The Art and Science of Music Selection

I’m often asked how I select what songs we play or don’t play on J103.  If you ask ten different Program/Music Directors, my assumption is that you would receive ten slightly or largely different answers.

I learned the basics of music programming for J103 from my Program Director before me.  God promoted him to General Mgr. and now President and I took on as Program Director the important mission of selecting the music that God wants to use to touch the J103 Listening family.

Using Troy Research twice a month to test our “currents” this tells me which songs need to played more or less often.  Depending on the scores it determines which songs go into which categories: Heavy (A-1), Medium (A-2) or Light (C-1).

We try to maintain a strict Library of 240-250 songs (including the other categories: Recurrent (C-2), Gold 1 (G1), and Gold 2 (G2).  So, in theory when we add a song-one has to go. 

I admit, I am not as disciplined as I should be in doing this-so once a year we perform a Full Music Library Test (using Troy Research and test EVERY song on our playlist.  From the results of this test, I balance out playlist numbers again by retiring all of the songs that test below the top 240-250.

When we add a new song the goal is always to get it to 1,000 spins/plays before it goes deeper into the playlist or is retired.  Because of the enormous number of new songs that are released I added a category called “Still Current” (SC) to move 4-5 songs that are close to or exceeds the 1,000 spins and are still testing fairly well.  I will let them play in Still Current until testing numbers begin to fall.  This allows me to add a few more new songs quicker.

As far as how new songs make their first appearance onto the playlist.  They must first pass through “the filter.”  These qualifications are looked for in each song:  1. The Message-is it one that will bring Hope and Encouragement.  2.  The Music Style-is it one that fits our station sound (I will take 1-2 steps outside of the norm-but no more to maintain station identity and sound).  3.  The recording quality-is it consistent with the other songs that are currently being played.

If a song makes it through “the filter” then it is included on a “Pretest.”  Our J103 Pre-test Team consists of 30-40 listeners who represent our target demographic (female 24-54 years old).  This team has made a commitment to listen to each of the 10 (or so) songs that are included in the pretest in their entirety five times before they answer the three questions:  1.  Were you familiar with this song before you heard it on this survey?  2.  On a scale of 1-10 how do you like this song? And 3. Should This song be added as soon as possible on J103.  Based on that last question a song makes it on to the “Songs to Add list.”  This is a “blind test” meaning only the song title (not artist) is shared.

So far, we have talked mostly about “numbers.”  The survey statistics and rankings.  This also could include National Testing numbers and “consumption scores” from the various music streaming platforms.  This is what’s called “The Science” of Music Selection on J103.  This is all important but-there is still “The Art” of Music Selection.

When a good parent takes their child to a restaurant for a good meal, they want to ensure their child has the best proteins, the freshest vegetables and fruits.  If after the meal they stopped by the local ice-cream or cookie shop and allowed them to order whatever they wanted for dessert, and then at home, when tucking that child into bed they were asked, “what was your favorite part of the meal tonight? What would most kids say?  The Ice cream or the cookies of course!  Why?  Because that’s what they WANT.   Most good parents want to give their child all they want, but a good parent knows that their child has NEEDS too.

The Science of statistics/survey results tells us what our listeners want (the ice cream and cookies).  But as a good parent (Program Director) we should know that our listeners of Christian radio have “needs” too.  I served as a youth pastor for 24+ years and each week I would sit down and pray and ask God what His students needed to hear in that week’s Bible Study and message.  As a Program Director I do the same thing:  I sit down when it is time to schedule music, I see if I have any openings for a new song(s).  If I do, I look over the “list of songs to add” and my current playlist.  I search for the messages that the songs are sharing, the tempo of the songs I am already playing, the mix of female to male artists, the music group/styles recently added and I see what is “missing.”  Based on this exercise it reveals what the current “Need” is. The goal is a playlist that is balanced with “wants” and “needs.”

Then you just have to pray and give it back to God-because it’s He that uses the right song at the right time in each of our listeners lives anyway.

Do I get it right every time?  No, but then again, I’m sure I sent my kids to bed plenty of times when they were on a sugar-high from too much cake.  I can also remember a time when I was a child, and I was forced to sit at the kitchen table for hours until I ate all of that “stuffed green pepper!”  (I never did eat it all! ) 

We program God’s radio stations, and He guides us to make the choices we do with the songs we play.  I trust Him to show me when our playlist is a little out of balance and when it’s exactly where it needs to be.