After a change of name, Northsound Radio commenced broadcasting at 6 am on 27 July 1981 from its original studios in an old schoolhouse on Kings Gate, near Anderson Drive in the city.

For a two-year period from 1994, the station was the main sponsor of Aberdeen Football Club, with the logo appearing on the players' shirts.

Northsound has also been sponsors and organisers of Aberdeen's free Hogmanay street party when they were staged in the city, where performers such as Sandi Thom, Travis and Amy MacDonald have played to large crowds.

The entirety of the station's programming, barring one weekend show is networked; produced and broadcast from Clyde 1 in Clydebank, Forth 1 in Edinburgh and Hits Radio in London & Manchester.

Headlines are broadcast on the half hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside sport, traffic and business bulletins.