Study finds radio still #1 platform for music discovery

Radio is still the number one platform for music discovery, according to a study of major English speaking and European countries by data and analytics provider Luminate.

Its Music 360 report found around half of all music listeners in these countries identified radio as where they discover new music, with word-of-mouth also high on the list.

Luminate research director Joywyn Daniel says “When the Buggles released the very first music video to be played on MTV in 1982, Video Killed the Radio Star signalled what many thought would be the eventual demise of radio.”

“Fast-forward 40 years and while radio continues to thrive in the modern music landscape, we are seeing a new trend emerging in some regions.”

It’s a slightly different story among the internet-connected population in Latin America.

Music listeners in all five countries where research was conducted pinpointed online video streaming as the #1 tool for new music discovery.

Radio didn’t even make the top 5 sources of new discovery in Brazil despite being the third most used format for music listening in a typical week.

Daniel believes we are seeing video’s second coming, with the meteoric rise of online video streaming.

“Additionally, the increasing popularity of short video clip platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and You Tube shorts further highlight fans’ burgeoning appetite for snack-sized visual stimulation.”