Niche Radio ~ by Brian Player

The success of our emerging artists today depends to a larger

extent on the amount of exposure their music gets both live and in the media. Live is very much a question of making contact with promoters and venues and being prepared to travel, often big distances to reach the widest possible audience.
     The media, of course, is to a certain extent a different story where contact can be made via social media or email in the hopes that the recipient will be impressed enough to play and pass positive comments to their audience.
   

 But live audiences are being spread ever thinner as more venues and promoters have come into being. There has also been an explosion in the number of media outlets, such as radio streaming services, all trying to attract the same audience.
     In the UK alone, the last 10 years has seen 355 local community radio stations licensed, each covering an FM broadcast range of around 15 miles plus an internet stream reaching world wide.
     Add to this the wide range of BBC and commercial radio services along with streaming from Deezer and Spotify or

Mixcloud and you can already see a potential for individual, in person concert audience numbers to be very low.
     If this wasn’t enough, it has never been easier to start your own radio station on the internet. Much of the software needed can be obtained free of charge and all you need is a home computer with a server big enough to handle the number of listeners you hope to attract.
     What does this mean for the struggling musician trying to make a name and reach as wider audience as possible? Well, I guess doing some homework is essential. Review each station and show carefully to estimate its ability to attract an audience, and in particular an audience that may like your music.
   

 It is worth moving a little outside the comfort zone. Whilst it may seem obvious to contact a station with the name of the genre you perform, it also follows that niche, single genre radio will attract the smallest of audiences, particularly if they are only available on the net.
     Like small specialist music clubs, individual radio shows have become niche, attracting a small number of followers and those who have a particular reason to listen in, will do so if maybe a relative or friend is being featured.
     Many shows have no listeners at all so it pays for the musician to be selective when choosing a show to send music to.
    Look for a high social media presence and pre-broadcast advertising and always be sure the station has the appropriate licences in place.

     Community radio is licensed but operates within certain restrictions. During the day (7am to 7pm) the music policy will be for wide appeal, hits from the last four or five decades and current pop.
     In the evening and at weekends it is all change and room is made for specialist and niche programming. As an emerging artist that is where you would be best to focus your attention.
     Most observers agree that radio is holding its own in the world of entertainment but, as with music itself, technology is changing the geography and we see a fragmented scene with many more radio shows than most listeners can cope with.

Brian Player is a UK radio personality with Wey Valley Radio and a regular contributor to Originality by Design. You  may contact Brian here

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