Radio Promotion And Radio Airplay

Why Radio Plugging is still a valuable tool for recording artists

Here’s why radio promotion plays remain such an integral part of the ensuing success of the modern-day artist….

Exposure Through Radio Promotion Services

In an age of heavyweight streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, you’d expect them to dominate when it comes to the way that an average person discovers new music. However, a 2015 study by Nielsen found 61% of respondents answered that radio was the fundamental way they happened upon fresh music.

Radio also offers convenience and ease of use for the listener that other formats (like streaming) don’t necessarily provide. The study also found that 243 million consumers in the USA tune in to radio each week – which equates to around 91% of the population. That is an absolutely huge market which might potentially hear your music and in turn possibly bring you new fans.

Gaining multiple plays on the radio can also allow you to break through to a large mainstream audience relatively quickly. This in part is because radio in a modern sense now covers the internet/digital and satellite/terrestrial. The overlapping of so many spheres means that there are now more ways than ever before to get heard via some form of radio promotion.

For example, according to Tunecore the Foo Fighter’s ‘Everlong’ has received “almost 2 billion gross impressions (audience reach) to date”. This makes radio the most effective way of building awareness for an artist and creating a buzz around their music, which could possibly lead to a song becoming a hit.

Without showing off, we are one of the best radio promotion companies in the market, established for over 15 years.  

Sync Opportunities

Radio plays are not just useful for gaining more fan exposure and increasing sales of your records, but can also be an essential factor that could lead to commercial opportunities in the media (BTW, we can guarantee media radio promotion, depending on your radio promotion campaign type), for instance, sync. In an interview with leading music supervisors by Pigeons and Planes discussing how they sourced and selected new music to pitch to clients, Jackie Shuman stated that….

“I’ve found some great things on non-commercial radio”.

Aaron Mercer supported this by saying…

“Good local press and radio helps”. Oh, we handle your press kit for you (EPK)

This proves radio promotion is a key resource for music supervisors and that many use it to look out for emerging talent which may be suitable for placement on the projects they are currently working on as well as future ones. Sync is quickly becoming an integral revenue stream for the music industry, and many artists – from established acts to previously unheard-of bands – are now embracing it. Radio play has the potential to lead down this avenue.  

Exclusivity and Relationships

Put simply, getting your music played on some type of radio helps to separate yourself from the multitude of other artists out there who are fighting for fans and attention. In a way, radio stations operate as a filter – sieving out the poor music while playing the good stuff. To even get airplay a number of people must sign off on an artist being played, something which is difficult to achieve given how subjective music taste really is. Getting through this filter proves to both the radio programmers & professionals and the public that your music is at least worth listening to.   

Radio DJs and curators also still have an essential role to play as they have relationships and contacts throughout the industry, potentially furthering your musical career and the exposure of your music and getting it into the hands of professionals throughout the business.

Getting your song played on the radio is a huge milestone for emerging artists; it’s a sign you’ve joined the big leagues, and that you’re a real competitor in the music industry. Now you can receive royalties for radio plays, broaden your exposure and bring in new fans. Who doesn’t want to get their music on the radio?

This is where Radio Airplay comes in, they can help you achieve all of this and more. But first, let’s truly understand the importance and impact of radio for you and your music…

What does Radio Airplay Mean?

Radio airplay is simply a term that is used in the broadcasting industry for stating how frequently a song is being played on over-the-air radio stations. When we consider commercial broadcasting, radio airplay is generally the result of songs being placed into the rotation, which is often called “adding it to the playlist” of the station by the music director, or possibly as the result of a ‘Pay for Play’, sponsored by the record label.

Radio promotion and plays not only earn you royalties, but they can reach so many people. Think about your natural reaction to hearing a new song on the radio that you like, you Shazam it, Youtube it, find it on Spotify, download it from iTunes, follow the artist on Twitter and Instagram, buy the album, go to the show, buy the merch and tell your friends. Getting your track on the radio can set off a chain reaction and be one of the most effective forms of music promotion out there.

Radio airplay is a highly effective way to get your music heard, although obtaining it is never an easy feat. Connecting with radio hosts, producers, DJs and music directors is incredibly difficult for unsigned and independent artists. They don’t know who you are and probably receive hundreds of emails a day from people in the exact same boat as you. Why should they listen to your music when they have globally renowned acts to choose from?

A more attainable goal would be to get your music on online radio services that suggest music to listeners based on their tastes. Start smaller; build a fierce online fanbase and generate some traction around your music. A company like RadioAirplay.com can help get your music heard by new fans and get that ball rolling.

Final Thoughts

It is clear to see that radio promotion, including promotions for Sirius Radio and airplay, is still an important factor when you boil it down to the raw data. With the current audience reach of around 72 million people per week for songs in the top 40 (and even more niche genres such as alternative rock still garnering around 10 million listeners a week), it is evident that radio as a medium is alive and kicking – making it well worth an artist’s time getting their music played there. 

It’s also worth noting that all aspects of your music promotion and music marketing contribute to your pitch at a Radio level, social media is a key factor these days, and social proof provides a reason to listen, especially for singer-songwriters and indie artists, unsigned.

It’s a dream of musicians everywhere: to get your music heard on the radio. For people across the country to simultaneously hear your track as they’re driving, cooking, working and going about their lives. To receive a flood of messages and tweets from family, friends and fans telling you your track is on the radio and them sharing in your celebration.

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