Mixcloud Online Radio Review: A look at The Alan J Show by Brent J. Chauvin
Recently I came across a digital radio show curated by Alan J. Hendrix on Mixcloud. It made me think about digital streaming services.
Most if not all streaming services rely on some algorithm to curate the music.
Remember a time when the only music curation was terrestrial radio, your friend’s mixtape, print media, and television. These curation methods have translated into the digital world in the form of blogs, websites, and streamable video shows. Along with our video shows we access music through streaming services.
Right now Spotify is the number one platform to stream music. It offers an unlimited database of music. To help you navigate this database Spotify can algorithmically choose music for you. This is all done based on what you have listened to. After a while, you may feel a strange anxiety from not having to choose for yourself.
Don’t mistake this as a way to bury streaming services. Spotify is fantastic. I have experienced some great recommendations through Spotify’s algorithm.
To give you an idea of what it looks like for me. After Judas Priest I had Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, then Body Count came on. They were covering Institutionalized by Suicidal Tendencies. The lyrics were updated to reflect the social circumstances of 2014. If you don’t know Body Count, this is Ice-T with a metal band, it’s super awesome, and the cover tune was equally as awesome!
So there you have it, a decent recommendation based on the algorithm.
Not always does the algorithm give you cool recommendations. Using Spotify or Youtube tends to give me the illusion of choice. I am only choosing from what the algorithm gives me. The reason: there is so much music that it has become unwieldy to choose.
My solution to algorithmic fatigue was Alan J. Hendrix’s Mixcloud radio program.
Back to Radio
The online radio program could be the same solution for you. All the original benefits of radio are intact and now more accessible online. Radio is even more diverse than it has ever been. There seems to be an unlimited supply of niches to choose from.
What can we expect from Alan J. Hendrix? Hendrix declares that the program is a mix of modern rock and pop with classics. The first playlist had Rod Stewart, Supertramp, and Deacon Blue.
Another program had Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Kenny Loggins, and Dire Straights.
To me, this feels like music for the millennial generation. People old enough to get nostalgic over Madonna, David Bowie or Supertramp.
My Taste
The music chosen by Hendrix aligned
with my musical taste. Every song on the playlist was a hit for me.
This was the perfect solution for my algorithmic fatigue. I now have
someone of authority and similar taste curating a collection of
music.
The music found on Alan Hendrix’s show is a mix of
current rock and pop music mixed classics from last century. The ’70s
and ’80s feel like strong points of the 20th century.
The last century had a diverse range of music and nothing feels out of place on the program. The music is expertly curated to mix in with older music. New programs are available every Tuesday from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Online Radio Isn’t New
You may be thinking “online radio isn’t new.” Yes, it has been around since the early days of what we know as the internet. Listening to a curated program has been somewhat overshadowed by the hulking streaming services.
These algorithms are giving us what we want, but it may not be what we need. I realized that I needed someone to help me break free and help me experience new music. For me, this realization helped me see the true value of online radio for the new decade.
The host gets to choose the music and provide commentary to expand the dialog surrounding the music. Terrestrial radio is still a thing, but online radio allows anyone to do it. The barrier of entry has been reduced and people with exceptional talent have can perform for the world.
New Generation of Radio Hosts
Remember your best music friend who seemed to have all those cool songs? Well, that friend is now your online radio host. They can now share their amazing musical experiences with the world. Hendrix is among a new generation radio hosts that will be apart of a dramatic shift for how we experience music.
Radio programs in the digital landscape no longer have to pander to the general public. Each program can be a specific niche based on the host’s taste in music. If that host has the same taste you, well you got a match!
Advertising
Advertising can appear as needed for an online radio program. The advertising could offer affiliate products that relate to the content vetted by the host. It would be like your best friend telling you about something useful.
But don’t worry about ads. Most online radio programs like The Alan J Show are advertising free, so you won’t have to worry about interruptions.
Noisy World
We live in a noisy world. Everything is vying for our attention. Algorithms help us cut through the noise and help us focus on what we want. Problems arise when the algorithm depletes our ability to choose for ourselves. Sometimes we need to make deviations from our musical taste to experience something new. In other cases, we may need to make quantum leaps in music to have a shocking experience. The algorithms of the streaming services may not create the leaps that we need.
One solution is coming back to the radio show format. Experience your music through a radio program once in a while. Let someone with musical authority help reveal new bands.
The Alan J show was a great experience for me. If you have the same taste as me, you will feel right at home listening to the Alan J show. You can find Alan and his show through Facebook and Twitter. To hear the radio show visit Mixcloud here.
If you are interested in hearing a curated playlist from Newduereview. Check it out here.