Written By: Jim Markunas
Photo Credit: Dave Bradley
Every once in a great while a being comes along with a revolutionary idea. The idea itself is ahead of its time, but still exceptionally valid. The messenger of this idea is usually persecuted; 2,000 years ago, it was Jesus, 50 Years ago, it was Martin Luther King, and today… it’s internet radio.
Internet radio may hold the key the music industry is looking for. Here are a few reasons:
F*@% The FCC!!! – You can do, say or play whatever you want on internet radio. This instantaneously solves the problem of marketing bands that aren’t “radio friendly.”
In the olden days of the music industry, a band recorded an album under the supervision of a producer and a staff A&R guy. The album was plucked of 1-4 “commercial-sounding” songs. Said singles were played in order of appearance ad nausea on terrestrial radio stations throughout the world. This over-saturation caused consumers to run out to the local Best Buy or Tower Records to buy the album containing said single, or a 3-track disc of said single. Voila! Everyone from The Beatles to Korn sold records this way.
The great bands that didn’t have “radio friendly” songs were shelved, haphazardly thrown on the market, or in RARE instances… carried on without help from radio.
Sometimes, albums that would have been a huge hit were thrown by the wayside because radio said “No!”
Example: Nada Surf’s sophomore album (would have been HUGE!!!), 311’s “Music,” God Lives Underwater’s “Up Off The Floor,” and especially Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American” album (Passed on by Capitol/EMI and eventually released under Dreamworks/SKG under a self-titled guise to a multi-platinum success.)
Internet radio solves this dilemma, and in addition offers unique promotional opportunities. San Diego-rockers, Truckee Brothers released an internet radio exclusive MP3 in spring of 2007 not only to help the cause to save internet radio, but also because the song’s title, “Mayday,” could not be said on terrestrial radio.
Portability and Flexibility - Yes… We all know I’m a fan of the iPhone… Along with the rest of the world. This device has made internet radio all the more beneficial in the days of Apps. With the internet, listeners of internet radio aren’t limited by range. Los Angeles’ main internet radio stations, Kill Radio and Little Radio boast a global audience of thousands.
Famous radio stations across the pond, Virgin Radio and Capital FM, not only broadcast online, but have their own nifty little iPhone app. Pandora also has an app. Why listen to KROQ in the car and be subjected to the same Silversun Pickups song over and over for years when one can listen to anything they want on Pandora (Provided their car is iPod or Bluetooth enabled)?
Most importantly, there’s a station out there for everybody! Like death metal? There’s a station for you. Blues? Shoe-Gazer? Bird Sounds? There’s a station for you too!
Affiliate Ads – Labels can align with stations to drive profits. Some stations have “click to buy” links, and further ad-sharing deals could be worked out to a mutually beneficial end.
The Hullabaloo Over Songwriters – Songwriter are emotional… That’s why they write great songs. Nowadays, they’re emotional about the fact that the internet has put them out of a job (And rightly so!)
When internet radio kills terrestrial radio, and it just may, it has the potential to become very profitable. These profits could be made to trickle down to songwriters, artists, and labels alike.
The Main Reason Every Label and Person Should Have Their Own Station - I can’t think of any reason why one wouldn’t have their own internet radio station.
Labels! Imagine a streaming station with thousands of listeners. You own the station, it plays exclusively your artists, and you sell ads. Smells suspiciously like money, doesn’t it?
People! Rise up against those “evil” labels and play indie artists. This way, the old balance is restored and everyone’s happy : )
Jim Markunas is a music industry futurist and editor-in-chief of Chicks With Guns Magazine. Jim has a decade of new media and music industry experience, he’s run highly successful new media campaigns and has worked with James Brown, Miles Davis, The Walt Disney Company, Truckee Brothers, Mick Fleetwood, and Minty Fresh Records. Currently Jim’s focus is monetization strategies for record labels and digital business development. He’s a free agent available for hire.
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