I'm a musician and host of The Unstarving Musician podcast. Subscribe for conversations with working musicians, creative pros and industry professionals on the craft and business of sustainable creative careers.
Unstarving Musician | Is Indie Radio Still Relevant?
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Hey there, In 2017, I published a blog post asking, "Is indie radio still relevant?" It was a terrible post. I was preparing to interview D. Grant Smith, who ran the indie radio show Appetizer Radio and wrote “The DIY Musician’s Radio Handbook." Not much was being written about the indie radio's relevance, or lack thereof, at that time. I basically just asked the question and moved on. That was almost ten years ago. The music industry has been turned upside down several times since then. Streaming became the dominant listening format. Social media discovery rose, fell, and rose again. AI entered the conversation. The question of radio, specifically indie radio, has arguably become more relevant. So today I'm revisiting the question, but this time I've done some actual research. What I found is that radio is not dead. Not even close. More importantly for independent musicians, the indie radio ecosystem has real, concrete value, and you may be leaving some of that value on the table right now. This episode covers who's actually listening to radio in 2025 and 2026. It also breaks down the royalty angle, which is where I think the most actionable framework lives. Also covered — the different types of radio and what each one offers an indie artist, where the royalty money is, the playlist-to-radio pipeline, college and community radio (the accessible gateway), and how to think about radio as an indie artist. This one's for independent artists trying to figure out whether radio still matters to their career, regardless of whether or not streaming is part of their plan. 🎧 Where to listen (plus show notes and related links) Get the implementation-depth beneath the episodes.My newsletter Liner Notes Insider goes deeper than a podcast episode can. Past editions archive covers things like royalty recovery tools, release planning, and physical merch as a core revenue channel. It's the implementation layer beneath the episodes. The free edition delivers insights from 300+ conversations with working artists and industry professionals who’ve figured out how to make a sustainable living from their creativity. Get started with the free edition by clicking the subscribe button below.
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The Unstarving Musician
I'm a musician and host of The Unstarving Musician podcast. Subscribe for conversations with working musicians, creative pros and industry professionals on the craft and business of sustainable creative careers.
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