Can I make a request? It's a question heard coming from radio studios every hour of every day. Song requests are significant to a radio listener. They can instantly quench the need to listen to a favorite song, or it can set a mood for an event like a party. Requesting music gives the listener control, it can connect person and station.

But do radio stations even play requests anymore? Or an even more in-depth question, do listeners get to control any of the music heard on the radio? The answer surprisingly is yes, for the most part. There are a few factors at play such as the Program Director, the Dj, and the station's parent companies rules. Programming philosophies often differ from station to station, but directly or indirectly the listener does control what is played on the radio.

Let me explain, good winning stations do copious amounts of music research. When you make that request, the DJ should bring it to the next music meeting. When you download or stream the new Ke$ha song, it's saved in a report easily accessible to radio stations. Did you Shazam the new Drake "God's Plan" song? We can see that. We pull these "metrics" from different reports and piece together a picture of what is meaningful and what is not. Good radio stations serve the listener first and will do the work to find out what you are consuming.

So keep on requesting, Shazaming, and downloading. And make sure you tune in. We will make sure we keep playing the great music you love.

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