Major Record labels are cutting back on radio airplay music campaigns as streaming becomes more integrated around the world.
It is customary in the music industry for labels to use third party promoters to pump interest in the top songs which usually cost between USD$100,000 to $300,000 on major hip hop/R&B radio stations according to a Billboard report.
As new technologies emerge the discussions are ongoing as to the value of radio play in the present music ecosystem where Gen Z’s are finding their music on YouTube and TikTok even as there is talk to ban the Chinese owned platform. Leading the conversation about radio’s lesser relevance for new music is Universal Music Group, the USA’s biggest record label. “It’s common knowledge Universal has drawn back from spending as much on radio promotion, ” says Joey Carvello, who has worked as a third party promoter for record labels.
Globally, streaming accounted for more than 67% of music consumption according to IFPI, and in music countries like Jamaica more acts emerged last year due to the full integration of digital streaming platforms like Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube.Valiant and Biggs Don got their first break from TikTok posts in August November last year respectively. The latter has been leading on Apple Music for the last five months. He is the first artist in the history of Jamaica’s music to have 12 songs in the top 20 on any streaming platform.
Radio in Jamaica on the other hand has not been the birthplace of a new artist since Munga Honorable found fame via ZJ Liquid’s Zip Fm Fresh Friday’s introduction in 2006.
Miami’s 103.5 DJ Papa Keith said at the Island Music Conference last month in Kingston, Jamaica that, “Radio should be the last place artists come with their music.” He added that, “the last few artists in reggae and dancehall basically flopped and that’s because they didn’t do grass roots promotions” and that “social media works for newer artist than for older artists.”
BBC Radio personality Seani B added, “the new generation doesn’t understand radio because radio is not their primary medium.” He sites the unavailability of some of dancehall’s biggest stars to him for interviews even though he hosts one of the more popular programs in the U.K.
“There is a lot of our stars that refused to do interviews, it’s a learned behavior – I haven’t interviewed Shenseea , PopCaan, in how long. I haven’t interviewed Masicka” he said adding that it is to their disadvantage.
Both Shenseea and Masicka are signed to Universal Music Group labels (Interscope and Def Jam) and their debut albums (Alpha and 438) finished 2022 as the top streaming male and female dancehall projects released during the 12 month period.
Hot 97 DJ Shani Kulture said the way to solve radio’s listener gap is for radio to go digital. Shani explains that there is a digital department at Hot 97 and said Power 105’s Breakfast Club was ahead with the video complement of the radio and now Hot 97 have teams dedicated to promoting tweets and high points of interviews.
Shaggy, who just signed a joint venture deal with VP records and had his 2000 smash hit Wasn’t Me breaking first on a small Hawaii radio station, said “you don’t have to buss in Jamaica, the first buss in Jamaica for me is Boombastic, he also said sometimes artist can focus on ‘Regional radio i.e. radio stations on the outskirts of U.K.” where it cost less to promote.
In the US YoungBoy Never Broke Again is the third most streamed artist behind Drake and Taylor Swift and Billboard reported that “Youngboy has only ever crackedBillboard‘s all-genre Radio Songs chart once — as a featured act.”
Both Spotify and YouTube have also launched radio-like services using artificial intelligence.
Spotify’s “DJ X” is a “personalized AI guide that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you.”
The new in app feature, curates music and adds commentary like a radio DJ based on your favorite tracks and artists with a realistic voice.
Watch more below:
YouTube Music’s “Radio Builder” launch on valentines day (February 14) is a “music tuner” built in YouTube Music’s homepage.
