This is Distorted, celebrate a decade of success in the highly competitive audio market. Statistics show that a staggering 70% of businesses fail within their first 10 years, and the music and media industry often face even tougher odds. Distorted's journey has been marked by resilience, innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
Founded in 2014 by Andi Durrant and Nick Riley, after leaving secure and sought-after jobs on an idea, the company has gone on to defy the odds and grow from humble beginnings into an industry recognised audio agency for music and speech based content. Today Distorted boasts a team of 12 full-time staff, a portfolio of local and international clients ranging from A-list music clients and media giants to CEOs and corporate brands and is now home to a top spec audio visual content studio.
“We’ve had many significant milestones but one of the things we are most proud of is supporting the northern creative industry and creating jobs in Yorkshire. We all live in Yorkshire and are proud of our county, it was always really important to us that we stay here”.- Andi Durrant, Director
The company's unique approach was born out of recognising the changing landscape of media and broadcast. With the rise of digital platforms, streaming, and social media, Distorted seized the opportunity to provide comprehensive audio solutions. Alex Jungius, a key player in Distorted's growth, joined in 2015 as a joint owner and director, contributing heavily to the company's evolution beyond music into speech and podcast content, recognising the growing potential in the audio industry.
“We knew that the biggest growth area in the audio industry was going to be speech. Podcasts had been around for a while, and were seen by some as a fad that had already passed, but we could see that they were only just getting going. If Distorted was going to grow into anything other than a very specialist music company, we’d have to be part of that movement.” Nick Riley, Distorted Director.
“When Andi and Nick sent me a message 8 and a half years ago I couldn't have imagined we'd have created the company it is today. It was a huge leap of faith leaving a great job working for the largest radio group in the country and one that meant a big pay cut but a blank canvas to create something special. Looking back on everything we've achieved in the last 10 years I can easily say it's the best decision I ever made. A whirlwind of ideas, excitement and learnings that have shaped who I am as a person as much as I've shaped the company. We work with the absolute best in the business here and I'm genuinely excited for the next chapter as we grow but also have as much fun as possible." said Alex Jumgius,director.
Looking to the future Distorted are continuing to grow their branded content and are increasingly working with clients on personal branding projects as that has become more prominent in the audio world. They are working with a film company to pitch a huge documentary to the TV streaming platforms and are about to launch an intern and mentor project that aims to give employment to young people.
