While June is almost over, that doesn't mean it needs to be the end of your Pride Month celebrations! We've already given you several lists of Pride-related songs and awesome LGBTQ+ artists. Today, we're taking a different approach and giving you 5 tips about how to celebrate Pride on your radio station.
Some of these suggestions may be no-brainers, while others are things we haven't seen many other stations do. You are free to follow these tips word-for-word or use them as inspiration to find your own little way to celebrate Pride via the radio waves!
1. Play Music that Fits with Pride Month
See – we told you some of these suggestions would be no-brainers! HOWEVER, playing Pride Month-appropriate music can mean a lot more than just blasting the traditional bops like Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out" and Lady Gaga's "Born This Way." Because there are so many songs out there that work for Pride, you can really tailor your Pride song choices to the personality of your station.
Does your station play 80s hits? Crank up Madonna's "Vogue," Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," Queen's "I Want to Break Free," and other beloved gay tunes of the decade. Does your station focus on female empowerment and music made by women? Maybe create a sapphic playlist featuring lesbian singer/songwriters who you think are game-changers. Air a playlist of sad queer songs, hip-hop queer songs, queer songs made by teen artists...the possibilities are endless.
If you need help, check out Live365's lists of songs and awesome LGBTQ+ artists below...
SONG LISTS:
- Best Pride Songs
- 10 Songs to Add To Your Pride Playlist
- 20 More Songs to Add to Your Pride Playlist
- 10 New Songs to Add to Your Pride Playlist in 2022
ARTIST LISTS:
- The 20 Greatest LGBTQ+ Artists in Music History
- 10 LGBTQ+ Artists You Should Know in 2021
- 10 LGBTQ+ Artists You Should Know in 2022
2. Feature Up-and-Coming LGBTQ+ Artists On Your Station
Since Pride Month is all about celebrating LGBTQ+ culture, use the month to support talented LGBTQ+ artists! Playing their songs on your station is good, but having them talk on air with you in your studio is even better.
You could host an interview with an LGBTQ+ artist before playing a song of theirs for listeners, or have them sing a song live for fans! If they have a new track or music video coming out, you could have them promote that as well.
Of course, you're not just limited to musicians when it comes to LGBTQ+ radio guests. You could also feature fellow broadcasters, podcasters, event organizers, drag queens, vogue dancers, or even activists.
3. Host Pride-themed Games and Contests
Pride Month is a very fun time of year, so why not celebrate with games and contests? You could have people write essays about what Pride means to them and reward the best authors with prizes. You could play "guess the song" games where contestants have to guess the name of your Pride-themed song in a certain amount of time. You could even just stick to raffles with Pride-themed prizes for the lucky entrants.
Having a hard time coming up with good game ideas? You can click here to see lists of games to play with listeners and special guests! We're sure there are ways to alter each of them so that they will fit better with a Pride theme.
4. Fundraise for LGBTQ+ Causes
This can also go along with tip #3 nicely. You could ask your listeners to donate money to a charity that supports LGBTQ+ causes for a chance to win prizes. You could ask your listeners to support small businesses run by members of the LGBTQ+ community. Anything and everything helps!
If you're looking for some reliable LGBTQ+ charities for you and your listeners to check out, this list is a good place to start. We highly recommend you support local organizations as well as the bigger ones, too.
5. Get Active in Your Community
Pride Month means lots of events around town where they'll need a DJ, commentator/announcer, or even music brands to act as sponsors. This is where you come in! Get active in your community to see if you, your station, and your music skills could help shape the landscape of Pride this year.
Maybe a float in a Pride parade needs a knowledgeable radio person to help with the music selection. Perhaps a drag show is looking for a DJ or a sponsor to help fund/produce the event. Having your name attached to a Pride event also means free advertising for your station! Just make sure to put in lots of effort into your community outreach, and talk about the event you'll be a part of on your station.
That's all the tips we have for you today, and that about wraps up our Pride Month blog content for 2022! We hope you have a wonderful end to your Pride Month and we can't wait to release more LGBTQ+ related lists and pieces in the future. Happy broadcasting!
Ready to start your own station? Contact one of our Product Consultants or visit our website today.
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Article Image: Chalk illustration of a rainbow on a cement background. (Alex Jackman via Unsplash.)
