Late last year, Netflix announced a new partnership with iHeartMedia that would give the world’s largest on-demand video streaming platform exclusive rights to a number of high-profile podcasts. The move showed just how serious major media players are about audio. It also presents a unique opportunity for radio.
The newly launched content entity reads like a who’s who across multiple entertainment categories. From Barstool’s Pardon My Take to the true crime series My Favorite Murder and a number of music-related shows, including The Breakfast Club and Bobby Bones’ Bobbycast.
“These shows feature dynamic hosts, compelling conversations, and passionate fan communities, available in both audio and now as a natural video extension,” said Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeartMedia.
For program directors and marketing managers, this raises a strategic question. If Netflix views audio as a way to not only build but extend its audience’s fandom, should music radio be thinking the same way?
Radio Rotations Won’t Beat Spotify
We live in an era of on-demand streaming and hyper-personalization. Thanks to platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, radio has more opportunity now than ever to become a listener’s escape.
However, it won’t succeed if it plays eight or nine songs in a row that the audience can’t skip or cut off early. Something listeners have become accustomed to while streaming music on their own.
The fact of the matter is that music won’t beat Spotify in the on-demand music game. Instead, music radio should lean into a combination of storytelling, music curation, and discovery. Hosts should not only inform the audience about what is going on, but also explain why they should care.
Embrace the personalization between the station and the listener. The audience will appreciate it, and as iHeartRadio’s internal research recently proved, listeners crave it.
Strategic Storytelling with Music Curation
Music radio doesn’t have to become more podcast-like. With 55% of the U.S. population, that equates to about 158 million people. All currently listening to podcasts every month. It would be foolish for music radio not to embrace at least some elements of the dominant and familiar medium.
It’s no longer just about music rotation. Stations need to embrace connection. Their survival depends on it.
By incorporating personality with music storytelling, radio can give audiences something that’s different. An element that differentiates it from Spotify while still remaining the familiar media entity that is all about the music.
Give Listeners a Reason
Listeners are driven more by relatability than anything else, especially music fans.
They want a DJ who makes them feel like they are standing next to them in line at the next concert. Someone who knows the backstory of songs, as well as learn something from listening. Like any podcast, they want to be the first to share the experience with their friends.
“Rather than being replaced, spoken word radio is adapting. Ensuring that it remains a vital part of the audio ecosystem. In fact, we already know radio is repurposed as podcasts all the time. If done correctly, podcasts can be repurposed as radio programming,” Mike Ragz wrote after the Audio 1 Vice President attended the 2024 Barrett News Media Conference.
Ragz’ conclusions about how talk radio can work alongside the expansion of the podcast industry also ring true for the music format. Strategically integrating storytelling into a station’s structure proves to listeners that your channel knows the scene. That you’re willing to put in the time and effort to utilize your hired talent to prove it to the audience.
Walk the Line
Of course, music radio does have certain constraints compared to other formats.
Music fans tune in because they want to hear music. Too much talk, especially after morning drive, brings the risk of confusing the audience and possibly prompting them to change the channel. Some formats also simply don’t have enough consistent content.
Balance is key.
Stations should embrace more than just two or three minutes of talk at the top of the hour while still delivering an enjoyable and impactful listen. Similar to what podcasts do, just in a shortened version.
If a program director sees positive feedback from incorporating additional talk elements, that can open even more revenue opportunities. Vertical integrations across a channel’s digital spaces can earn dollars for your brand. It also allows for longer, specialized programming opportunities, especially on weekends.
Remember, storytelling will reign supreme
“Podcasting is radio’s birthright… Like radio, it’s companionship,” Pittman previously told RadioInk.
That one-on-one connection with radio personalities is what the audience wants. Whether its Bobby Bones, Charlamagne tha God, or me on The Gunz Show. It just needs to be balanced.
Just ask Netflix.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. Sign up for our newsletters to stay updated and get the latest information right in your inbox.
‘Gunz’ has been a staple in the music, sports and news industry for over a decade. From his first on-air appearances on MTV and FUSE television as a teenager to broadcasting nationally with Don Imus, to most recently hosting the Vans Warped Tour on Amazon Music, he has become one of the industry’s most insightful and trusted voices. As host of idobi Radio’s ‘The Gunz Show’ (80K+ Weekly Listeners) for the last fifteen years, Gunz has built a reputation for Breaking Bands and Breaking News, including notable debut interviews from bands such as Twenty One Pilots, Cobra Starship, fun., and viral interviews with artists such as Machine Gun Kelly, All Time Low and The All American Rejects. Whether it’s hosting red carpets or exclusive sit-downs with media’s biggest names from Clive Davis to Dana White, Gunz answers not only “What” is happening, but more importantly – “Why?” for programmers, publicists, artists, entertainers and fans alike.
