Well, commercial radio is not really about the music. If you were being cynical, you could say that music is like nectar to attract customers to the station, and advertisements are the real ‘content’ In that case, shorter songs = more ads = better.
That being said, I often wonder about the legality of radio stations editing tracks. I know record companies have been editing songs for single release since the '60s, but they’re messing with their own intellectual property. Radio, on the other hand, is cutting up other people’s work.
Probably no different to when they continually talk over the top of songs.
Record companies probably don’t care either as shorter songs should also mean more songs and potentially more royalties?
Not sure if the number of songs they play comes into the formula at all… eg if you only play 4 songs per hour in a talk oriented program you should pay fewer royalties than if you are playing 12 songs per hour in an automated music program.
Yes. There’s a few different brackets based on % of total content, so a music format will pay a higher % of their revenue to royalties than a talk format, but within that bracket they’ll pay the same if they play say 11 or 10 songs per hour - each song just gets a different cut. Royalties paid are also split out to voice actors in ads, promos etc.
Would be great if aus stereo invested in the more “experienced” announcers. Dave Williams is about the last of them left. Although Troy Ellis is about to anchor the new breakfast show in Melb.
On a different topic, I’ve recently noticed that WSFM has very powerful/aggressive audio processing - especially in comparison to stations like Triple M Central Coast, which (paradoxically) sounds more ‘laid back’.
It seems like WS have boosted the 8-10kHz region to create a bright, forward sound, and then dialed their compressors and limiters up to the maximum. The compressor they’re using seems to have a very short release time, which creates audible pumping artefacts but ensures that every millisecond of audio is as loud as possible.
The result: a bit fatiguing when listening at home, but fantastic for overcoming road noise on the freeway!
“Coming up next, we’ll play Toto [‘Hold The Line’ sample]… and Dido [‘White Flag’ sample]… and if we had any Beatles, I’d play Ringo, but we don’t so forget that”
WSFM is certainly more like the Mix 106.5 of old (and even leaning towards mid-2010s KIIS 1065 with some tracks) than a real “Classic Hits” station these days!
Admittedly have not listened to much radio in recent times. I got the shock of my life some years ago when I heard Avril Lavigne on MMM. I knew Gold 104.3 was playing some 2000’s music periodically. But I nearly fell over when I heard Lady Gaga - Poker Face earlier today!!
Love the 4KQ team. They look classy and are the right age for their target demographic. ie. Not older people trying to appeal to 25 year olds or vice versa
In that case, shorter songs = more ads = better.