Shaun Groves
Here’s how it usually works. A record label pays a radio promoter a salary for several months while he aims to get an artist’s song – called a “single” – played on the radio. But not on every station. Only the big ones.
The record company’s goal is to get the song to climb the chart. The chart shows which songs are being played the most on a select few big stations known as “reporters.”
The radio promoter gets paid whether he gets my song played or not. If there is any financial incentive for him it’s tied only to how high a single charts.
There was a time when charting sold records, generated media attention and hopefully accolades. That’s just not working anymore. For reasons I don’t understand, there’s rarely a correlation between charting position and sales today…or media coverage. And who cares about accolades?
So I’m rethinking radio starting with the goal.
My goal is to present Compassion International to as many people as possible. Over 2,000 kids were sponsored through my concerts and events last year and I want that number to grow this year.
I’ve done the math. If I can increase the size of my average audience by 10 people, that’ll mean 150 more kids released from poverty every year. If I can increase it by 100 that’ll mean 1500 more kids released from poverty. That’s the goal: Increase the number of people who hear about Compassion. Radio can help us do that in a big way.
And not just the big stations. Every station matters, from Dallas to Owasso. If they play my music I get bookings, my (free) shows are better attended and kids get food, education, clothing, healing and Jesus.
How exactly do we reinvent radio promotion?
I’ve hired a radio promoter for a small upfront fee. No salary.
I’m splitting my ASCAP payments (radio royalties) with him 50/50 for two years on any single he promotes. If he gets it played he gets paid.
His job is to get my music on EVERY station, large and small, because every listener matters.
First singles out the door are Sing (headed to Adult Contemporary and CHR stations) and I’ve Got You (headed to Inspirational stations). Both are always available for free download.
We’re building pages on this site to promote them both. I’ll let you know when they launch so you can get involved too if you want.
Todd says:
Shaun, you’re disrupting the traditional promotional/media model. You will make some enemies.
But seriously, it’s a great idea. I think pay-per-performance pricing is the future of my industry (advertising/marketing) and I think it’s awesome you’re going down this road.
Be sure to post an update in a few months. I’d love to hear how successful your promoter is.
lorenkmiller says:
love it…now lets take it to CCM 2.0, Matthew West put up a page for fans to share their life stories which He will turn into songs, I would imagine that if my life story were turned into a song that I would buy the “CD” for sure and make everyone I know buy it as well, turning myself into the best promoter you can get. I think he is onto something, interactive song writing…now take it to another level instead of 10 songs with 10 stories, get ten songs each with ten contributions…you get the picture.
I might be onto something or just on something.
Lindsay says:
Yeah!! 🙂
Keith Stancil says:
Love the idea! What radio promoter were you able to convince to work that way?
Megan says:
Did you just say Owasso? As in, Oklahoma? Dude, I grew up there. I didn’t even know they HAD a radio station…
Josh says:
Awesome….feathers may be ruffled, but that’s good.
Good luck, and I hope your goal for this year ends being met far beyond what you could’ve hoped for!
Brad says:
Hey Shawn.
I would be interested to get the name of the promoter as well. I’m a singer/songwriter as well and would love to do something like this. I’ve been praying over a way to do something like this in an effort to raise money for missions for my family and others.
Great idea and I truly hope God blows the doors off your dreams and efforts.
Thx
Brad
Brad says:
Sorry for spelling your name wrong. Duh.
misty says:
Awesome.
Teresa says:
Hi Shaun!
I found you through Compassion, and have been following you mainly for your Compassion related posts, but had a “Hey, I know him!” moment last week when I heard “Welcome Home” on my local station. Unfortunately, I didn’t know it was you till they said your name when the song was over, (I’m afraid I’m always a bit late to the party music wise), so I went to your music section to find the song. Great song, by the way. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that my small town station is playing your songs!
Have a great weekend,
Teresa
Don says:
Shaun we may be able to do something in Kansas. We have seven full power stations and over forty translators. We could have you for four events in different parts of the state. We did this type situation recently with Ken Davis.
I have got some things I could say about the music industry…..however I don’t have time to write it all here. One thing is….I think the “Becky” mentality and Auditorium Testing is killing the Christian music industry. Don’t have time to explain it, but these are the wrong ways to target an audience and perform music research.
Another thing that gets me is artists that charge big dollars for a concert when they don’t have the ability to sell tickets. I am not going to take the loss.
The only new artist in the past ten years that can draw a crowd and sell tickets is Casting Crowns. Shouldn’t that tell the music industry something when all they are turning out is one or two hit artist that you never hear from again. All the other big artists are the same ones we had in the 90s. So when will the industry wake up and realize there is something they are doing wrong?
Shaun Groves says:
Don, we’d love to do something with you guys. Please get in touch with us and we’ll get back quickly. [email protected]
Thanks!
Grant Jenkins says:
I absolutely love this! Change not for the sake of change, but for the sake and goal of tangibly changing lives.