Although radio has certainly lost its influence, it was the main medium for entertainment and news to reach a large audience of listeners for more than a century. As technology advanced, radio took a backseat in favor of television and then the internet. For people who still prefer radio over streaming and downloading, they turned to online radio such as Sirius XM. However, Sirius XM was never able to make a mark amidst the wave of on-demand music, leaving many to believe that radio was dead.
Even with the digital boom, radio stations are still aplenty, with listeners drawn to the fact that they are discovering new music while having a passionate connoisseur speak about it. Listeners longed for superbly hosted shows and a personable expert curating playlists. However, plenty of people felt that traditional radio had become diluted, with its integrity compromised by endless commercials, pop songs and superfluous additions enforced by the hungry corporations that control them. Podcasts and internet radio tried to ameliorate the hole left by radio, but it never had the same effect as catching your favorite radio show or hearing songs played to you — live.
While modern music fans may have grown to adopt on-demand services, discovering music wasn’t as easy. Although music blogs, social media and the like partially filled this void, it required more effort than having new music spoon-fed to you while you passively listened. The regression of traditional radio left a void in media consumption, and Apple ingeniously had all the chops to fill it up with Beats 1 Radio.
While as of now, Apple Music Radio boasts only one station — Beats 1 Radio, the 24/7, worldwide format that allows for a huge variety of genres to be played. Although internet radio is not a new concept, and Apple certainly is not the first to the game, the company has taken the idea and perfected it with its ubiquitous aesthetic. Here, we dissect several reasons contributing to how Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio is bringing radio back:
Expert Curation and Hosts Help You Discover the Best Music:
Beats 1 Radio is a product of Apple’s earlier acquisition of Beats Music, and when Apple gave the green light for Beats 1 Radio they let Trevor Reznor, Nine Inch Nails frontman and the chief creative officer of Beats Music, along with Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre stay on to help design it. These industry stalwarts had lofty plans for this service, with Reznor drawing inspiration from Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio show. Lowe would excitedly talk about records with an infectious attitude, reining in listeners to share his passion for new music. He would eventually join Beats 1 Radio, along with a number of top DJs from radio stations around the world. These renowned hosts offered Apple Music and Beats 1 Radio a star-studded roster, with many existing fans of these personalities excited to follow them to their new ventures. Additionally, the roster is rounded off with some of the industry’s biggest names, including Pharrell Williams, Dr. Dre and Elton John. Not only are there top DJs and celebrities, but the list of hosts extends to some surprising picks including Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, The Fat Jew and even Jaden Smith.
Marketed as “progressive radio programming,” the point of Beats 1 Radio isn’t to shove popular music down your throat, it’s to have these music experts handpick their favorite songs for you, leaving you with favorites you may not have discovered yourself. And it does that extraordinarily well, with programs that draws music from all walks of Earth. Additionally, feeling like you’re a part of something happening live and shared worldwide was lost with the advent of personal streaming, while Apple has further made the listening experience unique through its own technologies. Beats 1 Radio offers a uniquely engaging experience by making it remarkably easy for you to interact with its hosts, for example, using its iMessage voice note system to personally send in requests.
Scale of Operation and Ease of Use:
Worldwide. 24/7. If you’ve tuned into Beats 1 Radio at all, Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, Julie Adenuga and the slew of other show hosts repeat this adage as often as possible. But reining in the power of the internet, Apple has launched a radio station on a truly worldwide scale broadcasting to over 100 countries. Additionally, Apple’s user base was already a large enough audience, with all iOS devices natively packaged with iTunes (where Apple Music resides). This ease and simplicity made it a no-brainer for streaming newbies to try out the service, and with its three-month free trial program, many registrations may have derived from sheer convenience.
Additionally, Apple’s resources and huge user base means that it has unprecedented international reach. Using information from its iTunes charts, the station has access to a number of metrics to tell you which songs are trending, anywhere in the world. The beauty of discovering new music with Beats 1 Radio includes uncovering tracks from countries and languages you wouldn’t have found in the first place — all while you can seamlessly add it into your Apple Music library immediately.
Fewer Regulations:
Lastly, Apple Music has largely avoided what plagues modern live radio. As mentioned, hungry corporations, endless advertising, legal limitations and more truly dilute what listeners want to hear. Instead of endless pop songs amidst repetitive commercials, Beats 1 Radio plays what the DJs want to play with little limitation. Owned by Apple, there isn’t as much of a need to advertise for operating revenue. Although there are occasional sponsorship quips and plugs (from McDonald’s and American Express, for example) it doesn’t disrupt from the listening experience as much as traditional commercials. Additionally, being broadcasted over the internet means less regulations restricting airplay. Regulations such as censoring expletives (although songs on Beats 1 Radio are censored, probably to be more culturally acceptable worldwide and for all ages), quotas and more are not as enforced.
Coupled with its roster of music connoisseurs, listeners are treated to a unique feeling that on-demand streaming didn’t provide — being engaged with the host while they guide you through great music that they love. With infectious passion, knowledgeable curation, cutting edge technology and ease of use, Apple has successfully brought radio back into modern day.
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