Getting Started in Radio

Starting a Radio Station

If you are someone that loves music, starting a radio station could be something that excites you.  Creating your own station gives you complete creative control.  It takes a lot of initial work to get your station up and running, as far as marketing it, but it has potential to be very successful.  The best way to market the station is to get the targeted group involved, if you are looking to work with new “underground” artist those are the people you should target first.  Building a radio station also requires funding so building partnerships is important as well.  Starting a station also requires equipment, the equipment that you will need depends on the personal vision of your station.  For example, if you plan to do live shows you will need microphones, headphones, and a mixer for output audio.  You will also need to make sure that your Internet connection is fast enough to accommodate larger audiences.  Starting a station could be beneficial to starting your own record label as well.  It gives you the opportunity to promote and recruit artist for the label, as well as network with others in the industry.  Personally, Radionomy has worked for me as a starting platform.  It gives you the opportunity to eventually earn money as well as launch your own station.

Radio Personalities

Starting a radio station or any business, you will need to build the right team.  In radio, the personalities on air are what draws listeners and builds loyalty.  It is important to have personalities who are able to connect with the listeners.  The audience is more willing to listen to a personality that they can relate to or someone who already has a reputation.  People want to be entertained as well as informed.    Think of your favorite radio or TV show host, if he/she were not hosting the show would you still tune in?  Majority would say no, unless the station has done a great job of building loyalty.  While hiring personalities, it is also important to look for certain qualities.  Paying attention to detail and effectively communicating to the audience is necessary to be successful.  You may be able to get along with people but if your information is not credible, it could take away from the loyalty of the personality.

Online radio

Online radio is growing to be a very successful platform in the music industry in all genres.  While researching the industry, I found the stats to be very interesting.  It is projected that by the year 2016, 67% of the U.S internet users will use online radio. This shows the rapid growth, which is well over half the population.  The major platforms that control online music are Pandora, Spotify, Tunein and iHeart Radio. All these platforms are unique, some are strictly music while others gives you access to traditional radio wherever you are. 

Satellite Radio

Sirius XM, dominates satellite radio.  Sirius XM radio once were separate companies but decided to merge in 2005 and has a large portion to automobile users.  Sirius XM radio is uncensored and commercial free and has been installed in most new cars today. The benefit of satellite radio is the ability to reach listeners worldwide and expose them to music that may not be played in their region of the world.  By 2017, satellite projects to have over 25 million listeners worldwide.

Online Radio vs. Satellite Radio

Online and satellite radio are two very large growing platforms for music.  Not only does it give you access to music via your phone, but it also exposes the listener to music that does not get as much publicity.  Although we are able to access music the minute it comes out, a lot of artist have not created a big enough buzz to be recognized.  Sirius XM radio is the only satellite radio station, after the merger of Sirius and XMradio.  Some of the popular online platforms are Pandora, Tunein, and Spotify.  While both can be accessed through mobile devices, there are pros and cons with each.

Online and satellite radio are similar to traditional antenna radio, but different at the same time.  The biggest difference with satellite radio is that it offers commercial free uncensored music, news and entertainment.  Satellite radio is most popular in cars, according to telemtics news, by 2017 automobile subscribers are projected to be up to 20 million people. While they dominate the automobile audience, satellite is still looking to reach listeners outside the car.  Online radio platforms like Pandora and Spotify gives you control of what you are listening to and caters to people who use mobile devices to access music.  Online radio as a whole is growing rapidly; according to statista it had an annual revenue of more than $800 million in 2012 and has projected that 67% of Americas internet users will become online radio users by 2016.  Another benefit of online radio is the ability to create your own station, giving you complete creative control.  

Both platforms have its downfalls.  Satellite radio mainly reaches out to automobile users, although it does have online services.  While this is appealing to the older crowd, it is a hassle for the younger crowd.  Another downfall for some users is the monthly subscription; although it is worth it, convincing someone to pay for music can be a challenge.  Online radio has its downfalls as well.  Although it’s free, you still have the risk of going over your data plan; no phone company offers unlimited data, so using online radio when you are not connected to wifi could eventually cost you.  You can buy larger data plans but ultimately you are paying for music.  In comparison to satellite radio, another downfall of online radio is the use of ads.  While satellite is completely commercial free, online usually has ads that run on the stations.

Online and satellite radio is continually growing and eventually will take over traditional radio.  Although we live in the age of social media, artist should take advantage of these platforms for exposure.  Radio is another outlet to your success, use it!