“Is radio still important? Who still listens to the radio in this age of streaming platforms? Radio has to be very useless.” If you’re one of those who think like this, I’m happy to tell you that radio isn’t dead! In fact, it’s still a consistent tool for the promotion of music everywhere in the world.
Interestingly, radio airplay and listening accounts for much, much more than all the streaming services combined. And a significant portion of music profits are impacted by radio airplay, with a minimum of 14% and a high of 23%. Shocking?
Contrary to what you might think, there’s a huge competition out there to get airplays (or spins as the radio guys call it). To stand out from the competition and achieve radio airplay, you need to employ effective strategies. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, this article delves into these strategies and explains how you can use airplay data to refine your promotion strategy and grow your audience.
Despite the rise of social media and streaming services, radio airplay remains a powerful tool to boost an artist’s fanbase and popularity. In fact, radio stations still dominate as one of the most widely listened to music mediums globally. In the United states, for instance, the average weekly audio consumption via radio is about 14 times greater than combined consumption across all audio streaming services.
Benefits of Music Promotion on Radio
While digital marketing and promotion has its place as first choice, radio airplay remains crucial for reaching a broad consumer audience and achieving top-chart success.
Builds awareness and credibility: Promoting your music on the radio helps you to reach a large audience, and repeated airplay helps to build brand recognition and credibility in the industry.
Just think about it: whether you’re stuck in traffic or doing some household chores, radio can always come in handy to keep you company. Your song can just hit someone unaware while they’re listening to the radio and then, they go searching for you afterwards. Ta-da! You have a new fan.
Increased fanbase and strong brand: Consistent airplay on a popular radio station can help to grow your fanbase as it keeps you in front of listeners and creates a buzz around your music. The more your song plays on the radio, the more likely you are to win a new audience, organically.
This is different from people who will have to listen to you based on recommendations from streaming apps of social media ads. Trust that anyone who searches for your music after listening through an airplay is definitely hooked.
Regular airplay on a popular radio station can help you gain recognition and credibility in the industry. And let’s not forget the power of repetition. Playing your music consistently on radio will ensure that people remember your name and your music, making you more likely to be booked for live performances and shows.
Wide reach and easy access: Radio stations are easily accessible and can be found in every household, car or workplace, thus, you can be sure of reaching a diverse range of audiences across different locations. This means that your music can reach a large and diverse audience, from young adults to middle-aged individuals, and even some grandparents who are still stuck in the 80s.
Cost-effective: Radio promotion is relatively affordable and often less expensive compared to other forms of music promotion. Unlike other forms of promotion, such as billboards or TV ads, radio promotion is relatively affordable. You don’t need to have a big budget to get your music played on the radio, just some persistence and patience.
So, how do you get your song on the radio? Simple. 69 Entertainment is right here to help!
Ways to Get Your Song on Radio
Submit your music to the radio station: You can submit your music to different radio stations both within and outside Nigeria. This is usually done via email or online portals set up by the radio stations for song submissions.
Use a radio promotion service: You can also use radio promotion services or PR agencies to help promote your music to radio stations.
Gain clout everywhere else first: Before attempting to get your music on the radio, it’s crucial to establish a strong resume that radio stations will take seriously. This requires gaining traction on major digital consumption channels like Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, SoundCloud, and YouTube. Building an audience and securing a place on playlists can help you achieve this. It’s important to note that radio rotation often lags behind streaming consumption, so it’s essential to earn solid clout on streaming platforms before pursuing radio airplay. While reaching the top of the charts may not be necessary, having a significant following on digital platforms can give you an advantage over those without an established audience.
Connect with radio DJs: Reach out to radio DJs on social media and other platforms to get them to play your music on their shows.
Attend industry events: Attend music industry events, meet and greet sessions and networking events where you can connect with radio station representatives, DJs and other industry stakeholders who can help promote your music.
Act locally, Think Globally:
In today’s world of music marketing and promotion, it’s crucial to think beyond your native market. While your local audience is undoubtedly important, music has the ability to transcend borders and reach a global audience. It’s essential to recognize the opportunities available outside of your home region, including outside of Nigeria and Africa. Your music may already be resonating with audiences and receiving airplay in unexpected places— think Europe, America, Asia or Australia.
Conclusion
Radio promotion is something you shouldn’t sleep on. However, it’s not without its own challenge. One of the biggest challenges is getting airplay. With so many artists vying for airtime, it can be tough to get your music played. However, persistence is key. Keep sending your music to different radio stations and DJs, and eventually, you’ll get your break.
With persistence, hard work, and a solid PR strategy, you can overcome the challenges attached to radio airplay and make the most of what radio has to offer. So, turn up that dial and get ready to promote your music to the world!
