Patricio Sánchez, a lecturer from the Faculty of Communication Sciences, has published a study on the transformation of the music landscape in Spain over the last fifteen years. The study, which analyses nearly 25,000 songs, explores the growing divergence between the output of major music radio stations and the best-selling songs in the country.
The article, titled The impact of digitalisation on the reach and prescriptive power of music radio in Spain, published in Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico, examines music consumption between 2008 and 2023. It reveals an increasing disconnection between media popularity, represented by the radio, and consumer preferences, which are reflected in music sales. The article concludes that what is most consumed is no longer necessarily what is most broadcast.
To compile the study, the author compared the most downloaded digital songs and the rankings of album, vinyl, and other format sales with the songs most played weekly on the major radio stations in the sector over the past fifteen years. From 2008 to 2023, the percentage of songs appearing in both the top 20 of music radio and the top 20 of best-selling songs dropped by 17%. The decline is even more pronounced when comparing number 1 songs in radio rankings with positions 1 to 3 in sales charts: the drop is 50%. In 2023, there was only a 15% overlap between the most-played and best-selling songs.
Patricio Sánchez, lecturer of Specialist Radio at UIC Barcelona and head of music stations at Atresmedia for twenty years, suggests that Spanish music radio programming strategies need to be reassessed. “Without adapting to the tastes and habits of young listeners, music radio could lose its relevance and connection with a key audience,” he explains. “Before the digitalisation of the music market, radio was the gateway to music; you listened to it growing up. If it no longer forms part of young people's essential soundtrack, they won't end up listening to general radio either. Listening to the radio is a habit, and every fewer listener means one less day of radio,” adds the author.
In this context, another point the article raises to explain this disconnect is the evolution of the most-played and best-selling musical genres. In 2008, Latin music accounted for just 2% of sales, while in 2023, it made up 90% of Spain's music market. However, despite slowly embracing the genre, music radio stations still resist playing it, with only 40% of their programming devoted to it. “Stations know their target audience. The average age of people listening to Los 40 Principales is 39,3. If you play Bad Bunny or Karol G all day to that audience, they’ll probably stop listening,” the author points out.
One of the study’s key conclusions is that music radio is losing its prescriptive power – its ability to set trends and influence music sales. A growing gap has emerged between what is being played on the radio and what listeners are interested in, challenging the radio-industry relationship. “Music radio has traditionally been an extremely cheap and highly profitable product, with a minimal cost for the station,” explains Patricio Sánchez. “The concept of background music associated with radio no longer holds the same value, as people can now listen to it on streaming platforms,” he clarifies.
Aware of this shift, record labels are no longer investing as much in promoting major artists through the radio. “The relationship between the music industry and radio is now shorter and less productive. It is no longer the showcase for stars,” concludes the author.
The study also points to the phenomenon of social networks such as TikTok in the discovery and popularisation of artists. “It has led to an overwhelming overexposure of music, presented in an urgent, brief, and fleeting way – the complete opposite of the pillars on which the business was built. A song was a liturgy, something physical you held in your hands. TikTok does the opposite,” adds the expert. The record companies themselves use the social network, with a reach of more than 20 million users in Spain (according to 2022 data), to publicise their news to Generation Z.
The study The impact of digitalisation on the reach and prescriptive power of music radio in Spain shows a significant change in consumption habits, driven by digitalisation and the continued growth of streaming platforms. According to data from Spotify, in 2023 the leading music streaming platform had 550 million users worldwide, with 220 million (40%) using the paid subscription model.
According to the IFPI 2024 report, streaming revenues have significantly contributed to the growth of the global music market, now making up nearly half of the global market. The music industry, which has been dealing with digital disruption for longer than radio, has implemented strategies for its recovery. The author argues that radio must reconsider its role in music promotion in an increasingly digital environment.
The future of music radio, therefore, looks ‘discouraging’, according to the professional who has led stations like Europa FM and Melodía FM for twenty years. “Radio arrived in Europe in the 1970s, it’s barely sixty years old,” says Patricio Sánchez. “If music radio doesn’t adopt a new approach, offering or content, it will struggle to maintain the financial strength and social impact it has enjoyed in recent years,” he concludes.
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