The impact of digitalization on the coverage and prescriptive potential of music radio in Spain

Abstract

This paper analyses the effects of the irruption of the internet and digitalization on music radio in Spain, the record industry's main platform for the discovery and popularization of pop and rock releases, and the way in which new listeners reach the medium. Based on the triangulation of metrics of the most played songs, the songs that reached number one and the best-selling songs between 2008 and 2023, patterns of convergence and divergence are found that reveal the progressive distancing between the offer of the radio stations and the decisions on the purchase of records. The study underlines the need for the radio industry to redefine its strategy to adapt to audience preferences and consumption dynamics, now conditioned by digital technologies and distribution channels. In conclusion, the transformation of the musical landscape because of digitalization has not only significantly altered consumers' listening and purchasing habits but has also highlighted the growing need for greater synchronization between radio and digital platforms. Radio, historically a key force in promoting new talent and hits, now faces the challenge of fully integrating into a constantly evolving multimedia ecosystem. To ensure its continued relevance and competitiveness, it must adopt a more flexible and dynamic approach that considers both user behavior in the digital environment and the opportunities offered by new technologies for enhanced interaction and audience loyalty-building.