Having your own internet radio station means you have the control to program what you want on your station, whenever you want! However, with this control brings the responsibilities of branding, constant updating, and building an audience, among several other duties. Some of these responsibilities aren't immediately apparent to those who've just started out in radio, so we've compiled this handy list of tips for internet radio broadcasting - just for you!
Whether you're new to the broadcasting game and need some guidance or you're a veteran and would just like a refresher on the basics, keep reading! The tips below count down from our personal order of least to most important.
14. Be a Great Live Radio Broadcaster.
If you do live radio broadcasts on your station, you've absolutely got to be mindful of what kind of live radio host you are. Are you engaging? Do you have good diction? Are you talking about interesting topics that will excite your audience? The more personality and excitement you bring to your live broadcasts, the more eager your listeners will be to tune in to your station. A radio station is nothing without the cool people behind it!
If you need help learning how to become a talented radio show host, take a look at our Top 10 Tips for Being a Great Live Radio Broadcaster here.
13. Be Mindful of Audio Quality.
You are playing music and/or doing live radio broadcasts, so being mindful of audio quality is crucial. Ensure that your audio files are high quality and that there are no skips, strange noises, etc.
As for live radio broadcasts, ensure that you are sufficiently close to your mic and that you are speaking clearly and loudly enough for your live event to sound great. Speaking of microphones, we have an article about the best microphones on the market if you're looking to boost your voice's audio quality a bit more. Click here to take a look!
12. Appeal to a Niche.
You may think that your station needs to play a broad variety of music and have a ton of different live segments in order to attract everyone. But the more specific your radio station is, the easier it will be to identify your audience and appeal to them. Want loyal listeners? Find your niche.
Of course, there is a fine line with how specific you can be as to not alienate others who may have some interest in your station. But there are several communities around all genres of music - even very eclectic subgenres like dubstep, goth pop and comedy. So decide what kind of music and content that you want to play and appeal to the rich communities around that content. Center your station's rotations, aesthetic, and maybe even your hosting personality around that niche.
11. Keep Your Branding Consistent.
This one kind of goes along with the tip above. Your radio station branding needs to be powerful and consistent to truly reach and resonate with people. Consistency in branding gives your station a unique identity. It also keeps your station in the forefront of peoples' minds, because they know how to easily describe and categorize it. Without consistency in programming, aesthetics, or branding, your radio station becomes easily forgettable.
For more information on how to keep your branding consistent, make sure to check out our How to Create a Radio Station Brand Style Guide.
10. Get to Know Your Listeners.
We know - you've probably heard this one before, but it's extremely important. After all, what's the point of radio if there's no one around to listen to it?
Be grateful for your listeners. Take the time to research your audience and truly understand them. Even if you don't have many listeners, use what you know about the audience around the content you play to understand who will likely listen to your station in the future. Demographics, interests, lifestyles, preferences, etc. are all important things you should know about the humans who choose to tune in to your station. The better you know them, the better you will be able to appeal to them. Conduct surveys, use social media analytics, check out listener statistics on Live365, and engage with your listeners online.
9. Build Relationships.
On top of getting to know your listeners, you want to build relationships with them as well as other broadcasters. You may even want to build relationships with podcasters and others within your niche, radio, music, entertainment, and anyone in the audio industry.
Building relationships with people means you are getting the word out about your radio station as well as engaging with others and their radio stations. You never know when you may need to utilize a person's certain skillset in order to grow your station. Reach out to people via email and social media. Go on other people's radio stations and have guests on yours. Post about other radio stations that you enjoy and they may even return the favor. For more tips on networking as a radio broadcaster, click here.
8. Remember That You Have a Global Audience.
This one is something content creators in many different fields of entertainment often forget about.
When you are selecting your programming, remember that people from different countries may be listening to your station. Sure - most of your audience demographic is probably going to be people from your home country. But what's your second biggest geographical demographic? Do the people in that country speak your native language? If not, you may want to consider incorporating international content on your station or just want to be aware of any cultural differences that may have an impact on the reception of your station. Either way, it's important to be mindful that you could have a global audience.
7. Create a Website.
This is internet radio, and you need to have a digital presence in the digital age! Websites are incredibly important because you want to have a central place where you can direct your audience for radio station related information as well as any other potential business endeavors. It's a hub for your loyal listeners.
Also, you can embed the Live365 Licensed Player Button into your website, which will open up to your custom pop-out player, so your website can truly be a one-stop shop. For a list of website builders we recommend, click here. And for more good reasons why a website is right for you as a broadcaster, check out this piece!
6. Use Social Media to Your Advantage.
This is on the same page as creating a website. Again, you've probably heard before that you need to utilize social media. It may sound simple. All you've got to do is create a profile for the different platforms and post some stuff there occasionally, right?
Wrong. In order to spread the word about your radio station as well as engage current listeners, you've got to put significant time into your social media pages. For information on how to use social media to your advantage, see our Social Media for Radio Stations: How to Optimize Your Accounts article. We also have a guide on how to gain more followers, and even more tips for specific social media platforms here.
5. Make Yourself Easily Discoverable.
Use the law of attraction! By tidying up your station, releasing shareable and engaging content, and using the internet to your advantage, you can help more people find your station. Focus on making your station look and sound the best it can be - focus on yourself - and you'll grow your audience.
On a more technical note, ensure that your radio station's title and description include keywords that people may search for online. Additionally, include keywords on your website as well as on your social media profiles and posts. On your social media profiles, include links to your radio station and website to make it simple for people to navigate to your station. It's all about using links and search strategies!
4. Personalize Your Communication.
Personalize your communication with your listeners and potential listeners. Whether you create an email list and send out emails to your listeners or you communicate with people who mention your station on social media (utilize that reply button!), you want to ensure you are warm and inviting.
You may even want to use social media to spread the word about your station to communities around the content you play. If so, ensure you are adding a personal touch and that you don't appear to be sending out spam or mass emails/messages! The more people feel you are genuine and trustworthy, the more likely it is that they will become loyal listeners.
3. Check for Listening Trends.
Take a look at your listening statistics and keep an eye out for trends. Do more people seem to listen around a certain hour, or when a certain segment or host pops up? The number of listeners you get at certain times and when you play certain pieces of content should direct how you adjust your station in the future.
Of course, it's helpful not to obsess over trends and statistics. Sometimes focusing only on the numbers can lead to stress. Other times, freshening things up in your programming can lead to a bigger audience. But if you're looking for easy answers that will help you grow your fanbase, use data trends as your creative compass. Whatever's working for your station, keep doing it!
2. Keep Your Music Fresh.
The biggest responsibility of a broadcaster that more people need to make a habit. This may sound obvious, but no one wants to hear the exact same group of songs every time they tune in. If they wanted that, they likely wouldn't be tuning in. Create new playlists with new music often. Like, REALLY often. We'd say on a weekly or bi-weekly basis if you're truly dedicated. Because trust us: if you're a great station, you will get those listeners who play your station around the clock. And they will know when a song's been replayed over and over.
One thing that helps keep your music fresh is listening to your playlists all the way through. You are the best judge of whether your playlists are engaging. If you are utilizing AutoDJ, remember to switch out music every so often. It is also beneficial to follow any trends within the genre(s) that you play so that you can adjust what you play with changing tastes.
If you are looking for information about creating playlists, check out our article here. Additionally, we have a masterlist of music charts that will help know which tunes are trending, and which you need to add to your station. Not to mention a guide on updating your music library!
And...
1. Have Fun!
Maybe this tip seems cheesy, but there's a major benefit in playing the music and content you enjoy. If you're not passionate about the stuff you're putting out there, you're not going to have the persistance to keep maintaining your station in the long-term.
If you have a passion for a certain genre of music and/or for live radio broadcasting and you incorporate it into your broadcast, that passion will translate to listeners. If you enjoy creating your radio station, then others will enjoy listening to it. Don't just run a radio station because you want the fame and fortune that comes with it. You've got to do it because it's one of the only things you truly want to do. Keep the atmosphere around you and your station fun, and your broadcasting will give you more fun in return.
If you are just starting your internet radio station or you've been broadcasting for awhile, these tips can help you create the best station possible. Whether these tips are new information or just reminders, we hope that they are helpful. Make sure to always check the Live365 blog for more broadcaster tips and guides. 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: A woman close to a microphone reads from a piece of paper. (Syda_Productions via DepositPhotos.)
