Is radio is dying?

Is radio is dying? People have been pondering this ominous question for years and one that my colleagues at KING FM and I are debunking on a daily basis. In this day and age, we have plenty of different options for consuming music – Spotify, Pandora, our own personal music collections, YouTube (since when did a video platform also become a go-to audio discovery tool?), and good old-fashioned radio, whether you push a button, click a mouse, or tap a screen to get a streaming simulcast. Can radio continue to hold its own among these other platforms? I believe the answer is yes, it’s just constantly evolving.

 

I hosted #Musochat (a weekly Twitter conversation about topics in new music Sundays at 6pm PT) on February 7 to talk about this very issue with this passionate online community.  You can read the entire summary here, but since I didn’t chime in with my own answers, I’d like to share them (beyond 144 characters), with some supportive quotes from Musochatters with whom I wholeheartedly agree.

 

Q1 Name, location, occupation, & call letters (and/or Twitter handle!) of your local station that plays classical music #musochat

Maggie Stapleton, Seattle, assistant program director at KING FM, @KingFM/@secondinversion

 

Q2 Do you still think of “radio” as on-the-dial only? If not, how do you define “radio” in this day and age of digital platforms? #musochat

Definitely not on-the-dial only, but in order for it to be radio in my book, it must be a channel of music that will be heard simultaneously, in real time, by anyone with access.

 

Streaming simulcasts of radio stations, streaming channels that cannot be paused, skipped, rewound.  Most people agreed that they consider radio as both on-the-dial OR the streaming simulcast and some  but most terrestrial listening is done in the car, but the online simulcasts are a great way to both listen to local stations AND an opportunity to “Seek out stations based on content versus location” (@TURNmus)

 

I think it’s more so a stream of music with lovely speaking in between, hopefully enhancing the experience. (@LisaNeher)

 

i think of radio as any curated stream that “broadcasts” new audio-only content on a regular basis (@nonstandardrep)

 

Nope, I think of “radio” as any sort of streaming actually curated by a real human.   (@mezzoihnen)

 

It still exposes me to musicians or songs I don’t know. (@kelseyparkmezzo)

 

whereas radio is more communal, curated factor, part of its job is to show you what’s out there that you might not otherwise find, human curated streams, “I think it’s more so a stream of music with lovely speaking in between, hopefully enhancing the experience. “ (@samnelmicomposer)

 

from this, and a clarifying subquestion based on some initial answers, “Do you think Pandora is radio?” a vibrant palate of answers popped up.

A.2

whereas Pandora and Spotify are streaming tools

-Radio is a community of listeners hearing the same thing at the same time.

Classical radio’s #1 core value is relaxation.

 

Q3 What is your #1 most used music platform (personal library, Spotify, radio  (online/terrestrial)), etc. and why? #musochat

 

Outside of the my office, where it’s the endless wealth of new music new releases (roughly 70% on physical CDs and 30% digital files) my #1 most go-to platform is radio. I do terrestrial if I’m in my car or at home and streaming on my phone if I’m walking or bussing. We have an exceptionally good public radio market in Seattle, and I’m not just talking about my employer, KING FM. KPLU (jazz), KEXP (a little bit of everything), and KBCS (folk, bluegrass) are my go-to, trusted resources for curated music. I spend so much of my time choosing music for other people to listen to, I take immense pleasure in consuming playlists that other humans have curated. I can also count on these stations to give me something I’ve never heard before.

 

The fundamental reason why I love about radio is the ethereal bond that I have with who-knows-how-many other people who are listening to the exact same music as me. With all of the “what you want when you want” platforms, I worry that the consciousness and appreciation of that community bonding element aspect has diminished a bit.

 

Q4 If you could change one thing about your #1 platform to make it better, what would it be? #musochat

This doesn’t directly address improvement of the audio product, but I would love to see a space where listeners could chat about what they’re hearing

 

Q5 How much talk (about the music) do you want to hear when you’re listening to music? #musochat

 

It depends a on the format, but not much. Some is good 60-90 seconds of historical or anecdotal information, but I’m more than okay with listening to uninterrupted audio for 10 minutes or so, be it a 10-minute piece or song or 3 back-to-back 3-4 minute pieces or songs.

 

Q6 Research shows that the #1 core value for classical radio is “relaxation.” Does this apply to you? If not, what is yours? #musochat

And to clarify, this does apply to audiences of traditional classical radio stations who play mostly baroque through early 20th century repertoire from the western canon. For me, classical music can be relaxing, but I have a hard time listening  to it as background music. It’s usually music that I’m listening to with intent, focus, and an analytical ear. Emotional, rather than relaxing, I would say. I listen to classical music to emote, because it makes me feel something, whether it’s good or bad. If I don’t feel anything, I turn it off.

 

Q7 How much does the actual video content matter in #newmusic YouTube videos? Do you use it mostly for the audio? #musochat

I think YouTube feels over-saturated with content, lots of which has no actual video! A still image of a CD cover, a headshot of the composer, or even a nice nature shot . On the other hand,  I do use YouTube more of a search tool to sample a piece I’m curious about, as opposed to Spotify. It’s rare that I encounter videos on YouTube that impress me during this process, but when it does happen, it’s a nice added value. Vimeo, however, is where I turn to if I’m hankering for excellent cinematic experiences with my music. I notice a much lower quantity and higher quality.

 

Q8 If you were in charge of a new music radio show, 24/7 stream, or podcast what would you ABSOLUTELY include? List 1-3 things – general or specific. #musochat

I’m lucky enough to be in charge of something like this

In Second Inversion, I’m most excited to present a wide variety of musical flavors, brief, spoken music introductions from passionate voices (composers, performers, advocates), and accompanying on-demand content (videos & live concert recordings) to offer an alternative to our 24/7 steam and to serve our community in different ways on different platforms.

 

As for a few more for the future… I want to produce podcasts as another way to discover new music, more on-demand curated guest playlists. And though I appreciate the aforementioned variety on Second Inversion, I do have dreams of creating an 24/7 stream that
Given this conversation took place in the second half of the Super Bowl, I was really impressed with the turnout. If you haven’t heard of Musochat before, check out their site for a little more information about it and view the upcoming schedule of topics