Photo: Andrei_Diachenko (Shutterstock)
The radio can put you in a really good mood. From upbeat songs to delightful low-budget local ads, there is always something to enjoy. So it’s understandable if you’ve ever wondered how you can be one of the people who make this enjoyable experience possible. So if you want to get into the radio industry, we have a few tips for you.
Where can you study the radio industry?
Whether you want to be on the air or produce behind the scenes, there is a lot to learn and a lot of time to learn about the industry. Mike Adam, who hosts New York’s WNEW-FM every day from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., recommends checking out specific programs and schools that can help you really focus on the radio industry.
“I went to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting after high school,” he told Lifehacker. “I liked that it was a vocational school and that an internship was guaranteed. In the end, I did an internship at iHeart Hartford, Connecticut and was hired on the Power 104.1 Street team. “
From there, he said, he “worked” [his] up the ladder ”and worked in the areas of promotion, production and programming.
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You can also study radio in your spare time or at a larger school. Ben DiCostanzo, a 28-year-old commercial content manager for iHeartRadio, told Lifehacker, “In college, I fell in love with my university radio station WSOU, Seton Hall’s pirate radio. I graduated from Seton Hall with a degree in broadcasting and media and then applied for all kinds of jobs in the industry after graduation. iHeartRadio was the first to give me a chance. “
Aim for a variety of experiences
Did you notice that both Adam and DiCostanzo said they spent their early years in the industry applying and working for a variety of jobs? That’s common – and you should do it no matter what your end goal or dream job you think is.
For one, you need to make sure that the job you are after is what you really want. You’d think you’d like to be on the air, but fall in love with the production. On the other hand, it is important that you have a good understanding of the work of other departments, because you have to let up or solve a small crisis at any time. If someone from another team calls in sick or if there are technical difficulties, the radio cannot simply switch off. Better to be well trained and experienced in different departments or, as Adam puts it, “a jack of all trades”.
“Today I work directly with our sales and programming team on a daily basis,” said DiCostanzo, “including on-air talent, producers and program directors, to coordinate, edit and schedule their on-air radio commercials for each of them six local iHeart stations. “
See? Working on the radio is much more than having a nice voice or creating a killer playlist.
This is how you become successful on the radio
You’re not the only person out there who wants to work on the radio; It will likely take time for you to break through.
“Just be patient,” said DiCostanzo. “Everything may not always be glamorous, but hard work always pays off. There is no shortage of opportunities to make yourself known today. Stick to your own plan, make connections, don’t be afraid to branch out, and just have fun with it. Radio is what you make of it. It also opens the door to so many other side projects that you might never even know you were interested in. “
Adam added, “I think the two things that have helped me get where I am today are motivation and resilience. I made myself available for every street team event when I was in promotions and refused to take no for an answer (and I got a lot of them). I sent my radio demo weekly to countless program directors, looking for feedback, job opportunities or, if nothing more, just checking their radar. “
He suggested changing the radio directory to using AllAccess.com to find program directors, and then “stare at those emails.”
You need to encourage yourself, stay motivated, keep pushing, be patient and not allow yourself to be given up. It’s hard, but if you really want this career, it is necessary.
Think outside the boombox
Yes, a job in radio is in radio, but a little cross-platform promotion hasn’t hurt anyone.
“Social media is just as important as your sound on the show,” says Adam, who has nearly 150,000 Twitter followers and around 37,000 Instagram followers. “My success on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube has absolutely helped me get where I am today.”
He added, “My advice is to increase those social media numbers but don’t bite off more than you can chew. Better to be a rock star on a few platforms than just trying to be on everything to be on everything. Become a networking ninja (social media is also great for this). “
Build a personal brand to stand out from the crowd and get a few fans to follow you everywhere. Then, send your YouTube videos, podcasts, standout tweets, or Instagram posts to a program director. Be aggressive. Be pushy. Be open to mistakes and, most importantly, be ready to get up again.
