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In recent times, music has become a soul and a natural healer. Music-recommended systems like Spotify and others have been integral in delivering extensive music collections to their listeners. However, while these music-recommended system has become a part of the music delivery system, nonmainstream music listeners often demand other sources to listen to no-so-popular music. Much research has been conducted, and papers have been written to understand the characteristics of beyond-mainstream music listeners. Many studies reveal that these nonmainstream listeners’ demographic characteristics, recommendations, and quality of music listened to were drastically affected. The quality of music they listened to showed some significant differences between them.
Introduction
As mentioned above, the music-recommended systems drastically impact one’s mind and can change their mood when necessary. They also help in searching, filtering, and sorting from music collections. In addition to building their characteristics, they significantly impact the artists’ income and hold a considerable leverage in their music-recommended approaches. This means the current music listening systems must be able to help the mainstream and nonmainstream listeners segregate and filter the popular and nonmainstream music from the site.
This means the recommended music systems in today’s world do not work well for listeners who are interested in nonmainstream music. This helps in building distinguished characters, which also applies to movies. However, studies have also proved that nonmainstream music listeners have a higher number of varied and distinctive artists when compared to their mainstream counterparts. This has posed a severe challenge to understanding nonmainstream music and music listeners.
The study conducted on the characteristic of beyond-mainstream music listens proved to have diverse characteristics. Some of the gears of beyond-mainstream music include:
Folk
Hardrock
Ambient music with a higher percentage of instruments
Instruments of music like electronica and so on
These music genres have a higher diversity, are more open to receiving suggestions and recommendations from other groups of music liners, and tend to gel well among different groups.
Contributions to defining characteristics
The contribution from the study is as follows:
Beyond-mainstream music listens have a love-hate relationship with music, and they have a lower recommendation list when compared to their counterparts.
Over 2000 beyond-mainstream listeners have enriched profiles on different music sites and applications.
They have a distinguished openness and possess a higher-quality group.
They possess greater diversity.
These sites often filter their playlist based on unsupervised clustering and filtering based on their characteristics.
Some of the factors that help in understanding the characteristics of beyond-mainstream music listeners are:
Long tail recommendations from different applications
Curbed popularity bias in most of the recommended music systems like Spotify
Systematic modeling of different music preferences
Although listening patterns have evolved, we still adore radio. Radio stations that may serve niche demographics in specific geographic areas are multiplying due to radio’s accessibility and affordability. Additionally, it continues to be one of the most commonly reported habits worldwide to listen to the daily morning news on the radio. Explore why radio remains popular in the digital age and outperforms podcasts and TV.
Target audiences and listener segmentation
The well-mediated radio message can provide the intelligence essential to reach the proper listeners, the people who are most likely to become customers, due to the pinpointing capability of radio, including access to the surrounding community to the capacity to address highly particular submarkets using individual stations. Knowing who you’re speaking to makes it much simpler to choose an authoritative, reliable communication style.
Radio is portable
Everyone can easily access the radio since many cars, if not all, come with them. The friend you take on your long journeys, the one that gets you through hard days at the office, and the one that lightens the load of your responsibilities is radio. Radio is now very advertiser-friendly as a result. Radio is the media that will enable advertisers to communicate with large audiences and focus them when they are out and nearby shops in today’s times when people choose paid services where they won’t encounter commercials.
Promotes bond
Radio is essentially highly visual, both literally and metaphorically. Radio advertising can use comparable narrative tactics to influence listeners by using a show-don’t-tell strategy. More specifically, the transformation of radio into an online experience offers many potentials for images, video, and color. Many online radio apps have welcome videos when you first open them and show advertisements as you listen, balancing the audio and visual elements. Combining the full force of radio with the additional advantages of visual media promotion, such as improved information retention, opens up new channels for advertisers.
Radio is free
Radio, unlike many other current media services, does not require any kind of monthly subscription because it is supported by advertising. When the majority of services are getting more and more expensive, radio stands out as a free alternative because even podcasts are frequently on membership sites like Spotify.
Radio is flexible
Radio adjusts to shifting consumer patterns and technological advancements. You can now listen to a radio station or songs whenever you want, wherever you want, on laptops, PCs, phones, and even smart speakers. Since radio is an audio-only medium, it doesn’t require as much of its audience as TV does in terms of scheduling time. Due to the aural and visual components of television, listening to the radio while traveling does not result in a loss of any of the experience.
We are surrounded by technology and there are plenty of options to entertain us and keep us occupied. If we look at the days of our parents, one of the most popular modes of entertainment was radio. It was through radios that they saw the world, listened to jazz and came to know about the various things that are happening in different parts of the world.
The world we are living in is rapidly changing. In this digital era, we have podcasts and TV to entertain us, but still radio is one of the most popular modes of media. In these past few decades many things might have become old school, but not Radio.
If you are wondering why radio is popular in this rapidly evolving world, you may look into this article to know more.
Inclusive nature of radio
One of the main reasons for the mass popularity of radio is that they are inclusive. They have a wide range of stations that can satisfy the needs of people of all demographics. Even though there are a vast number of people who listen to podcasts, they only provide niche topics. They won’t covering all the topics that everyone wants. Also, they are difficult to find, making them less accessible.
Radio has found way to cater to the needs of its diverse audience. Instead of going for a niche topic, they are coming up with topics that are digestible to the mass. More than the show, people also tune of the radio DJ, who will become their friend once they become a daily listeners.
Adaptable nature of radio
In this era of digital invasion, if the radio can remain relevant, it is due to its adaptable nature. They have quickly caught up with the change in consumer and technological trends. We can access it through our laptops, computers, and mobile phones. Listeners can turn on their favorite station whenever and where ever they want through whichever devices are available to them. Unlike television which demands you to be in a certain location, radio does not need you to be in a specific setup.
Radio is cost-effective
To access your favorite program, you do not have to take monthly or yearly subscriptions. Since they are funded by the advertiser, they are free of cost. Today, we can see that even podcast is available on subscription sites, making radio a cheaper alternative.
Radio is portable
Radio is one such companion that you can take anywhere. While coming back from the office or on a weekend day when you travel, the radio will be a great partner for you. You can listen to the radio after a long day of work or listen to it when stuck in traffic.
Even though our attitude towards media and how we consume them has gone rapid transformations, our craze and love for radio remain the same.
Radio is considered an evergreen medium. It has withstood the test of time and is still being used for news and entertainment in many parts of the world. It was initially used only to contact ships, but over the years, everyone started owning radios, and it became a cost-effective mass medium instrument. In addition, it is known for its high level of accessibility and minimal consumption of energy. Read on to learn more:
Types of Radio Programs
News Programs
Radio is very popular for providing news. Many radio stations are solely dedicated to providing the latest information to their audience. Local radio stations are known to connect deeply with their audience and provide them with the latest happenings in the locality.
News programs often have radio documentaries detailing the developments of certain events or personalities. News programs also often have talks and discussions about a wide range of topics. News programs will often have a weather segment. They cover the latest developments in popular sporting events as well.
Non News Programs
Music
Many radio stations play music around the clock. They will have different themes or segments for each hour, such as classical music, pop music, and jazz. Music programs even welcome calls from their audience and take song requests. Music programs are famous for their radio jockeys that have a humorous voice delivery. Radio jockeys often have loyal fan followings.
Jingles
Radio has also proven helpful as a tool for advertising. Advertising on radio stations is typically done through jingles. Jingles are catchy tunes and lyrics which are designed to leave a strong impression on the audience and become memorable.
Phone-in Programs
In these programs, the radio jockeys will interact with or interview people. Phone-in programs may have experts about various subjects, such as psychology or politics, ready to take questions from the audience and go into detail.
Docudrama
Docudrama is short for documentary drama. This is a creative way of storytelling, which is done primarily through sound effects and the power of dialogue. They will have well-developed sound pictures. They will also feature interviews with eminent people and approach the subject matter from different viewpoints.
The Impact of Radio on Society
Radio is considered an effective tool for cultural engagement. It helps create and strengthen a sense of community. It provides a portal for people to express their creativity and make themselves known to the public.
Radio has been an indispensable tool in times of distress. It has proven itself immensely useful in wartime and has been a source of refuge for many people. Radio has also helped dissolve many differences among people. It has opened people up to different forms of music and made them appreciate the diversity of life better.
If you are a person who likes to interact with people and does not like to sit in the traditional office setup and stare at the screen 24/7, you may try the competitive field of radio DJ. It is one such profession that will allow you to interact with others, listens to interesting stories, and use your creative ideas to reach out to a diverse and vast audience. By being a radio RJ, you will be able to use your technical skills and interpersonal skills to provide a creative and entertaining experience to your audience.
If you are an outgoing person who possesses well-developed interpersonal skills, research skills, and technical knowledge, you can become a start radio DJ. You can look into this guide to understand how you can peruse a career as a radio DJ.
Bachelor’s degree
Even though the education qualification for the DJs varies from employer to employer, having a bachelor’s degree in communication, broadcasting or journalism can give you a competitive edge. This course will help you in building a strong foundation and teach you all the basic skills that are needed. This course will help you gain knowledge in media research, broadcast writing, news reporting, and radio announcing which are essential to becoming a radio DJ.
Do an internship
One of the most important aspects that are as important as formal education is experience. So, doing an internship is highly recommended. Along with understanding the working of a radio station, you will be able to build your network and meet professionals in the industry. So, if your college or university is opening an internship related to radio broadcasting, grab the opportunity to get the right roadmap.
Get experience
You can gain more experience through campus radio stations. By working in the university radio station, you will be able to understand the behind-the-screen process and explore the on-air experience. Through these radio stations in college, you can acquire skills to engage with the listeners and understand how to make your show more interesting. You can also acquire knowledge about FCC rules, broadcasting rules and laws, and station programming.
Make an entertaining and engaging reel
When you are applying for a job as a radio DJ, the stations will often ask you to make a reel and submit it along with your resume. Reels will allow your employer to evaluate your interpersonal skills and understand how effective your show will be on air. It will help the station to understand how you sound on air, how engaging, and how skillful you are in communication. So, while submitting your resume, make sure that you are providing your best work and showcasing your full talent.
Use this guide to equip yourself with the right skills and qualifications required to become a radio DJ.
Audio and video podcasts have been on the rise since the popularity of music applications, and YouTube started to grow. People love podcasts to gain knowledge and perspective on different social topics or to listen to successful people share their stories.
If you are a beginner planning to look for podcast topics and the steps that ought to be considered, then this article is for you. We have a step-by-step procedure on how you can land on your next podcast idea.
Brainstorming Podcast ideas
Choosing an idea or a podcast topic is essential before starting. As a host, you must land on intriguing ideas that will keep your audience hooked until the end. According to the results of Apple podcast shows in May 2020, the most common topics people loved were based on true crime, investigative journalism, and also talk shows and interviews. Although you might be tempted to jump on any one of the ideas, it’s not the right approach to follow.
Before choosing the idea, creating a listener persona for your target audience is best. Once there is a persona, it is essential to create content to grab their attention. It could be by:
Narrating personal, heart-touching stories
Suspense stories
Success stories; etc
Listening to other podcasts on the same or similar topics can give a better idea of your decision-making.
The process of picking a topic
Once the steps mentioned above are done, it is time to pick the right topic for you and your audience. However, before doing so, it is crucial to find answers to the following questions:
Who is my audience?The audience is the people who are expected to listen to your podcast. Hence, you have to write for them, not you! Understanding the listener persona can help in deciding your target audience.
What are my interests?
Although the podcast is for the audience, you will be hosting it. Hence, it would help to find a topic you’re interested in. If you enjoy talking about it, your audience will enjoy listening to you!
What is your USP?
If you want to talk about how to lose weight, millions of people are also talking about it. So how you differentiate your podcast from theirs is your USP to help you expand your audience.
Can you make money?
Even if you’re a beginner, at some point, you will wish to monetize your site to make more money. This demands your time as a lot of research can be done on different ways by which you can monetize your podcasts.
Podcast Ideas
Here are some of the best podcast ideas you can try.
Your favorite topics
Share news from your town
Your struggles and experiences
Your review about something you have watched recently
A different perspective on a topic
Publish a top 10 list
Interview different types of people to share their stories; etc
All of us might have experienced writer’s block from time to time. We may sit with a blank page for hours waiting for the right ideas to come, but they won’t. They are stuck in our minds and we soon realize that we do not have ideas in stock. This does not just happen with writers, but even broadcasters too experience this block.
Getting creative ideas that can pique the interest of their listeners can be challenging. If you are feeling frustrated and are not able to channel your thoughts or get ideas that can make your listeners cheerful, you can look into this guide. These radio ideas will help you take a smooth sale through the vast and deep ocean of creativity.
News and politics
Most of the audience will prefer to listen to the news and learn about politics while traveling to their office. Getting your audience updated with the latest news will be a great way to draw the attention of the listeners. But there will be many other channels that will be focusing on current affairs. So, instead of giving plane news, why don’t you try to spice things up?
You can add your own opinion, call celebrities and understand their take, or organize a debate. But politics tend to be controversial. So, make sure not to land in any trouble when trying to spice things up.
Focus on culture
In this world that is overshadowed by the glitter and fancy of modernity, enabling the audience to dive into a world that is bathed in culture and tradition will work like a therapy. Moreover, this will be an eye-opener for the self-centered people of modern times who live in a cocoon.
Introduce local culture, traditions, beliefs, foreign cultures, and cultural attitudes of people around them. You can also broadcast poems, novels, short stories, or plays that are written by people belonging to different cultures.
Music
In the busy life of your listeners, giving them a music break will help them relax and relieve all their stress. But almost every radio station plays music. So, instead of just tuning music, you can try to review albums or concerts. Give your thoughts and help the audience understand the depth of the lines and enable them to experience the music in a new light.
Review TV shows and Films
Understand that your audience always looking for the best TV shows and series to entertain themselves and to make the most of their leisure time. So, provide reviews of series and films that are popular. You can also ask your audience to send TV shows and films which they wish to watch and give a solid review. You can also contact directors, social media influencers, or actors to make it interesting.
You may use these ideas if you are not sure how to make your radio show spicy and grab the attention of your audience.
