Bye Bye Music Format Radio - the Beginning of the End

[landtuna]

How many stations do that today? Not very many.

Pandora actually takes it a step further, allowing you to hear any song on an album or any song they have available. How many broadcast stations do this? For every genre? Whenever you want? They allow you to hear artists who maybe don't even have a label. How often does broadcast radio do this?

Pandora/Slacker slaughter today's broadcast radio when it comes to variety.

That was exactly my point. Pandora is not a new concept but it does operate over a new technology. And it does make it easier to hear unpopular or new music than the old days of going to a record shop and listening to album tracks in listening booths.

But, as has been said by radio insiders many, many times.....listeners of broadcast radio don't want to hear unfamiliar music. They want to hear familiar, popular music. Those listeners are where the numbers are and numbers are what drives broadcast music radio. Services like Pandora are a niche and will most likely always be a niche.

 

[Casey]

But, as has been said by radio insiders many, many times.....listeners of broadcast radio don't want to hear unfamiliar music. They want to hear familiar, popular music. Those listeners are where the numbers are and numbers are what drives broadcast music radio. Services like Pandora are a niche and will most likely always be a niche.

I agree that people typically want to hear familiar music. But we often forget that every song we hear was unfamiliar at one time. Slacker and Pandora are capable of playing mainly familiar songs if that is what you want. Especially Slacker, with their fine tuning options. So the chances that they will remain niche services seems unlikely to me. I think the only thing holding Slacker back is the fact that they continuously fail to promote their products. Most people you talk to have never heard of Slacker. This can be changed.

 

[TheBigA]

I agree that people typically want to hear familiar music. But we often forget that every song we hear was unfamiliar at one time.

And contrary to it's image, a lot of OTA radio stations are currents-based, with about 25% of the music being new and mostly unfamiliar. The percentage varies based on the format, and it's enforced by the trade charts (Billboard/BDS and Mediabase) who require it in order for the station to receive reporting status.

 

[adma]

What makes today any different? Roxy Music didn't get much radio play when Brian Ferry and Eno were in the group. They were always a fringe group for a very small minority.

...and said "very small minority" tends to be the sort that regards much of the current "desirable" commercial/terrestrial audience to be even more of a fringe case. So, if you made your Limbaugh/Beck-centred bed, you sleep in it.