Digital transformation of musical radio: The case of Máxima / LOS40 Dance

Abstract

The radio industry is currently in the midst of a process of transformation and adaptation to a digital consumption environment determined by technological convergence, the hybridization of narratives and languages, and habits that are ever more closely linked to the personalization of content and access. This new scene is particularly disruptive for the musical radio formats, which had been the foremost channel in the past for pop consumption among young-adult and adolescent audiences. The consolidation of streaming services, supported by the establishment of the smartphone as the dominant device for connecting to digital entertainment, has reduced the importance of radio, which is forced to adopt new strategies for the production, distribution and commercialization of sound contents. This is the case of Máxima / LOS40 Dance, the dance radio format of the PRISA Group, whose recent innovative project of transformation from conventional to digital radio is contextualized, described and analyzed in this paper.

KEYWORDS: radio, music, digital, Internet, transformation, programming.