How Airplay Tracking Can Boost Your Radio Campaigns

Travis Mckenzie

May 6, 2025

Radio remains a powerful tool for promoting music, helping artists and labels gain exposure across various markets. However, understanding the effectiveness of a radio promotion campaign requires precise data on where and how often songs are played. This is where radio monitoring tools come in, offering detailed insights into an artist's presence on the airwaves.

Pricing Comparison

Before diving into the features of different radio tracking tools, let’s compare their pricing structures:

• Viberate: From €19.90/month (billed annually at €239)
• Chartmetric: $1400/year or $160/month
• Songstats: €999.99/year after trial

Each platform provides valuable insights, but their pricing varies significantly depending on the depth of analytics offered. Now, let’s examine how these platforms track airplay and support radio promotion campaigns.

Viberate: In-Depth Broadcast Analytics for Strategic Growth

Viberate’s Airplay Analytics Dashboard is designed to provide a complete overview of an artist's radio presence, with key insights into performance trends, rankings, and geographic distribution.

Career Health on Radio

This module measures overall broadcast performance and ranking. Artists can see a gauge meter indicating airplay strength and compare rankings within their genre. A list of competing artists helps in understanding direct competition.

12-Month Radio Performance Overview

A summary of airplay over the past year includes total spins, number of stations, countries reached, and top-performing tracks. This data helps in evaluating long-term trends.

Spins Over Time

This interactive graph allows users to track fluctuations over time, helping them identify peak periods and seasonal trends.

Most Spinned Tracks & Geographic Breakdown

By analyzing the most played tracks and where they receive the most spins, artists and labels can refine their promotional efforts. Viberate provides a breakdown by country and city, allowing users to target key markets effectively.

Top Radio Stations & Station Performance

Identifying the most influential stations is crucial for optimizing promotion. Viberate highlights top stations supporting an artist’s music, helping users focus their efforts on stations that generate the most engagement.

Airtime Distribution & Latest Radio Spins

Understanding when a track is played can influence promotional strategies. Viberate’s Airtime Distribution module reveals peak play times, while the Latest Radio Spins feature provides real-time updates on airplay activity.

With these features, Viberate serves as a comprehensive tool for artists and industry professionals looking to maximize their radio exposure through detailed tracking.

Chartmetric: High-Level Radio Airplay Trends and Performance Analysis

Chartmetric’s Radio Analytics Dashboard delivers a structured breakdown of an artist’s radio presence, offering macro-level insights into airplay trends and track performance.

Summary Stats & Global Trends

The Summary Stats Module provides key data, including the number of stations, cities, and countries where an artist’s tracks have been played. A world map highlights the top 50 cities by airplay volume.

Total Plays Breakdown

This module presents radio trends using stacked bar charts, segmented by tracks, stations, countries, and cities. Filters allow for deeper analysis of specific regions or timeframes.

Top Tracks by Plays

A detailed ranking of an artist’s tracks based on airplay volume offers insights into which songs are gaining traction. Historical data, including first and last spin dates, helps identify longevity and trends in radio performance.

Chartmetric’s strengths lie in its ability to provide a high-level overview of radio trends across multiple markets, making it ideal for professionals looking for a broad analysis of broadcast performance.

Songstats: Track-Level Radio Monitoring with Monetization Insights

Songstats’ Radio Analytics Dashboard focuses on tracking radio performance at both the high level and individual track level, integrating a feature for monitoring royalties.

Performance Overview & Radio Trends

The Performance Overview Module provides essential statistics, including total plays, number of supporting stations, and estimated royalties. The Radio Performance Trend Chart allows users to track performance over time with a customizable timeframe selector.

Stations & Locations

This module highlights the stations playing an artist’s music and offers a geographic breakdown of broadcast locations. Identifying these patterns helps in targeting the right radio markets for promotions.

Most Played Tracks & Recently Played

A ranked list of the most played tracks provides insights into momentum. The Recently Played module allows users to track real-time activity, offering an up-to-date picture of radio performance.

Royalties Tracking & Monetization Potential

A standout feature of Songstats is its royalties tracking tool, which suggests potential integration with monetization platforms. Artists and managers looking to claim royalties from radio airplay may find this feature particularly beneficial.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Radio Monitoring Tool

Each of these platforms offers valuable insights into radio analytics, but their strengths cater to different needs:

• Viberate excels in providing a detailed, structured breakdown of broadcast analytics, including competitive insights, geographic breakdowns, and airtime distribution.
• Chartmetric is ideal for professionals seeking high-level trends, competitive benchmarking, and global market analysis.
• Songstats stands out for its royalties tracking feature and real-time monitoring of track performance.

Selecting the right tool depends on an artist or label’s specific goals. Those looking for in-depth radio analytics and competitive insights may prefer Viberate, while Chartmetric provides a broader market perspective, and Songstats adds a monetization angle to airplay tracking. Regardless of the platform chosen, leveraging radio analytics is essential for maximizing the success of promotion campaigns.