Without any doubt, the use and consumption of new mass media have exponentially increased around the world in the last few months. Confining has had a substantial effect on people’s lives. The digital space has flourished as the main alternative to keep us connected to our loved ones, whether its for work, family, or entertainment.
In the past, traditional media such as television and radio were the most consumed. Nowadays, the Internet is the protagonist. With 60% of the world’s population connected to the web in 2020 (according to data found in We are Social-Hootsuite), the opportunities for growth for streaming platforms is unprecedented. One of the sectors that are making its way in this new era is digital radio. This is why in South Plug, we wanted to walk you through online broadcasters dedicated to electronic music around the globe. Specialized and different transmissions show us that we can always find someplace to discover, enjoy, and support the music we enjoy the most if we know where to look.
We’ll start in Germany, with an online radio that started working this year and has achieved great success. United We Stream is a platform that opened a little over three months, responding to the difficulties the club operators faced in Berlin due to the pandemic.
Managing and producing events via streaming from different clubs, United We Stream has been able to keep the underground scene working. It has also gathered several monetary donations that have aid this network of establishments, which are a relevant part of the country’s culture and act as important agents to promote diversity.
Their website tells how “donations help mainly in compensating the financial loss of Berlin’s clubs, protecting them from a possible threat to their existence.” They explain that given the project’s success, they have expanded with events in other cities in and outside Germany, such as Paris and Barcelona.
You can listen to their broadcasts, downloading their app on the App Store, and Google Play. You can also check out their content on their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
We discovered another exciting digital project in Brooklyn, NYC. Since 2016, The Lot Radio transmits music 24/7 from a container located on an empty plot in town.
This radio rises as an alternative and nonprofit alternative, as described in their website. Here, you can find a wide variety of independent music unique to the NY underground scene. Additionally, they broadcast interviews and live sets with their corresponding video and podcast transmissions.
Winner of the Best Online Radio Station 2016 in The Online Radio Awards from Mixcloud, you may listen to The Lot Radio directly from this link or download their App for iPhone for free. You can also find their content on their Instagram and Facebook accounts.
In the matter of unconventional radio stations, the Red Light Radio wins the prize. Located in what used to be a prostitution venue in the red light district in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, this station offers online transmissions with local DJ performances, online acts, and programs conducted by strong characters.
With an alternative and varied display that goes from electronic music to acoustic, afro and even black metal, Red Light Radio offers its content online and offline, through its Mixcloud channel. You can also find their exciting content on their Instagram and Facebook accounts.
We now move towards one of the main cities of electronic music in the world: Ibiza. Here, we find Ibiza Global Radio, a renowned station considered the most relevant in the electronic scene globally.
Founded in 2004, Ibiza Global Radio carries the fame of contributing to understanding electronic music as a lifestyle. Great artists have passed through the radio’s studios, which are currently transmitting television and radio content via streaming, with outstanding technological levels.
You can listen to Ibiza Global Radio directly by clicking here. You can also explore the diverse content they offer on their website or following them on their Instagram and Facebook.
With a web that’s both simple and full of excellent local sounds, Radio REA o Radio Electrónica Argentina, transmits continuously throughout the day. It is the perfect platform to discover talents, especially from Argentina or South America.
Their goal is to share “a broad sound spectrum that knows nothing of labels.” You can see this for yourself, listening directly on their web site, or exploring their content on their Instagram and Facebook pages. Their live sets are also available on their YouTube Channel.
Experimental music, electronic music, ambient, and themed programs with artists from all corners of the world is what you will find at Noods Radio. This online station transmits from Bristol, in the United Kingdom, and offers a great variety of sounds 24/7.
In their YouTube channel and their website, you can find a wide range of artistic and experimental content and live shows and podcasts. You can also go through their interesting material on Mixcloud, Instagram, and Facebook
Platforms specialized on digital radio such as Mixcloud, pave the way for a tremendous amount of projects to share their alternative music proposals. Such is the case of Na Manteiga Radio, which uses this site to transmit electronic music from Brazil to the rest of the planet.
Formed in 2016, Na Manteiga Radio works as an independent digital station, focusing on new sound esthetics and a carefully composed musical content. It combines local techno with new sounds coming from different cities all around the world. This station is ideal for those who wish to listen to fresh online and offline content, without missing anything relevant.
Their content is available through their Mixcloud channel, where you can choose to listen to whatever interests you the most from their varied musical display. We invite you to look into their video live sets on their Daily Motion channel and follow them on Instagram y Facebook.
Chile is not left behind in matters of online radios. A new offer comes from Radio Pulso, who makes up their programming from a wide range of local and foreign artists, displaying shows via streaming and podcast. All of its content is 100% electronic.
To listen to Radio Pulso, you can enter their website, or look into their Instagram y Facebook. If you are interested in watching their videos, interviews, and live sets, we recommend visiting their YouTube channel.
All these examples of excellent online radio stations are living evidence that the weakening of the radio industry in the last decade has only affected the traditional conception of what radio is. The concept, the means of expression, remains and adapts to newly available technologies and diversifies every day.
Do you have a favorite online or digital radio station? We would like to hear your recommendations in our comment section.
