HomeRadio and Music Industry NewsCorporate Radio's Challenges for Artists

Corporate Radio’s Challenges for Artists

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

The biggest complaints are extremely limited variety and outrageously tight playlists or in laymen’s terms ‘All the radio Radio Stations sound the same.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

The show was replaced by The national Steve Harvey Morning Show and we are STILL getting angry emails (most that we can’t post) from fans who are tired of the cookie-cutter concepts being force-fed to them by many corporate Radio Stations nationwide.

The biggest complaints are extremely limited variety and outrageously tight playlists or in laymen’s terms ‘All the radio Radio Stations sound the same.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Radio Facts recently wrote about the changes taking place on the KBLX in San Francisco. The most noted was the demise of the 20-plus year morning radio show hosted by Kevin Brown.

The show was replaced by The national Steve Harvey Morning Show and we are STILL getting angry emails (most that we can’t post) from fans who are tired of the cookie-cutter concepts being force-fed to them by many corporate Radio Stations nationwide.

The biggest complaints are extremely limited variety and outrageously tight playlists or in laymen’s terms ‘All the radio Radio Stations sound the same.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Corporate Radio's Challengesgetting angry emails (most that we can’t post) from fans who are tired of the cookie-cutter concepts being force-fed to them by many corporate Radio Stations nationwide.

The biggest complaints are extremely limited variety and outrageously tight playlists or in laymen’s terms ‘All the radio Radio Stations sound the same.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Corporate Radio's Challengesgetting angry emails (most that we can’t post) from fans who are tired of the cookie-cutter concepts being force-fed to them by many corporate Radio Stations nationwide.

The biggest complaints are extremely limited variety and outrageously tight playlists or in laymen’s terms ‘All the radio Radio Stations sound the same.

‘Urban Radio Stations have been getting flack mostly from seasoned artists like Brian McKnight who just experienced major backlash, complaints and compliments for his Adult Mix Tape of a song “If You’re Ready to Learn.”

The controversial line that comes directly before that, “Let me show you how your P$*+y Works” is what got McKnight the most attention. Fans wanted McKnight to remain in the classy balladeer vain and some thought it was a desperate attempt for attention.

One of my FaceBook friends even asked people to pray for McKnight because he was not mentally well.

After listening to his interview on Reach Around Radio yesterday, there is nothing wrong with Brian McKnight at all, he is tired of not being free to be creative and while talking about certain subject matter may offend some of his previous fans the amount of attention he got from this concept is probably the most publicity he’s gotten in years.

The last time I heard about Brian McKnight he was working at one of the most boring Radio Stations on the planet KTWV in Los Angeles. He’s currently selling his controversial single on iTunes.

LL Cool J,Chuck D and Tank have also expressed their dismay at various times about the significant changes that have taken place at Black leaving the listeners starving for more and artists fewer spaces to promote product. I have stated many times in this blog that the day Black radio started depending on research is the beginning of the end.

Urban radio does not FOLLOW trends Black radio once gave birth to them. Without going too far back into the history, Black radio was once the main resource for African Americans for not just entertainment but news and information.

All is not lost, there are still some great Black Radio Stations out there that still take chances and still provide the community with much needed programming, new music, news and information, some of those that immediately come to mind are WBLS/New York, KKDA/Dallas,V103/Atlanta and KJLH in Los Angeles.

Brilliant Move…Lionel Richie’s label could have spent weeks promoting his new album Tuskegee to country radio, a relatively new format for the Motown superstar but an appearance outside of the radio arena helped to catapult his current CD in a way that radio could not have. Lionel Richie‘s country duet CD “Tuskegee” (at last count) is now Platinum.

Lionel made old music new again which was a BRILLIANT move. Many older artists have an almost incredible time getting their new music played on radio when they are over 40 because it doesn’t fit in with the rest of the format making it sound dated. Radio likes the hits and Richie took his old classic hits and did new duets with country superstars to add a new twist to his old songs and it worked.

Other seasoned artists are sure to be paying attention to his success as many attribute his appearance on the Home Shopping Network promoting the CD as the catalyst to help bolster sales. This was certainly a non traditional but one of many growing avenues older artists are using to promote product. Richie made a very interesting statement when talking about the direction he wanted to go in with this album.

“This album continues to amaze me and I am so grateful for all that it has accomplid,” Richie says. “Just when I think it couldn’t get any bigger, Tuskegee reaches a new level of success. When I came up with the idea for Tuskegee, I didn’t want to be confined by boundaries of age, genre or demographics. I am thrilled with how well this album has been received by people from all walks of life. It is truly living up to the vision we had when we created it.”

Several other recording artist have expressed their growing dismay, perhaps no so calmly as Richie over having to play the current radio airplay game. One constant sentiment is how can an artist be creative when they have to constantly consider so many things like: if the music blends well with what the Radio Station is currently playing or having to make sure it’s either an adult song or a mainstream song or a rhythm song that might get played on CHR radio to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Indeed that has to literally destroy an artist’s ability to create when he has to consider all of these elements. Perhaps this is why many listeners complain about all of the music sounding the same. Some radio Radio Stations are so research intensive that worrying about which format a song will be played in seems to be secondary to even being considered for airplay at all which is even MORE stressful.

Contrary to popular belief the labels don’t have a shortage of new music as much as the radio Radio Stations have a shortage of spaces to play the music in. When it comes to commercial radio the addiction to research may very well come back to bite radio in the ass if enough internet companies and online radio Radio Stations take off.

There are some artists who are SO frustrated playing the radio game they are creating their OWN online Radio Station s, we’ve gotten three press releases this week with popular musicians going that route. Creating their own radio Radio Stations is not the answer, the belief that artists, especially vet artists, have to get over is that radio is not the ONLY source to sell music.

Lionel Richie should certainly be a lesson to many older artists and many younger artists are adamant about using sites like World Star Hip-Hop to promote their music first.   OK, so we know the problem what’s the solution. Tank made an interesting point during a radio interview in Chicago on WGCI recently when he said, make the music that YOU want to make first.

Which is what he said he did with his latest project. Artists are going to have to be more responsible for helping to market their own product. As artists try to identify the online sources for selling boatloads of their music, commercial radio can’t maintain such stringent rules and ultra tight playlists (or people in charge who don’t understand Black culture for Black radio) and remain successful.

The outcome will be interesting at best as commercial radio seems to still be the Holy Grail for releasing and helping to promote new music. Retail record stores were once also the Holy Grail for selling music. Where are they now?

While we have many ideas on how to promote product without radio especially for vet artists who have not gotten airplay for several years (like doing campaigns right here on TheIndustry.biz ), research on who reaches your audience best is vital and so is a budget. In addition, we invite industry readers to comment on some of the ways they know as well.

Latest news

Latest

Indemnification: Protecting the Art in the Industry

In 2020, all 50 states in the U.S. made broad-form indemnity clauses invalid. This shows how important indemnification is for protecting art investments. Indemnification clauses help move risks and liabilities from one party to another. This is key in contract talks, giving artists and creators a safety net.More than half of artists worry about legal claims hurting their finances. Indemnification is a key part of contract law. It helps share risks between parties in a deal, offering protection to those who need it. It's about keeping someone safe from losses, damages, or legal troubles caused by another's actions or contract

Album Artistry: Crafting a Collection of Sounds

About 70% of musicians think a unified album theme is key to its success. This shows how important album artistry is in the music world. Artists work hard to create albums that tell stories, stir emotions, or share messages.Creating an album is a detailed process. It involves picking the right songs, designing the cover art, and thinking about how listeners will experience it. This makes an album a unique piece of art.More artists are now making music on their own, changing how we see albums. Artists like Adele put their all into their albums, from the music to the artwork.

Spindle Secrets: The Science of Vinyl Rotation

A surprising fact about vinyl records is that the first phonograph, created by Thomas Edison, used Brown Wax cylinders. These cylinders were brittle but allowed for many playing cycles. This innovation helped develop different spindle types and functions.The spindle is the heart of every record player. It rotates the platter. The motor keeps the speed smooth, avoiding noise. This makes the spindle key to vinyl playback.Learning about spindle functions helps music lovers understand their record players better. For more on vinyl history and spindle role, check out spindle-related resources.Understanding the Function of a SpindleThe spindle is key in a record

Connecting Sounds: Adventures with an Audio Interface

Did you know 90% of music producers use an audio interface? These devices are key for connecting instruments and microphones to computers. They help artists record top-notch audio, often at rates of 24 bit/192kHz. This is way better than the 16bit/44kHz of CDs and streaming services.Every home recording studio needs a recording interface. It turns analog signals into digital audio. Musicians can pick from many interfaces, from simple two-in/two-out for solo artists to complex setups for bands. An audio interface is crucial for anyone wanting to produce great audio, making it a must-have for music production.Audio interfaces help reduce latency

Merchandise Magic: The Art of Fan Connection

Did you know over 75% of people buy merchandise to support their favorite brands? This shows how big of a role merchandise plays in fan engagement and loyalty. With online shopping getting easier, fans can find their favorite items and connect with others who like the same things.For example, Magic: The Gathering has lots of merchandise. This lets fans show their love for the game and meet others who share their interests.Merchandise lets fans show their love for a brand. In return, brands can build a community and loyalty among their fans. The market for merchandise is growing fast, with

Reggae Rhythms: The Beat of Social Change

Reggae songs often talk about peace and love, showing its big impact on social justice and equality. This music started in Jamaica in the 1960s. It has become a strong tool for change, with over 600 protest songs that have made a difference.Reggae music has reached people in over 30 countries, influencing social movements. A study found that 44% of people see it as a key genre for activism.Reggae mixes Jamaican music, African rhythms, soul, and jazz. This unique sound connects with many people. About 50% of reggae songs talk about fighting for justice, giving a voice to the oppressed.It

The Christian Music Road: Faith in Harmony

A 2009 study found that 64% of churches saw a 2% or more increase in attendance after adopting contemporary Christian music . This shows how important christian artists are in shaping faith in the U.S. Today,

Cartridge Connections: The Heart of Analog Sound

High-end cartridges can cost between $8,500 and $15,000. This shows how important a good cartridge is for great sound. It's not just about any cartridge, but a quality one.Setting up a cartridge is key for the best sound. It needs precision and patience. You'll also need special tools, like a digital stylus-force gauge.Cartridges now have screw holes for easier mounting. This makes setting them up simpler than before. But, aligning and adjusting the cartridge is still crucial. It affects the sound quality a lot.Cartridges like the Ortofon MC Anna or the Goldfinger Statement are pricey. But for audiophiles, the sound

FROM SHOP

Most Read