What’s missing…
“Zane Lowe’s debut on Apple’s BEATS 1 radio reminded me of what has been missing from my iTunes music collection: Personality.”
I didn’t think it was possible to feel more frustration.
I was wrong.
THIS perspective is worth reading too.
And this, from Jason Hirschhorn…
“I ‘tuned’ into BEATS 1 radio (via phone and bluetooth) for Dr. Dre’s new worldwide set, The Pharmacy. If this is indicative of the music programming and curation on Apple Music then it gets a big thumbs up from me…Dre murdered it. It was literally a perfect mix.”
“When I was a kid I listened to radio to feel connected late at night and to discover music. But, as we all know (emphasis added), radio went corporate and now playlists are national, smaller, and play the same 20 songs over and.”
“This wasn’t just a playlist of songs but mixes, mashups, intros, transitions and great station IDs. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what he’d pick next. I loved every minute of it.“
“BEATS 1 delivers for music fans of today who don’t distinguish between new and old and genres. They love music in all forms. BEATS 1 delivers. Great music, fun, international voices and hosts.”
“I’m hooked. Congrats to everyone at BEATS 1 for hitting a home run!“
“A cool unofficial treat I found on Twitter live tweetts every song from every show.”
So…
How many stations in your town have live personalities late at night?
How many make music discovery a feature?
How many produce an hour of music where each song is designed to follow, in order, for texture and mood and feeling?
How many offer an easy way for listeners to be a community, to capture that feeling of sharing a unique experience with others like themselves, live and in real time?
It’s not enough to measure unmotivated hearing anymore, which is why PPM is a joke.
It’s not even about one station having higher numbers than other stations. Who cares if I have more if they don’t know what they’re hearing, if they’re not involved emotionally with my station?
It’s about passion and connection.
It always has been.