So much music that we never hear!

While your observations are spot on regarding commercial stations, with a tiny bit of effort you can flip the whole scenario on its ugly earnings-driven head.

Most of us have mobile phones that can connected to car stereos. Independent radio station growth has been steady. "Live Radio" features in popular apps like Roon, Spotify and Pandora have given these stations, many from universities, far more listener reach, allowing them to keep their niches and find more listeners and support. 

So I would suggest you download apps from stations like these (or find them in your streaming apps) and let your car time be musical discovery time:

• KUTX - Univ. of TX-Austin
• WXPN - Univ. of PA
• WFUV - Fordham Univ.
• KCRW - LA inde radio

There are thousands more...those are personal favs for inde rock, folk, blues, modern. All are commercial free and have far wider, deeper playlists and genre-specific shows. Cheers,

Spencer

Radio station programming is to keep a listener for around 20 minutes. Nothing new. It's been this way for decades.

Expand your listening tastes to Classical and Jazz for the PBS stations. They don't do the radio "formula"

What tablejockey said. Absolutely nothing new. Mass radio program brainwashing has been going on for over 50 years.

Try SirusXM radio in your vehicle.  I also use their app to listen at work on my computer sometimes.  Try Tidal and Qobuz in your system at home.  After your specific choices have played, those services will continue to play similar but different choices.  These options have made things interesting and more enjoyable for me compared to my listening being limited to my own CD library or standard radio station catalogs.  I now hear music I have never heard as well as music I know but have forgotten about because I don’t own the CD.

@tablejockey + 1

I think since the 21st century, anyway, the influence of 'radio' has declined somewhat dramatically - there are just so many more ways to check out and listen to music, like this new-fangled 'streaming' stuff... 😆

Another reason there's so much music you never hear is because there is so much music out there, even in any particular genre, that you'd need several lifetimes just to make a dent in hearing everything. But with Qobuz, Tidal, Roon, etc, there's not really much of an excuse for not listening to what you want to hear. 

Commercial radio been dead for decades as far as I'm concerned. Student University stations can have great programming at times. Public radio stations seem to be going more and more to talk.

Streaming is where its at, you can be your own radio programmer.

Death of radio?

And here I have avoided it for 16 years.

The most exposure I get now is when I get a haircut.  

If you wanna hear new music try BandCamp or any other streaming service. At least you can hear what genres you like instead of what some computer thinks you wanna hear.

Our 2 local independent radio stations that played indy rock and indy/americana are now history. Since they've been gone, I've discovered more new music via Radio Paradise and my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist than from any other sources. I play both in the car via bluetooth or Careplay.

Today in radio I notice that no matter what station I listen to I keep hearing the same few songs over and over again. Even station that advertise as being different formats all play the same loops. They run commercials all at the same time and even run the same promo events. Are we witness to the death of radio 

This is true, commercial radio has followed broadcast TV providing a terrible product while trying to survive.

An example of how radio is in trouble financially is CBS selling off all its radio stations. CBS/Viacom/Sumner Redstone invested heavily buying about 200 stations around the country (many were news, talk) Now they're trying to unload them.

My Subaru came with a 3 month subscription to SiriusXM and there was plenty of repetition 

I'm guessing only an independent station, such as KVMR in Nevada City, CA is likely to be free of the afflictions described in this thread.. 

They can be listened to online as well as "on air".

This particular station is very liberal in terms of its news/public affairs content. so some will find this more than enough reason to avoid it.

They offer a very wide selection of genres so I'd strongly suggest consulting their program guide , unless one's tastes are extremely eclectic. 

Of course, university radio stations tend to be highly eclectic and free of commercial  contagion, as well. 

I'm currently listening to my Spotify Discover Weekly playlist. Of the 30 songs chosen by the Spotify algorithm for me this week, there are only 2 I've even heard on any radio station. And they would never be heard on any mainstream commercial station.

Frankly  I've been p$&## off  and mad at the world of the all the music  we don't get to hear on a fm station and it's  never been played such as I just discovered Doc Watson and last year it was Tommy Emanuel, I know now where Tommy was partially influenced.  And there is about 100 others never even considered to be played on crap radio stations. It's mind boggling. 

Why is there such an obsession with some about not hearing enough music? I’m currently playing 1 side of all my vinyl albums(1500) this started in April 2020 and not even at 60% completion. When viewing threads the same recordings are being played over and over Bowie/CCR/Dylan/Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits ect. When a Jazz post appeaars you would think Miles Davis is the only competent jazz musician. Many need to dig deeper in there collection and discover other artists.

@dayglow:

"Many need to dig deeper in there collection and discover other artists"

+1 

". . . you would think Miles Davis is the only competent jazz musician".

. . . or that the (relatively) light-weight Patricia Barber and Diana Krall are the only worthwhile female vocalists. People have no idea what they're missing. 

I've learned this is one of those situations where the "lead a horse to water" analogy applies. You can't force another person to be artistically curious.

I'm in no way suggesting my personal tastes are in any way superior to anyone else's -- each person has to discover on their own what they like. But this cannot and will not occur without effort. Commercial radio will not drop it in one's lap. Instead, try Spotify, The Penguin Jazz Guide, YouTube, No Depression, the All Music site, etc. depending upon the genre of interest. 

"...the same recordings are being played over and over  Bowie/CCR/Dylan/Fleetwood Mac and Dire Straits etc."

As has been mentioned before on other threads, Classic Rock fans seeking fresher sounds should explore Americana.  

@dayglow @stuartk

You both have answered my question that was the point of radio. We only hear the artists and songs they want us to hear or that their corporations have chosen to be successful. Yes you can dig out the old albums but you are not hearing the new artists and their new music. There are sooooo many artistes, songs and music that the average person never gets to hear. Such a shame that the radio stations run by corporate media can hide the keys to this treasure.

I've cross posted this from another thread about streaming sound quality....

Playing vinyl on my system is my favorite method of listening to music. It brings me the most musical enjoyment. I love the sound quality and I love the process of listening to records.

Somehow I "discovered" all the artist and LPs that I own and play. In the past, it was mostly radio that brought these "discoveries" to me. Today, most radio stations are corporate owned and mostly play the same very limited playlist. If you are lucky enough to have a great independent radio station within your reception range, I'm happy for you. Enjoy it. And support it. I hope you discover some great new music you can buy on vinyl or CD to enjoy it more deeply..

Unfortunately, many people do not have any good radio stations near them, so chances for "discovery" are severely limited. This is where streaming can be a godsend, even if the streaming sound quality in the user's system does not reach the level of their vinyl/CD rig.

Streaming internet radio, like Radio Paradise, or a streaming service, like Spotify, Qobuz or Tidal, are a great way to discover new (or new to you) music. It can help you expand your knowledge of music by exposing you to artists you would otherwise never likely hear. You can build playlists of music you like and want to hear again, or you can listen to internet radio or a streaming service and let someone else (or an algorithm) choose selections for you. The algorithms are pretty good. They will use the stuff you've listened to before, or songs you "liked" and create playlists of similar stuff. They sometimes stray off into areas you would have never chosen, but may really like.

I'm a music lover. I listen to music every day: at home, in the car, when I work in the lawn, when I exercise. It is great that over the last few years I've discovered new music via streaming either internet radio or streaming services or even youTube. I've discovered more new (or new to me) music over the last few years of streaming Radio Paradise and Spotify, than in the previous 15-20 years of the old method.

When I discover some great new music that I want to enjoy more deeply, I look to see if it is available on vinyl. If so, I buy it so I can enjoy it more deeply. And I hope the artist makes a couple more bucks in the process...

Enjoy your music, however you choose to listen.