Popular Radio Music Companies for Promotion

Radio is instrumental in making or breaking the careers of several pop artists and singers. Radio is a time-tested avenue to promote music. Here is a list of popular radio music companies:

Contemporary Hit Radio (CHR)

Top 40, also known as CHR, features some of the most successful artists in the world today. These artists include Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Kings of Leon, and Rihanna. Hot AC, for example, plays lighter rock and pop, but CHR is a crossover format that often focuses more on R&B, rap and hip-hop.

Hot Adult Contemporary

Broadcasting on Hot AC crosses multiple formats. Over the years, it has been a performing platform for 90s rock bands like Matchbox Twenty, Jewel, Nickelback, and Goo Goo Dolls. During the past few years, Top 40 crossover artists such as Beyonce and Justin Timberlake have gained traction on the charts in markets where mainstream Top 40 stations do not air. The format is essentially a way to listen to hip-hop and R&B without being influenced by them. The Killers, Bon Jovi and Shinedown are common rock bands on this format even without crunchy guitars.

College Radio

Many bands who hope to make it in more commercial formats start out on College Radio, which is often seen as the proving ground for their careers. R.E.M., U2, Blink 182, and Nirvana are some of the artists that broke on college radio that have achieved phenomenal success on mainstream radio.

Active Rock

It play louder, more aggressive music than mainstream rock stations, but may also play straight-ahead rock or classic rock like Metallica or AC/DC or alternative artists (Foo Fighters, The Used, The Hives). College and Active Rock Specialty stations, however, do not have the same edge these stations do.

Adult Contemporary (AC)

Sheryl Crow, Phil Collins, Sade, John Mayer, Elton John, and Celine Dion all fall into the AC category, which caters mostly to women between the ages of 25 and 54. All types of music are played, from classic 80s hits to hip, young beats. Alongside Josh Groban and Norah Jones, hard rockers Nickelback and 3 Doors Down perform softer songs and ballads. While AC is an adult format, it tends to stay on the softer side of the radio spectrum, but it's not uncommon to hear artists such as No Doubt and Coldplay.

Country

The list of Country artistes is long. There are several big names on the list including Sugarland, Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, and Bucky Covington.

U.S. country radio is one of the most popular and fastest-growing formats. Across formats and reaching new audiences, it is more progressive than ever.

Active Rock Specialty

It's the perfect place to introduce new, unsigned, and/or upcoming Active Rock-type bands to corporate radio. These shows can help bands get airplay in otherwise highly competitive markets and showcase them alongside other up-and-coming acts. When a band gets bigger, special show airplay helps bolster airplay by gaining DJs' and programmers' familiarity with their material.

Gospel

The Mississippi Mass Choir, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Isreal & New Breed, and Take 6 are among the artists. Unlike the charts, gospel has a passionate, religious following.