In the world of media, radio occupies a special place, blending nostalgia and innovation. Despite competition from streaming services and podcasts, radio is still an important source of musical discovery for many.

But how do radio stations choose the songs they play? Does a music programmer base his choice on his own tastes? How much new music should be included vs. classics? We tell you all about it!

1. FM vs. online radio programming

Historically, on traditional FM radio stations, the music programmer chooses the songs to be played, basing his or her selection on factors such as current trends, listener preferences, and potential record company deals. Radio stations must also take into account the broadcasting rules imposed by local regulatory authorities, which may, for example, require a certain quota of local content or new artists. 

With the advent of the Internet, the radio landscape has changed profoundly, and so have musical programming styles! Web radios, which broadcast exclusively online, offer greater freedom and flexibility than FM radios. Without the constraints of terrestrial broadcasting, they can reach a global audience and offer highly specialized content. Tools like RadioKing allow you to create your own online radio station in just a few clicks.

2. General radio vs. theme radio

The music selection process differs considerably between a generalist and a thematic radio station, due to their distinct target audiences and specific objectives.

Generalist radio stations often have a less pronounced “musical color” than a theme radio station, as they often target a very broad audience comprising people from a wide range of ages and social backgrounds. The programmer will therefore seek to satisfy as many people as possible by selecting current music and the hits of the moment. The radio station’s selection criteria will be based on:

Popularity: popular titles and well-established artists likely to appeal to a wide audience.

Rotation: programming is often built around a regular rotation of the most popular tracks, with priority given to current hits.

Accessibility: programmers generally avoid controversial or overly specific tracks that might not appeal to the entire audience.

Thematic radios, on the other hand, have specialized and often passionate audiences. 

Their listeners have well-defined musical interests and tastes, such as jazz, classical, reggae or indie music, and will seek a deeper immersion in listening. Music research is therefore a very important point for radio! The music programmer needs to be curious enough to discover new artists and original tracks. This enables them to offer lesser-known tracks or emerging artists. He or she must also have a strong musical culture to unearth the next hits as well as the classics of the genre. The criteria for choosing a theme radio station tend to be:

• Authenticity: preference is given to songs and artists that best represent the radio station’s specific musical genre or style.
• Depth: programming can include a variety of less commercial or more experimental titles, offering a richer, more diversified listening experience.
• Novelty: highlighting new trends or lesser-known artists, contributing to musical exploration and discovery.

In both cases, whether you’re a music programmer at a major FM radio station or a smaller online station, there’s less room for personal taste. As you can see, it’s all a question of audience (listeners’ ages, tastes, interests…) and how best to retain them.

| Read also: How to get your song successfully on the radio?

3. How do radio stations personalize and structure their programming?

Choosing the right music is only the first step in good radio programming. The key to successful, structured programming lies in its dynamism and ability to adapt to the rhythms of the day and listeners’ expectations.

To achieve this, radio programmers integrate fluid transitions between segments, catchy jingles, and regular points of interaction with the audience to enrich the listening experience. Gone are the days of rhythmic music in the morning and lullabies at night 😉 In the morning, for example, we’ll go for energizing music; in the afternoon, we can opt for attention-grabbing music to accompany the various radio events (debates, reports, cultural sequences…); and in the evening, the programmer can choose a soothing atmosphere in the early evening, and end with hits for the night. Personalization must be faithful to the radio’s DNA.

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4. How radio stations create hit playlists

There are many ways for a radio programmer to organize music, whether by genre, keyword or speed!

The most important thing for a radio station is to stay true to its DNA. By staying true to its brand image, radio shows people that it’s honest and true to its values. In this way, it is more likely to create a real bond with its audience. A good programmer won’t disappoint his jazz fans by playing Cardi B just because she’s high on the charts 😉

5. The different types of radio playlists

Radio stations can create and organize their playlists in different ways. They can, for example, create playlists by genre. This is one of the simplest methods, especially if you’re a general-interest radio station broadcasting many different musical genres. This method simply involves creating playlists based on the musical genre of the music. 

Another way is to create playlists with a purpose. Instead of creating radio playlists based solely on genre, radio stations can go a step further and create content with a specific purpose. There are many ways to do this, and the possibilities are endless! Here are a few examples that correspond to actions or events in the listeners’ day: 

Monday motivation: prepare listeners for the week with a motivating playlist broadcast on Monday morning.

• Concentration: a playlist that can be played in the background to help listeners focus on a task.
• Sport: an upbeat playlist that your audience can listen to while exercising.
• Relaxation: help listeners unwind with a selection of relaxing tracks.

These radio playlists can take longer to create. This is because their purpose is generally more specific than that of a “genre playlist”.

6. Repeats, track updates, rotation and rhythm

Creating a great playlist isn’t enough to ensure that radio content appeals to listeners. The programmer may have created a great playlist, but once his listeners have heard it, they’ll want something new the next time they tune in. That’s why it’s essential to regularly update playlists to keep them fresh.

That’s right! Repetition is one of the quickest ways to lose listeners. There’s nothing worse than listening to your favorite radio station and hearing the same songs or artists over and over again… 

To avoid this, radio stations spend a lot of time renewing their content, and often enough to ensure that their listeners don’t get bored.They add new music, delete others and sometimes rearrange the order every week or so to keep their radio playlists up to date.

Another important aspect of radio programming is rotation.

Rotation refers to the number of times a song or artist is played. If an artist is in high rotation, it means he or she is getting a lot of airplay on the radio. Conversely, if an artist is in low rotation, he or she is not played regularly. It’s important for programmers to have a balanced rotation in their radio playlists. It may be tempting to play several songs by the same artist if he or she has just released a new album to positive reviews. You can of course have certain artists in high rotation, but you generally avoid playing more than one song by these artists in the same hour, for example.

Rhythm is another factor that can significantly influence the way radio stations program. The term BPM (beats per minute) refers to the tempo or speed of a song. Music with a high BPM has a faster rhythm, while songs with a lower BPM are much slower. There are several ways of using a song’s BPM to integrate it into programming.

For example, you can match the BPM to specific times of day, gradually increasing the speed as the day progresses. You could start a morning show with slow tracks. Then increase the speed throughout the day to accompany listeners. 

7. Listener feedback

Yes, it sounds basic, but when it comes to creating programming that’s just right, radio stations don’t hesitate to ask their listeners for their opinion – quite simply! Radio stations with considerable means can, for example, afford surveys to sound out their target audience. And smaller stations can use their social networks to gather song requests. Radio stations also sometimes allow their listeners to participate directly in the selection of some of the songs played on the station!

| Read also: How to pitch your music to radio stations?

Conclusion

Song selection differs greatly depending on the DNA of the radio station (traditional FM radio vs. web radio, general radio vs. theme radio). Whereas FM radio programmers choose songs according to trends, listener preferences and record company agreements, web radio programmers are more flexible, and can target a global audience with specialized content.

Generalist radio stations, aiming at a broad and diversified audience, favor popular and accessible tracks to satisfy as many listeners as possible, while theme radio stations target passionate audiences with precise tastes, emphasizing authenticity, depth and novelty.

Programming structure is essential for a radio station: it must be dynamic and adapted to the rhythms of the day, with fluid transitions, catchy jingles and regular interaction with listeners. Playlists can be organized by genre, objective or rhythm, and require frequent updates to avoid repetition and maintain listeners’ interest.

Finally, radio stations take into account listener feedback via surveys or social networks to fine-tune their programming and build audience loyalty.

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Send your music directly to radio programmers 👇