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Sound & vision: Radio 1 online viewers race ahead of listeners
BBC station’s visual strategy means it can “connect with young audiences” via digital platforms, says controller Ben Cooper
BY ANDRE PAINE BBC Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper has told Music Week that the station’s YouTube reach is an alternative route to breaking artists. The weekly audience for visual content via YouTube has passed 14 million – ahead of the current RAJAR result of 9.3m. The visual audience surpassed listeners earlier this year. “We’re a radio station that now has more viewers than listeners, which is a little bit counter-intuitive to some people,” said Cooper, who’s also 1Xtra/Asian Network controller. He is said to be in the running for the new BBC Pop Music controller job. Radio 1 now has 7.8m combined YouTube and Vevo subscribers. Cooper emphasised that a “listen, watch, share” strategy had resulted in a combined social media following of 10m for Radio 1 and 1Xtra.
“It’s the way you have to connect with young audiences today, create content that they can listen to on the radio but also watch on YouTube and share on social media – and it’s been very successful,” he said. “Both [Instagram and YouTube] are key when you are now competing for your audience’s attention in a global marketplace.” Miley Cyrus was recently honoured by Radio 1 for passing 50m views for her Live Lounge cover of Lana Del Rey’s Summertime Sadness. Dua Lipa and Thirty Seconds To Mars have also joined the station’s 50m club. Cooper stressed that Radio 1’s content can benefit new acts. As well as Dua Lipa, debut LP artists with high-ranking videos include Camilla Cabello (17m views), Anne-Marie (8.3m) and Jorja Smith (5.6m). “Radio 1 wants to break new artists,” he said. “I want to work harder than ever with the music industry to tell those stories, whether it’s new or returning artists. The relationship with Radio 1 is key. YouTube provides another way of breaking new artists.” Cooper said that the BBC’s “stamp of quality” ensured that Radio 1 could compete with global platforms. There are also benefits for the music industry in the data that Radio 1 gathers from digital platforms.
“We love the data that YouTube can give us,” said Cooper. “That’s key for us being a global player, to share data, and the labels do the same for us.”
Cooper is also confident about the on-air performance of Radio 1, which recently triumphed at the Music Week Awards. “Radio 1 is on fire at the moment,” he
told Music Week. “You’ve got Greg [James] doing a brilliant job on breakfast. There’s just a real energy and excitement.”
06 | Music Week 01.07.19
“We love the data that
YouTube can give us as a global player”
Ben Cooper Radio 1
Lounge music: (L-R) Miley Cyrus and Ben Cooper, who presented the US singer with an award for 50m views
Tech that: BBC and biz creating “depth of engagement” Head of visual Joe Harland says music performances drive Radio 1 YouTube views
Joe Harland, head of visual and multi-platform radio for BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music and Asian Network, has shared his vision for the evolution of digital content. “We have to ensure that we’re still reaching audiences,” Harland told Music Week. “We mainly learn through experimentation. Our role is to keep an eye on the technology and how that can connect the radio station, the music fan and the artists.”
Tech talk: Harland at the Music Week Tech Summit
The BBC has experimented with 360 video as well as shooting an Arctic Monkeys session on vintage equipment. “There is a creative conversation with the artists,” said Harland. “I’m sure that the future for us visually is video content of the quality that the audience expects and that might go up to 4K. The promiscuity caused by phone usage means that it is likely to be short form.”
While radio stations rely on presenters to create viral moments, Harland said that music is still key. “About 75% of our viewership is music performance, because of the popularity of the Live Lounge and the desire of the artists to engage with it and to share it,” he said. “You see similar [results] for Radio 2 with their Piano Room and their Friday performances with Zoe Ball, as well as for 6 Music in their live room and the freestyles from 1Xtra.”
Harland gave a memorable keynote at the inaugural Music Week Tech Summit, which returns on October 8. He added that the BBC’s social media strategy is evolving. “We judge it by looking on an almost weekly basis at the data, because the algorithms change all the time,” he said. “[But] it isn’t always about the click, it’s about the depth of engagement. I’m not fearful of how any tech changes might impinge upon our reach, because if you do something that the audience loves, then that reach will be maintained.”
musicweek.com
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