Interactive Marketing

Internet Radio has seen an ever-increasing trend since its inception. Given the growth rate of Internet usage all over the world, there are enough reasons for Internet radio broadcasters to pull up their socks. Particularly in the US, the number of Internet radio listeners has increased significantly. A simple question that often comes to mind is the reason behind this popularity of Internet radio.

I should say there are not one but multiple reasons that actually contribute to its popularity. The nature of content is one of the prime attractions of any Internet radio station. Firstly, most Internet radio stations are free from corporate influence and the broadcasts are actually decided by the broadcasters personal choice. Also, the variety of music genres those are available on the Internet radio is unmatched and would beat the AM FM radios stations hands down. Besides the Internet radio has a wonderful pricing structure, that's always better than any other entertainment in the world, because it's FREE. Yes, the listeners don't need to pay a dime to listen to the Internet radio of their choice. In addition, the ease of listening is also incomparable. You can listen to the Internet radio even when you are at work. All you need is a computer with Internet connection and a set of speakers and you can log on to favorite station.

While the difference between an Internet radio station and a terrestrial radio channel (AM FM) can be simplistically attributed to their medium of transmission, - one is served on the airwaves and the other on the Internet. Ask a regular listener and they will tell you the truth. Internet radio stations are more open to embrace new upcoming artists and the variety of music served is much wider. While the terrestrial channels are sort of restricted to the top chartbusters, Internet radios actually help unknown faces to make it to the top of the chart. It works as a cradle for the newborn artists or bands and many of them have shot to success and signed record contracts after they were wired on some Internet radio channel. The inherent nature of the Internet is applicable even in this case and Internet radio actually levels out the playing field between the famous and yet to be famous artists. It gives you, as a listener, the opportunity to listen to music that you would have never heard if not for this channel and it also gives the opportunity to your favorite local band to reach out to the global audience.

In spite of the fact that Internet radio has an ever-increasing listener base and is also very effective in promoting new artists and albums, Internet radio broadcasters are not really welcomed by the recording industry. Internet broadcasters need to pay Royalty for the music they play while the recording industry offers terrestrial radio channels to play those for free - reason They consider terrestrial radio as a medium of promotion but not Internet radio. A misconception about Internet radio is that they give away music for free, which is absolutely wrong. Internet radio broadcasters are as good as any other terrestrial radio channels and in no way do they promote distribution of music for free.

Internet radio has actually flourished to great extent; however, the irony is the growth has only been in terms of listeners and not really in terms of money. Vast majority of broadcasters actually pay from their pocket to bear the expenses (royalty payments, bandwidth etc) - profit is a far cry. The major portion of Internet broadcasters are made up of hobbyists who are getting licensed and infrastructure through larger Internet radio stations or broadcasting companies at relatively affordable rates. Otherwise it would have been almost impossible for most broadcasters to bear the cost individually.

It is necessary for the Internet radio industry to take a more constructive and professional approach towards monetizing and generating revenues through the medium. While it is highly appreciated that most Internet radio broadcasters emphasize the happiness of sharing their choice of music with thousand of listeners who tune in as the price for their hard work, it is going to be a survival issue for the channels in near future if they do not start generating revenue at this stage. Also companies are increasingly becoming conscious about the power of this medium and are often willing to advertise with the popular Internet radio stations. As an Internet broadcaster, it is high time that you pick on these available opportunities and add that $ilver sheen to your broadcasting happiness.

This article is written by Ray Smith, a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on SEO and Internet marketing. Internet Radio