written by - Stephen Wrench
“Songwriter / Composer / Lyricist / Producer / Guitarist”
Q - Does radio air play even mean anything anymore? I'm not sure people listen to the radio.
A - Sure they do. They want to hear a voice on the other end. You're driving in your car, there's a radio station playing in the background. But I've got articles up there on how relevant radio is. You cannot tour without radio support. People say I want to be on the Spotify play list. They've created thousands of Spotify play lists. Who's going to notice? Who's going to care? If your point is to tour the world, the only way you're going to tour is with radio air play. It's the only way you're going to get noticed. That's it. There is no other way.
Q - If there is no longer a record business, what happens to all of the support people who depend on record companies? I'm talking venues like theatres, stadiums, merchandisers, personal managers, booking agents, publicists.
A - They're screwed. The labels never asked anyone's permission about streaming. They just did it. The labels did it based on their own greed. They did not embrace the digital age. They fell behind and they're all going bankrupt. They're going to become the dinosaurs of yester year. Instead, they embraced streaming and ripped off every musician in the world. These musicians tried to get people together, but good luck trying to get every musician to pull their music off these sites. These sites are doing nothing for 'em. Most people make a dollar or two a month if they make that. So why even bother? The social media, all it is, is somebody wanting you to like their music. That doesn't do much for you either. It really doesn't, especially if you're a no-name. Radio is about the only way you're going to get noticed. That's about it. We got radio clients that tour the world. We got people that do it over and over every year. The difference is, if you're from Syracuse and you try to go over to Europe or the U.K. to play, they're gonna say, "Who the heck are you? What are you gonna draw? You're nothing." If you're on a local radio station there because in Europe the BBC and U.K. actually listen to radio 'cause it's interactive. The play lists are based on what the audience votes on. Did you hear of a play list here or a Billboard list here that the audience wants to hear? No. You won't see one anymore unfortunately in the U.S., but you do in other countries. I'm working with an artist outside of London right now. She's a model over there. I'm bringing her over to record in Nashville. She's quite good. But they listen to radio there, unlike here. It's a shame, but it's the way it is.
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