Radio imaging is the general term for the composite effect of multiple and varied on-air sound effects that identify, brand and market a particular
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radi ...
. These sound effects include:
voiceover
Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...
, music beds,
sweepers
A street sweeper or street cleaner may refer to a person's occupation or to a machine that cleans streets.
Street sweepers have been employed in cities as " sanitation workers" since sanitation and waste removal became a priority. A st ...
, breakers, intros, promos, liners, stingers, bumpers, shotguns, and
jingle
A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...
s. The total effect of these on-air elements create an overall
sound design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
, which positions a radio station and brand within the marketplace, and is designed to appeal to the
demographics
Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings.
Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as edu ...
of the audience it wants the station to attract (e.g., Men, Age 18-54).
Radio Imaging sonically brands the radio station as clearly different and distinct from other entertainment brands; especially, from other radio stations in a given market. Radio Imaging enables radio listeners to easily identify a radio station and to distinguish a radio station favorably against competitors through a unique and enhanced image and sound, particularly in the same programming format (e.g., CHR,
Country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...
,
Adult Contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...
,
Sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...
,
News/Talk
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
,
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...
,
Oldies
Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as wel ...
, etc.). Signature sound compositions comprise
sonic branding
A sound trademark or sound logo or audio logo is a trademark where sound is used to perform the trademark function of uniquely identifying the commercial origin of products or services.
In recent times, sounds have been increasingly used as tra ...
that enables listeners to instantaneously identify the station that they are hearing and to anticipate the type of content or format that will be played on the station. In this way, Radio imaging sets the overall mood, energy and tone of the station, while establishing brand familiarity,
affinity and loyalty with a listener. The language used in radio imaging is scripted with the station's target demographic in mind, for example radio stations targeting a younger audience will use language and terms that their listeners can relate to. Likewise, the voiceover used helps define the station brand. In addition, filler compositions including sweepers, promos, and jingles, create seamless transitions between programming units and enhance the overall sound of the station, providing a more complete and polished listening experience for the audience.
References
{{reflist
External links
An explanation of what Radio Imaging is
Radio stations