Nurturing nature and Earth.fm’s future: Why we’re adjusting access limits

As a self‑funded registered charity, Earth.fm has always been committed to sharing the calming power of nature soundscapes with everyone, free of charge. For the last three years, that meant open access to our entire library of recordings. But as we continue to grow – now offering over 1,000 immersive, high‑quality nature sounds globally – our small team and limited budget struggle to keep pace, as you can see in our latest financial and impact report. We’ve therefore made the decision to limit free access to 100 recordings, reserving the rest for our subscribers. By doing this, we move in the direction of financial stability in order to sustain the project in the long run.

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Why this change is needed

1. Long-term sustainability

Earth.fm is a non‑profit under the Digital Partnership for Regeneration and Reconnection, fiscally sponsored by The Biodiversity Group and recognized as a 1% for the Planet Environmental Partner. While our website and app have offered unlimited free access, that generosity came with mounting costs, with content hosting, app maintenance, field recording grants, research, and more. This modest limit helps balance our desire to serve openly with the need to keep Earth.fm running.

2. Protecting the quality and growth of our library

Behind each soundscape lies effort and dedication: recording in remote locations, editing, metadata tagging, and curating. Our subscription fees play a vital role in:

• Supporting the Earth.fm app team (two full-time developers, one full-time editor, and one full-time curator)
• Continuing to expand our soundscape collection
• Featuring new recordists, especially those from underserved communities

Without income, none of this would be possible.

3. Supporting our small, dedicated team

Earth.fm is shaped by a devoted, multidisciplinary team, from developers and ecologists to sound recordists and artists. We work tirelessly to deliver both a polished app experience and meaningful content. This new structure ensures we can continue without burnout and without compromising our mission.

4. Amplifying nature connection 

At the heart of Earth.fm’s mission is the deep belief that reconnecting people to the natural world through immersive listening fosters empathy and inspires conservation action. Our recordings aim to enhance nature awareness, promote mental health, and motivate people toward meaningful environmental connection. 

What adjusting access means for our users

User Type	Access Level	Benefits
Free Users	100 recordings from around the globe	Continued access, with occasional reminders of mission needs
Subscribers	Full access to all 1000+ recordings, and bonus features	Unlimited listening, offline playback, favorites, playlist creation, and more

We hope that you will continue to use the Earth.fm app either as a member or free user and keep nourishing yourself with nature sounds, as a source of joy, inspiration, and re-connection. 💚