The rise of digital platforms has transformed the media landscape, and radio and sound ecosystems have not been immune to these changes. The production, distribution, consumption and monetization of audio content through digital platforms have become a key element in this new digital scenario that affects current cultural industries. Traditional media such as radio or sound recordings on physical media, as well as streaming music services, audiobook catalogues or podcasts, among others, are immersed in these new disruptive logics that are transforming the way sound content is produced in this era dominated by platforms. And all this also entails profound changes in how they interact with their audiences and the roles they want to play in today’s sound landscape.  A connected, but increasingly fragmented audience, with listeners consuming content across multiple platforms and devices.

Sound consumption habits have been the cornerstone of the transformation of the sound ecosystem in the last decade. A key factor has been the evolution in the use of the smartphone, which has gone from being a mere communication tool to becoming a personal space from which to manage a large part of users’ digital lives and, therefore, also to manage their entertainment. In addition, the smartphone has combined the mobility and intimate listening of the old radio transistor with the endless choice found on Internet platforms. This has facilitated the emergence of audio content exploiting binaural listening characteristics to create immersive sound experiences and even experiment with interactivity.  This type of action highlights the warmth and intimacy of sound communication in any of its formats.

In the search for user loyalty, platforms have proliferated whose main offer is music and sound, and which present applications to facilitate access to these contents. The interest in dominating this market, which for the major brands is already beginning to be profitable, has become a constant that has led to the expansion of business lines such as, for example, the incorporation of podcasts into their catalogues.

If music platforms and peer-to-peer file sharing technologies generated uncertainty for music radio stations and record companies by facilitating the location, sharing and consumption of online music among users outside traditional channels, the rise of sound platforms has put the radio industry in check. While it is true that synergies have been created between the static analogue programming and the online offer, nourished in large part by content from the airwaves, radio broadcasters are beginning to produce native podcasts as a strategy to increase the value of their brand in the new digital environment. An action that some radio stations are developing as part of a broader vision that is materialising in the expansion of their digital audio perimeter, the set of content, services and forms of contact that radio producers have at their disposal to bring sound content closer to their audiences. 

In these new scenarios brought about by the emergence of digital platforms, the advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms play a major role not only in the opportunities and challenges they present to the traditional models of radio and sound production, distribution and consumption, but also to the new audio experiences that are generated. For radio and sound producers, AI allows them to analyse audience behaviour, preferences, habits and curate content that is tailored to their needs, offering a more personalised listening experience while automating and optimising radio production, scheduling and advertising. It also allows them to generate new and original content.

However, the adoption of digital platforms and AI in radio and sound ecosystems has also  raised important questions such as the future of traditional radio formats, the role of public broadcasting and the impact on diversity and plurality of voices, among others. In this context, the upcoming RSS ECREA Conference “Radio and Sound Ecosystems in the Platform Age” aims to provide a forum for scholars, practitioners, and industry experts to reflect on the changes and explore the challenges and opportunities they present.