RIU

EL · A MEDIA COMPANY · EST. MMXXVI

el riu rao — a media company in five currents, based in Valencia and Barcelona.

We make the things people read, hear, and watch on the open internet.

01 · About

A media company with a pulse.

el riu rao is a full-stack media company working in English out of Valencia and Barcelona. We write essays and annual reports, record podcasts and radio, shoot film and social, ship a newsletter every Friday, and sometimes print posters just because the right poster is still the best advertisement in the world.

We work with brands who want to be read, not scrolled past, and with readers who still believe a good sentence can change a Tuesday. Five currents, one company, one voice. We are small on purpose and fast as a consequence.

“riu rao” is the Catalan word for the specific, persistent sound a river makes on its way somewhere else. We named the company after it because that's what the best media does — keeps moving, keeps talking, doesn't stop to ask if you're listening.

The Five Currents

02 · What we do
  1. 01 Studio Editorial content for companies that want to be read. Longform series, branded essays, annual reports that aren't a chore, launch copy that sounds like a human wrote it. See work →
  2. 02 Letters A weekly newsletter every Friday morning, a searchable essay archive, and the occasional paid issue. No tracking, no dark patterns, no weekly digest filler. Subscribe →
  3. 03 Voices Three podcasts, one Friday radio hour, one recurring interview series. Produced in-house, recorded in a real studio, edited like it matters. Listen →
  4. 04 Motion Director-led film and social for brands that understand the feed is a publication. Quick-turn, opinionated, made to travel. Watch reel →
  5. 05 Press A small imprint for zines, books, and the occasional broadside poster. Limited runs, good paper, shipped from Valencia. See catalogue →

Selected Work

03 · A sampler
01
Studio · Editorial

The Open Standard

A six-part essay series for a protocol company. 42,000 words, two podcasts, one print edition.

02
Letters · Newsletter

The Letter № 001 – 042

A year of Friday mornings. 42 issues, 12,800 subscribers, 63% open rate. No tracking.

03
Motion · Brand Film

Field Notes, S1

Eight short documentaries on the craft economy in rural Spain. Distributed as a serialized drop.

04
Press · Imprint

Long Signal Vol. I

A 200-page paperback collecting the first season of our podcast. 500 copies, numbered, sold out.

04 · Selected clients & partners
STRIPE NOTION LINEAR FIGMA VERCEL RAYCAST
05 · The Letter · Every Friday

A letter worth opening.

One essay. Five links worth clicking. A reading recommendation. Shipped every Friday at 07:00 CET. Free, forever, no tracking.

№ 042 shipping Friday · Join 12,800 readers

06 · Contact

Have a story worth telling?

We read every inquiry within 48 hours. Bring a brief, a budget, and a deadline — or just bring the brief and we'll help with the rest.

Studios
Valencia · Calle Ruzafa 12
Barcelona · Carrer de Girona 48