Many new people and personalities have joined the original group: DJs, music lovers, journalists, and, more generally, people with a strong desire to share their knowledge freely and openly. We currently broadcast more than 30 programs and collaborate with just as many contributors on a weekly or monthly basis, resulting in a rich and varied schedule. Alongside dozens of music shows spanning a wide range of genres, our web radio also features programs on art, comics and cultural explorations of society, cinema and history, making it truly unique.

What are some of the things that are important to you as a radio station?

We are an independent radio station, born in close connection with our community to explore the reality we are immersed in. We propose alternative, thoughtful paths, choosing complexity over simplification. Artistically, we pursue our research without chasing the mainstream or giving in to nostalgia, both in the cultural sphere and in our broader view of the world.

We are deeply rooted in the city, yet we keep our eyes open to what is happening beyond its borders. Our interests are in anything that offers a new perspective – whether in music, art, or culture more broadly – and that conveys the depth and complexity of the work behind it.

Today’s communication landscape is driven by speed and the hunt for clicks. There seems to be no time left to explore, study and understand. We want to move in the opposite direction, guided by our love for the unique power that radio inherently holds.

The care, curation and research our editors devote to their programs every day represent the true value of our station. Something no algorithm from any paid streaming platform, however fast or efficient, can replicate. We aim to bring warmth and a sense of community to everything we do, leaving a lasting impression, a kind of affection that only radio – even online – can create.

How do you bring hosts and DJs into the station? Is there a recruitment process that takes place?

For us, music is culture in every sense of the word, and our community is the fullest expression of this vision. Many of our music editors have their own projects or are actively involved in the scene as event organizers and DJs. Likewise, a number of DJs and musicians have collaborated with us by sharing mixes on our digital airwaves. Anyone who approaches the station with a project in mind is welcome to send us a pilot. If it helps expand our cultural offering, we will discuss a possible time slot with the DJ or host and include it in the schedule at the earliest opportunity.

Who are some members of your community that we should be keeping an eye on?

It’s hard to name just a few – our strength lies in the diversity of our community. From long-time residents like Cristian Adamo, Enzo Baruffaldi, Simona Faraone and Laura Marongiu to new emerging hosts such as the new show ‘2 or Die’ by Zamp, a music show about artists facing the ultimate test: the second album. Where careers are made or broken, between pressure, failure, rebirth, and inspiration.

Furthermore, ‘Canea’ by serena e.kippenbergen or the podcast ‘Qualcosa per la fine del mondo’ by the Clan Cush collective, that blends poetry, electronic music and imagery into an immersive and radical experience. Everyone brings something unique to Neu Radio. We’re excited to see how this network continues to grow and inspire each other.

Bologna seems like such a culturally diverse place. What is happening culturally right now and what role do you think you guys play in that?

Neu Radio sees itself as a community radio station and, as such, speaks to an audience with whom it shares values, passions, and paths of research. At its core is a desire for reconstruction and reconnection. Rebuilding a community that had gradually faded in the city over the years, and reconnecting individual projects and realities that recognize themselves in a common vision.

Bologna has an important history. It has often been a hub for alternative culture and music and it still retains that spirit today. However, as in many other cities around the world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain an independent, non-profit cultural project. Market forces, combined with ever-rising costs, threaten many vital organizations. We are in daily contact with venues and clubs across the area and we highlight their activities in ‘Portico,’ our weekly program offering in-depth coverage of live music through interviews with artists and concert organizers in our city and beyond. We do the same with ‘Starter,’ a show dedicated to contemporary art.

Since our inception, we have worked to build close collaborations and partnerships as a media partner with major festivals in the city. Both musical and non-musical. This includes CHEAP, Atlantico Festival, Atlas of Transitions, Gender Bender, Xing, PerAspera, Robot Festival, Outer Festival, Art City, Biografilm Festival and many others.

How does Neu engage with its local creative communities?

Beyond our regular programming, we organize special live broadcasts and transmit from places that are symbolic for the area. We often open ourselves to local and international collaborations, documenting the city’s cultural and musical vitality as closely as possible. Over the years we have broadcast from many locations across Bologna.

We have hosted radio performances from theaters, gone live from the Cineteca di Bologna, and set up broadcasts from one of the city’s most important parks, the Montagnola, during the summer. The aim is to try to be as present and visible as possible in public space. We have also organized a number of parties, especially to celebrate our upcoming birthday in April, as well as to launch crowdfunding campaigns or present new seasons of our schedule.

In building your community, what have been the most satisfying aspects of it?

The Neu Radio project has grown gradually – slowly but steadily – toward the creation of a new radio reality. Where once there were only a handful of people who wanted to make radio, now there is a shared and active platform. From the beginning we were clear about what we wanted to achieve, even if we didn’t always know how to get there. It has been a process of trial and error, fueled by a strong DIY attitude. But, step by step, we are moving in the right direction. Being able to continue this project, despite the difficulties, and after years of meeting people who already know our work and want to become part of it, makes every effort worthwhile.

How does one build a community effectively? Are there any tips you can share?

These are the principles we try to follow ourselves: listen, and constantly question what you do.

It takes time. But when difficulties arise, having clear goals and a strong sense of cohesion makes anything possible. Another key word for us is consistency. Every day we invest time and energy in giving space and a voice to the musical and cultural projects we believe in. The people who follow us recognize this commitment and, whenever they have the opportunity, choose to support us in different ways.

“Today’s communication landscape is driven by speed and the hunt for clicks. We want to move in the opposite direction, guided by our love for the unique power that radio inherently holds.”

What are some of Neu Radio’s proudest achievements as a creative hub so far?

In April, Neu Radio will celebrate its eighth anniversary. This alone is a huge achievement!

Joking aside, we have come a long way since we started, with the aim of telling the rest of the world about our city, broadening knowledge and interests. For us, beyond the results and new collaborations, our real pride comes from seeing that our work has helped to consolidate the community of those who make radio and those who listen to it over the years.

Could you share what Neu Radio has planned for 2026?

As an independent radio station supported by a cultural association, Neu Radio is continuing to define and strengthen its audience. All while maintaining a balance between the local and the global while focusing on innovative, high-quality music and culture. For us, continuing to broadcast is not just a goal but a necessity. Our passion for research and discovery will keep guiding us, helping us grow and further consolidate what we have built so far. We want to preserve the relationships and the collective energy that have brought Neu Radio to this point, and to keep developing them in synergy with those who feel close to our vision of culture.

14 essential Neu Radio shows

1. Intervista with Adrian Younge
2. Intervista with Kode9
3. Intervista with Lucia Aspesi, curatrice della mostra Nan Goldin all’Hangar Bicocca di Milano
4. ‘Preparare un fuoco’, a vocal composition for sixteen voices freely adapted from Jack London’s short story of the same name, performed by the students of Corso di Ritmo Drammatico 2023, the Advanced Training Course of Socìetas in Cesena
5. ‘Interval Signals’ is a work commissioned for the 150th anniversary of Guglielmo Marconi’s birth: a permanent contemporary sound installation conceived by internationally renowned artist Susan Philipsz (1965, Glasgow), created thanks to the collaboration between MAMbo and Neu Radio
6. All Tomorrow’s Archive w/Laurent Fintoni
7. Area Contaminata w/Alberto Simoni
8. Class + w/Morra Mc
9. “Memoria Polaroid” w/Enzo Baruffaldi
10. Seed w/Max Bello
11. Solaris w/Laura Marongiu
12. Solo Lains w/Cristian Adamo
13. Stagione Zero w/Luca Garuffi
14. Vanishing Point w/Acid Youth

Follow Neu Radio on Mixcloud and Instagram.