PRX (Public Radio Exchange) is a Boston-based nonprofit media company specializing in audio journalism and storytelling. Founded in 2003, it distributes independent audio programming and podcasts to public radio stations and digital platforms, working in partnership with hundreds of stations and thousands of independent producers. Each month it reaches more than 28.5 million listeners and generates over 70 million podcast downloads. In 2018 it merged with Public Radio International (PRI), making it one of the major national distributors of public media content in the United States.
Founding and Early History
PRX was founded in 2003 by Jake Shapiro as an online marketplace where independent radio producers could offer programs to stations — a kind of open exchange for public radio content, distinct from the curated slates of NPR, PRI, and American Public Media. The model was deliberately democratic: any producer could upload work, and any station could license it, lowering the barriers to national distribution for independent audio makers.
The organization grew up alongside the podcasting boom. As on-demand audio moved mainstream in the 2010s, PRX diversified from a station-distribution exchange into producing and distributing podcasts and building ad technology for the medium. In 2014 it teamed with 99% Invisible host Roman Mars to launch Radiotopia, a network of story-driven podcasts backed by a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. Fast Company named PRX one of the "Ten Most Innovative Companies in Media" in both 2015 and 2017, citing its leadership as both a technology and content creator during podcasting's rise.
The 2018 Merger With PRI
In August 2018, PRX merged with Public Radio International (PRI), a public media network founded in 1983 that had expanded public radio through alternative programming with an emphasis on international and cultural reporting. PRI's programming was carried by more than 700 public radio stations, including shows such as The World and The Takeaway. No money changed hands in the tie-up; Boston-based public broadcaster WGBH, which had bought PRI in 2012, invested $10 million in developing new content, including a new production studio and a Podcast Garage in Washington, D.C., to train new creators.
The merger united two of the nation's four national distributors of public radio programming — the others being NPR and American Public Media. PRI's international and cultural journalism, including its co-production of The World with the BBC and WGBH, became part of the PRX portfolio, strengthening the combined organization's news offerings.
Portfolio of Programs and Podcasts
PRX's award-winning portfolio ranges from iconic public radio programs to podcast-first productions. Its broadcast lineup has included The World, This American Life (distributed by PRX), The Takeaway, Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, and Snap Judgment. Its podcast networks include Radiotopia, home to shows such as 99% Invisible, Ear Hustle, and Criminal — programs known for narrative craft and devoted audiences.
In 2020, PRX introduced PRX Productions, a team of audio directors, editors, sound designers, engineers, and producers specializing in high-quality audio production and storytelling for partners. The organization also built stand-alone listening apps for popular shows such as This American Life and The Moth, before spinning its mobile app development team off into RadioPublic, a public benefit corporation focused on the listening experience, in 2016.
Technology and the Creator Economy
A defining element of PRX's identity is its investment in the infrastructure of independent audio. The organization provides access to state-of-the-art distribution and monetization technology at no or low cost to content makers of all sizes, and its leadership has said it has put $100 million into the hands of creators over the course of its existence. Its ad technology and sales support help independent shows — which often lack the scale to sell sponsorship on their own — earn revenue.
PRX is consistently ranked a top-10 podcast publisher in U.S. audience reach by Podtrac, the podcast measurement firm. Its dual role as both a distributor and a technology provider distinguishes it from traditional networks that only commission and air programs.
Training and the Podcast Garages
Since 2016, PRX has run a substantial training program helping journalists and storytellers from across the country and around the world adapt to and succeed in the competitive podcast market. Its Podcast Garages — community recording studios and classrooms in Boston and, through partnerships, embedded in the KQED headquarters in San Francisco and a Washington, D.C., facility funded by WGBH — welcome members of the public to learn production skills and tell their own stories.
The training curriculum covers reporting, narrative structure, sound design, and the business of podcasting, with an emphasis on opening the medium to voices historically underrepresented in public media. PRX describes this work as championing local public radio stations in their service to their communities and building an innovative, rigorous global training curriculum.
Leadership and Organization
PRX is headquartered in Boston, with offices in Minneapolis and New York and a content network spanning the globe. Founder Jake Shapiro served as CEO through the organization's formative years and the Radiotopia launch; in 2016 he stepped down to found RadioPublic, and Kerri Hoffman became CEO of PRX, leading it through the PRI merger and the launch of PRX Productions. As a nonprofit, the organization is governed by a board of directors and supported by foundation grants, underwriting, station fees, and philanthropy.
Mission and Editorial Values
PRX states its belief that strong public media is anchored in journalism, strengthened with diverse voices, and amplified by innovative technology. Its programming standards emphasize editorial independence for the independent producers it distributes — a structural commitment to creative freedom that reflects its origins as an open exchange. Shows distributed by PRX maintain their own editorial control, while PRX provides the distribution, technology, and business support around them.
The organization's noncommercial, mission-driven structure shapes its content bets: long-form narrative journalism, investigative reporting, and experimental storytelling that commercial podcast networks might consider too risky. Reveal, Ear Hustle (produced inside San Quentin State Prison), and The World's global reporting exemplify this public-service orientation.
Awards and Recognition
Programs in the PRX portfolio have won Peabody Awards, duPont-Columbia Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, and honors from the Third Coast International Audio Festival, among others. Ear Hustle and 99% Invisible have received widespread critical acclaim, and The World has been recognized for its international coverage. Beyond program awards, PRX's two Fast Company "Most Innovative Companies in Media" citations recognized the organization's institutional role in building podcasting's infrastructure.
Challenges and the Evolving Audio Market
PRX operates in an audio market transformed by Spotify, Apple, and large commercial podcast studios, which have consolidated advertising and star talent. As a nonprofit distributor, it competes for creators' loyalty against well-funded commercial networks while maintaining its mission of open access for independents. The organization has responded by deepening its technology offerings, expanding training, and leaning into its public-media identity as the industry's independent alternative.
Funding pressures affecting all of public media — including the 2025 congressional rescission of federal public broadcasting funds — have increased the importance of philanthropic and earned revenue for organizations like PRX and the stations that carry its programs.
Contact and Access
PRX is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with offices in Minneapolis and New York. Its programs air on hundreds of public radio stations across the United States and are available on all major podcast platforms. More information about its shows, training programs, and Podcast Garages is available at prx.org.
