In an era dominated by streaming and social media, Shinedown frontman Brent Smith has made a bold declaration in defense of a classic medium. In a detailed and insightful new interview, Smith laid out the meticulous, market-by-market strategy his band has used to become one of the most successful rock acts of the last two decades, proving that terrestrial radio is far from dead.
Speaking on Billboard‘s “Behind The Setlist” podcast, Smith gave a masterclass on his band’s philosophy for building an enduring career, and at the heart of it is the power of broadcast radio.
“The reason this band has had the career that it’s had thus far… is broadcast radio, terrestrial radio,” Smith stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Even with the consumption of streaming… what I can tell people, and this is just from my experience, streaming will get your music played, but radio will give you a career, ’cause it gave us a career and it continues to do that… Rock and roll is most certainly not dead, and radio is most certainly not dead. We’re living proof that you can grow an audience from the radio.”
He explained that the secret to radio’s power is that it is “localized.” He detailed the immense amount of work Shinedown puts into servicing every local market on their tours. “You have to go into all those cities,” he said. “And for a band like us… we have to make sure in certain cities, if we’re being played on six radio stations, each one of those stations, we need to be able to go in and say hi, say thank you, do promotion, do very specific events.”
Smith also stressed the importance of not neglecting smaller, “tertiary” markets, offering a powerful example from the band’s own touring history. “The first show on the first leg [of our last tour] was in Des Moines, Iowa. And the first… shows on the second leg… was the Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden,” he explained. “The reality is that the Des Moines arena holds 15,000 people and the Boston Garden and Madison Square Garden hold 15,000 people, the way it’s scaled. So, you see what I’m saying? They’re still the same magnitude of the public.”
This radio-focused strategy is made possible by the band’s multi-genre appeal. Smith proudly calls Shinedown “everyone’s band,” a group whose diverse sound allows them to be played on alternative, active rock, and even pop radio formats.
The proof of their strategy is in the charts. Shinedown recently landed their 23rd No. 1 single on the Mediabase Active Rock chart with “Killing Fields,” further solidifying their record for the most chart-toppers in the format’s history.
