Although streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube are gaining more and more of the music industry market, the single biggest avenue for the music industry is still radio. Sure, services like SoundCloud and Bandcamp can help you gain initial traction, but when the need arises for major exposure; radio seems to be the end goal. In fact, according to an American study, around 92 % of the listening public are tuned into some form of radio, whether it be AM/FM, satellite or online. Apart from the mass exposure radio can bring to you, there are a few other undeniable reasons why radio is in high demand for artists.
Authenticity & Brand Image
From a consumer stand-point and to music industry professionals alike, your song being played on the radio is a huge milestone. It’s an instant message that rules out the possibility of you being an amateur. It elevates an artist’s social status, and being played on the radio means you’re already ahead of the vast majority of competition. The fact that your music has managed to get on the radio is no small feat and it should give your brand image a significant boost (and rightfully so).
The Fan Funnel Theory
The fan funnel theory is quite simple at its core. Imagine a 3 step pyramid with ‘exposure’ on the top, ‘plays’ next and ‘fans’ last. Exposure could come in the form of you playing gigs, or running social media ads. The end goal is creating (loyal) fans, who in turn will pay for your music or pay to see you live. The obvious first step to build fans, in this case, is to gain exposure. As explained earlier, there’s nothing quite like getting heard on the radio. You reach the masses instantaneously, and a percentage of these listeners are likely to search you up, follow you on socials and eventually become a full-time fan. Kickstart the artist funnel process through radio exposure!
Live Medium (Why Not Streaming Services?)
Most up and coming artists like to push their careers through social media & streaming services as the barrier to entry is minimal; however, this means there’s a lot of competition and cutting through this ‘buzz’ becomes a near-impossible mission. Another significant drawback is that your audience is in a distracted state, and can be interrupted by other content quite easily. Radio is a non-interrupted listening experience and a very live medium, which means listeners tend to be more engaged. Now, we’re not saying that you should ignore social media or streaming platforms altogether, but there’s more to it than just that. You can also expect radio plays to eventually turn into say, Spotify plays, after a listener becomes a fan. But it’s key to reach the listener effectively to ensure the fan funnel process will run smoothly.
At Musik and Film Promotions, we understand the needs and struggles of indie musicians. Getting on the radio can be an expensive and challenging venture, so we set out to solve that problem and enable independent artists. Our radio plugging services target AM, FM and internet stations. No other radio plugging service comes close to the sheer numbers of stations worldwide to which we deliver direct – 250,000 stations in over 180 countries.