The Importance of Radio by will.i.am — “The format is America’s stage.”

Digital Products

Digital Products Digital Music News invited will.i.am and several industry experts to discuss the future of radio on DMN Pro.What will radio be in 2024?‘ event. will.i.am focused on the future and provided unique insight into where he believes the radio industry is heading.

During a panel discussion, will.i.am called radio “one of the most important conduits to the world of music.” He said the radio stations that are doing it right are doing really well, and they’re still important. cultural zeitgeist position. “Streaming doesn’t really cover what’s going on in the community. At the community level, people are paying attention to these cultural staples for personalities, community leaders, and people to follow. is still there.”

He calls radio the stage for America, especially for artists who are breaking through. “[Radio] For many artists, America becomes a stage where they have no outlet.How do you really get the mass? [appeal]?Certain countries are doing a better job at that,” Will.i.am admits. He says that while the BBC broadcasts to all of Britain, NRJ broadcasts to all of France.acquisition Ryan Seacrest Featured It hits most of America.

“I don’t want to dismiss radio as old,” Will.i.am says. “This is a very important thread that carries the pulse from TikTok to streaming to what is being enjoyed in the real world. With the coronavirus, no one is going to restaurants or shopping malls, no one is in taxis. We saw the actual data drop when people stopped riding, and streaming numbers really dropped significantly because of this kind of airplay. I stopped doing it.”

“For radio, it’s the old monetization model where ads are doing it, but people are actually listening. People are choosing to listen. When we look at reach, we’re looking at the true Are you considering tuning? How do you monitor radio or terrestrial radio? You can’t really monitor how the system works like you can skip rates on a streaming platform. I don’t know if that’s fair for radio because it’s not the same algorithmically to monitor.”

“In digital, there are a lot of ”.ghost listeningThere are no real people on the other side of the river. However, in the case of radio, people tune in because they are in the car or listening to the radio while at work. If you compare them as if they are the same, they are actually not.it’s an engagement [with hosts and personalities] People are glued to radio,” will.i.am continues. He believes that streaming skip rates are not a matter of attention span. Is that your personality?

“Are you a personality? Cardi B is more than just a musician or a person who makes music, she’s a personality,” he continued. “I want to talk to Cardi B and relax. I want to just sit and listen, lean back and soak in the ideas she spews out verbally, idealistically. Whether it’s heavy content or just… If you want to escape from reality and get a chuckle or get out of a bad situation and get into the moment, that’s radio.”

After all, for major artists, being a personality is a big part of their success.but Meet people where the conversations are happening That means attacking podcast shows and radio interviewers to convey its appeal to the masses. The future of radio will be different, according to will.i.am.

“Boundary-pushing companies and technologies open the door for more people to express themselves,” says will.i.am. “Before record companies, not many people could perform in theaters, cathedrals, and amphitheaters. Recording opened up new people to the market.”

“In 2024, there will be new types of technology, and computing time will be expensive. What does that mean? What will be the next Apple to come along with the iPod that brought us podcasts? The phonograph and… What will be the next General Electric with broadcast technology?”