As I have already mentioned, one of my passions is new music. I also make my own music. It is often quite difficult for artists to be heard on the radio unless it is a “niche” programme run by an enthusiast for that genre of music. These by their nature get heard by a small audience. Until I started making my own music I did consider radio as just something on in the background at work. It often played music I wasn’t interested in, music I considered “spoon fed” to the masses by major record labels and commercial stations.
While searching for a place to get my music heard, I fell over http://amazingtunes.com/. I found a place where artists could sell their tunes in an marketplace alternative to iTunes, Amazon, etc. I also found that all the money from the sale goes to the artist, apart from a small fee to PayPal. The great thing about this is that the tunes are “liked” by fans, downloaded and commented upon. All this leads to airplay on Amazing Radio, as does the influence of DJ’s who have shows on the station. But as they say, the main playlist is made by you, the listener.
“What has this got to do with the North East?” you may be asking. Well, Amazing Radio’s HQ is in Gateshead, started up here and has studios next to the Sage Gateshead overlooking our lovely Quayside, now with offices and studios also in London. It was also the first national DAB radio station to broadcast from outside London. Amazing Radio is broadcast online around the world, with live rewind being a new feature. If you miss something on the online broadcast, you can now easily rewind it and play that bit again. Clever stuff! http://amazingradio.co.uk/
If you have a business which uses background music, such as in a restaurant, you can use Amazing Instore http://amazinginstore.com/ for royalty-free music at a very competitive price. Right now, you can try it free for 4 weeks, and it costs £99 + VAT for 12 months.”We’re the only supplier of proper songs, written by genuine artists. Our music sounds like proper radio – but cheaper.”
Northeast-born Paul Campbell, an entrepreneur who started Amazing Tunes in 2005, as an ethical way for unsigned artists to sell their music, launched Amazing Radio in 2009. His background is in TV and radio production, having worked at Channel 4, Radio 4 and as a freelancer for a number of production companies making well-known TV programmes. The “Amazing” brand started with educational software and the idea of Amazing Tunes as a fair way of rewarding artists for their work was born in 2006. Amazing Radio was a logical step forward to get new music broadcast, where it wouldn’t have been before. The concept continues to grow and develop with many artists signing up and uploading their tunes. Amazing Radio was where I first heard Azealia Banks, Ghost Poet, and Cosmo Jarvis…all worth a listen.
There is a huge range of music played on Amazing Radio. The presenters are people who genuinely love music, and enjoy the fact they are not playing from a stagnant playlist, it just keeps growing and evolving. Some shows introduce new music discovered by the DJ’s. For example “The Other Woman” with Ruth Barnes 7-9 on Sunday evening playing music from female artists and female fronted bands. “Amazing Beats” from 7 til midnight on Fridays is a pounding mix of dance, electronica, dubstep…you get the picture. Aaron Phillips presents the “Rock Show” on Saturdays 8 pm, bringing you the new wave of rock and metal.
There are 18 different shows right now, and also the Saturday Show, with Colin and Matt, a personal favourite of mine, which is a great antidote to the seriousness of the week, and cheers up my weekend no end. Check out the schedule http://amazingradio.co.uk/schedule
I hope you have a listen. There’s bound to be something you like, so much good new music out there!
