True/False: Radio Stations Mostly Play Songs Music Companies Pay Them to Play
“Why do my favourite stations lack variety?” – A common question among many radio listeners today.
In a recent US study, it was revealed that almost half the respondents in a sample of 3,049 radio listeners aged 14-54 across the country agree with the statement: “Radio stations don’t play a big variety of songs so they can save money on licensing fees.” It’s not true, of course, but the belief is widespread – especially among younger listeners.
Keep in mind that listeners spend no time at all thinking about this type of issue. So, there’s no conflict for them with the potentially overlapping notion that radio stations mostly play the songs that music companies pay them to play. And it turns out that a majority of the sample agreed with that statement.
Source: NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study July 2018, conducted by NuVoodoo Media Services.
Of course, the main worry is what those few folks who are the most likely to show up to research samples such as this one think – they’re the only ones whose opinions really matter. We hoped that their opinions would be kind to radio. We know from previous ratings prospects studies that these ratings-likely respondents tend to be heavier radio users and tend to be supportive of stations – but they disappointed us again.
Source: NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study July 2018, conducted by NuVoodoo Media Services.
The survey was split into two groups, one group being the radio listeners who would be more likely to use an electronic listening device know as a Portable People Meter (PPM) to monitor their listening habits and frequency, and the second group consisting of listeners who would be more likely to use a paper diary, to monitor their listening habits and frequency.
Among both the group that modeled through as being PPM-likely and the group that modeled through as being Diary-likely, over two-thirds believed the false proposition that radio stations are being paid to play certain songs. And unlike the misconception that small playlists are driven by saving money on licensing fees that was strongest among younger demos, this perception resonates across all demos.
Despite the fact that a lack of variety on radio stations can be down to a number of different variables, this reason although not true, seems to be one of the most widely popular beliefs as to why.
*Research and survey data courtesy of NuVoodoo Media Services.
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