09/11/2026
Had a guy tell me that streaming or “online radio” is the same thing as real radio and I started to reply to him but I think this should be a more public conversation
I understand what he’s saying, but I don’t agree that internet radio is the same thing as real radio — especially when we’re talking about what radio can do for an artist.
Internet radio can certainly give an artist exposure, and I’m not taking anything away from that. But there is a major difference between putting your song on an internet stream and having an actual terrestrial radio station choose to program your music.
When I put a song on the radio, I’m not just pushing a button and adding it to a playlist. I’m making a programming decision based on the song, the artist, our audience and whether I believe that music belongs on our station. I’m putting the station’s credibility behind that decision.
And there’s a human connection that comes with that.
Our listeners aren’t necessarily searching for your song. They’re driving to work, heading home, working in the yard, sitting at their desk — and we introduce them to you. They hear your song next to artists they already know and love. A DJ can talk about you, tell your story, interview you, bring you into the station, put you on a station event, promote your show and give people a reason to care about you beyond one song.
That’s very different from someone finding your stream online.
The other big difference is local impact.
If I’m a Fort Worth artist and a Fort Worth radio station gets behind me, I’m being introduced to an audience in the market where I’m actually playing shows. Those listeners can go see me, buy a ticket, buy merchandise and become fans. The station can help connect the artist to the community.
And there’s also a level of credibility that comes with being selected by an established radio station. An artist can tell people, “We’re getting played on 95.9 The Ranch.” That means something because there is an established audience and a real programming staff behind it.
You can certainly say internet radio is another form of exposure. I wouldn’t argue with that.
But saying it’s the same thing as terrestrial radio is where I disagree.
A stream is distribution.
Radio is distribution plus curation, local audience, human endorsement, promotion, personality, community and the ability to actually help turn an unknown artist into a known artist.
And honestly, there’s one thing internet radio will never completely replace for an artist:
That moment when you’re driving down the road and suddenly you hear your own song coming out of a real radio station. Artists share those moments on their socials all the time, you never see them share that moment of an online stream because it doesn’t create the same kind of emotion to them.
That’s a pretty damn big deal.
