A month ago, legendary music producer Jimmy Iovine said streaming services are “minutes away from being obsolete.” His point was that streaming services have become a utility and don’t help develop a relationship between the artists — like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran — and the consumer.
Take Iovine’s words and couple them with a point made to me years ago by the greatest manager in show business, Irving Azoff. He said artist income was all about “asses in seats.” Irving has historically managed artists who have a great relationship with their fans and can sell out arenas. One of the bands he’s managed since their start is the Eagles, and they’ve been putting asses in seats for over 50 years.
I strongly believe radio is still key for an artist to create the relationship that will sell concert tickets, merchandise, and music. Let’s take the biggest star in the world, Taylor Swift. Radio was a big part of her start. Her team even enticed Frank Bell to leave his successful radio programming job to make sure radio was part of the plan.
Taylor and Frank went so far as to host radio programmers at her home. I was there. I also took calls from Frank through every release as he shepherded those songs to the top of the charts. Frank sent us boxes of merch for on-air giveaways and hosted programmers in his suite at every show on every tour. He made sure radio was in lockstep with Taylor’s music. He was even there to slap our hand when a wayward DJ would post something negative. Taylor Swift was a part of radio shows in those early years as she cemented the bond with her audience.
Frank calls radio today to make sure “Opalite” gets the spins it deserves. Radio still loves Taylor Swift to this day, and our talent can’t stop talking about her.
Radio stations and their talent provide companionship to the masses. Great talent creates a one-to-one relationship with their audience and a trust. This is one reason endorsement commercials work. It also works when that talent and their station endorse an artist. If a radio station hosts an event with a new artist, it gives them credibility.
I remember the first time we had Ed Sheeran as a brand-new artist for an event. It was his introduction to New York — nobody knew him. A few years later, when he appeared for our third event together, it was the hottest ticket in town. Ed clearly remembers how radio helped him from the start, as he continued to be a part of major radio shows just last year. Ed is a ninja on social media, but he is someone who cares deeply about his relationship with radio.
Today, record companies have fewer pop promotion people and a new breed of artists that seem to be focused on streaming numbers as opposed to relationship building for the future. I foresee a crop of one-hit wonders if that is the new world. Olivia Dean made a great album but doesn’t seem to care about radio. She’s on top at the moment, but will she have the career of Ed or Taylor, or the longevity of someone like the Eagles? Social media can help build a connection, but there is no better marketing plan for creating a career than one that can come from radio. If you add our digital tools to the over-the-air delivery and event expertise, you’ve got massive exposure to potential fans.
Radio is also the long tail to a hit song that causes it to sell and stream beyond its natural life. Radio may not have been first to play Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” but we were the medium that made the song a hit to the majority of America who don’t use Spotify. Thankfully, Alex is aware and supports radio.
Country music stars have not forgotten radio. Bobby Bones and Katie Neal have featured the biggest stars in country music on a regular basis. And yes, iHeart’s Jingle Ball and Audacy’s We Can Survive still pack arenas with great talent, but those shows are getting harder and harder to book because many artists just don’t want to do radio shows, or they make costs prohibitive.
May the words of Jimmy Iovine and the meager streaming checks cause pop artists and their record companies to see the light. From the first Elvis Presley interview to the artists that Elvis Duran is waiting to interview today, radio is here to build relationships, careers, and yes — put asses in seats.
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Jim Ryan is a Music Radio columnist for Barrett Media. In addition, he runs Jim Ryan Media LLC, a consulting company which assists major market radio brands and top talent including national radio personality Delilah. Prior to relaunching his consultancy in 2025, Jim spent 15 years with Audacy/CBS Radio, serving as SVP of Programming. Among his responsibilities included programming WNEW-FM and WCBS-FM. His career includes additional programming stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston. Jim was voted the #2 PD of 2024 in Barrett Media’s Top 20 series in the AC category. He can be reached by email at Jim@JimRyanMedia.com.
