Whereas twenty years ago, music lovers were hanging at their desks to listen to their favorite FM band… Sometime after the arrival of the Internet, listening methods changed profoundly. Today, radios are still one of the media that the particularly like, but it is habits that have changed. Overview of the different ways to listen to the radio in 2019.
Nearly 9,000 FM bands!
The first solution is by far the one where the media reaches the most people: the are fans of listening to radios in the car. The car radio itself has been transformed over the years. The FM band and the K7 were equipped with a CD player and then a USB port. It must be said that France is one of the champion countries of the FM band, operating nearly 8,500 frequencies! All these are also regulated by a public body, the Superior Audiovisual Council.
Internet radio: a revolution for listeners
The radio is still present in certain households, even if it is found less and less in appliance stores. The Internet now allows access to all frequencies authorized by the CSA, from anywhere. It is no longer a question of knowing whether we “capture” or not. Quite amazing to listen to a local radio when you are physically on the other side of the world… PC radio symbolized a notable opening to music and information for listeners. Another revolution thanks to radio on PC : the advent of podcasts, in other words, the ability to listen to programs after their broadcast on the air, whenever you want. Streaming even allows you to listen to the show as many times as possible, sometimes even saving it.
The arrival of digital technology has also considerably improved sound quality, and has fueled listening in time slots which were only lightly “crowded” at a certain time. Mobility allows this new hearing. Everyone can enjoy the waves whenever they want, via their smartphone and headphones.
Radios in places of passage
The places where radios are most listened to remain businesses and certain public spaces where FM bands are broadcast as background music. It is also in this usefulness that it is sometimes most recognized: the presence of radios influences the mood of the people who circulate in this place. Stores, supermarkets, doctors’ waiting rooms or even public transport… it is possible to listen to music stations almost everywhere. The general music which is then broadcast in this type of case allows listeners to be transposed into a certain relaxing atmosphere, sometimes conducive to purchasing, and which combats boredom.
It is therefore possible, in 2019, to still take full advantage of the different radio stations that France has enjoyed for many years. If technological equipment is no longer specially dedicated to them, radio stations must think about renewing their use of digital tools so as to be heard, listened to and more connected with current events.
