Music Selection and Playlist Creation

A common goal for most, if not all, music radio stations is building an audience and increasing listener satisfaction. Even though stations can greatly differ (think classical vs. top 40 vs. blues), the strategies to achieve this goal are very similar.

Regardless of the type of station or genre, a station needs to play the best music possible for their audience. What are they interested in? What do they like? Some songs should be well-known and expected, while others should be new, allowing the listener to discover new music. Below we'll talk about how radio DJs can appeal to their audience through music selection and playlist creation.

Balance
Shake things up. A balance of styles, eras, tempos, and textures will draw an audience in. Playing all sad, slow songs will get old fast, while constant upbeat and energetic songs might get to be a bit too much.

Libraries vs. Playlists
Creating a library is incredibly important, since playlists (either automated or hand-selected) are derived from libraries. However, creating just a library isn’t enough since all songs aren’t equal. After building a library, songs should be categorized. Why? In order to create the best playlist rotation, to play the essentials most often, to avoid repetition, and to provide variety.

Optimization
Optimizing a music library means getting the most out of it. It all starts with identifying the essentials for a station’s audience, often the most popular or important music. Popular music shouldn’t be avoided, but at the same time, a station shouldn’t try to be too obscure. (It’s important to note, however, that internet radio stations have a lot more freedom to create niche playlists and reach that niche audience.)

Ultimately, maximum audience appeal starts with a hit song, but the "wow" factor comes from something complementary, but unexpected.

For more information on playlist creation, check out this article.

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