Listen to the top (music) radio stations around the country and you will hear a great mix of music for the masses. Experienced program directors know that success hinges on the right mix of popular artists, up-and-comers, and an occasional surprise or two. This intricate balancing act will keep a mass audience coming back day after day, but what happens when that same audience goes online? Music for the masses becomes music for me.

The internet delivers more of a personal experience than any terrestrial or satellite radio station can even imagine. People are like snowflakes and so are their musical tastes. While many people may agree that The Beatles were one of the greatest bands, online they can find other bands similar to or influenced by The Beatles. The may not hear these bands on the radio because, lets face it, these people have more songs on their iPod than their favorite station’s entire music library.

This abundance of content on the internet is being referred to as the Long Tail. Combine the sales of all the non-hits online and they out sell the hits. This goes for music, movies, books, etc. The ease of distribution means that music and books don’t need to go out of print anymore. I searched all over for a book about The Beatles, that my brother once loaned me, only to find that it was out of print. Not anymore, a quick search on Amazon.com shows that it is now available. When you go to a bookstore in search of a title and inquire when you can’t find it, nothing happens. The inquiry is most likely not recorded and it is localized to that store. How many people are looking for that same book at that location? Go to Amazon and they recognize that a lot of people from all different locations are searching for the same thing. An audience is identified and the presses are running again. If distributors don’t want to spend money reprinting the book they make a digital version available for devices like the Kindle.

So what does this all mean for your on-air product? You can’t play every song out there; that will only drive your audience away. Remember, people are snowflakes and you can’t please them all, but even snowflakes have one thing in common. They are all made from water and that commonality is something you can tap into by playing the hits. With that in mind, your online product has a much broader reach than you may even realize. By creating a more diverse experience on your Web site you can tap into your audience as individuals.

Why not highlight your core artists on your Web site with a list of artists that influenced them, sound similar to them, or are influenced by them. Connect this information with an iTunes or Amazon affiliate program where listeners can purchase their music and merchandise and generate a little non-traditional revenue. How about a podcast about some of the unsung heroes and artists on the rise that listeners may not know about or a second online stream with more variety? Of course these can be available for advertisers or sponsorships. Your Web site doesn’t have to be about only the best of the genre, it can be about the whole genre.

Of course there are a couple of caveats. Online content is easily measured and it may take time to generate a large enough audience for advertisers. Also you have to make sure your Web site’s content makes sense to your listeners, unrelated content can scare them away. It’s important to remember that your Web site is not only a potential source of income; it’s also one of your best promotional tools. Seamless integration of on-air and online can be very beneficial to your station and your listeners that are looking for a more complete experience.

–Tom Stark, Partner, RadioGlue. tom@radioglue.com – 732.416.0900
Let RadioGlue help you with your new technology initiatives. Contact Tom for more information.

Source: Rolling Stone

Source: Wired

Source: CNET

Source: Wired

Source: CNET

Source: Wired

Source: Wired

Source: CNET

Source: Webmonkey