Playlists Submitted For Radio Play

The other day, I was listening to the radio while driving home from work, It was a hip hop/ r&b station that I listen to on a regular basis. While I was day dreaming about skydiving over the Sahara desert, I was caught off guard by the heavy electronic techno drums booming rapidly. I immediately checked my station thinking I was listening to the wrong station all along. Nope, I wasn't. I finished listening to the song and at the end of it, I heard the radio host say the name of the song. She then went on to mention that she is playing songs from playlists that her listeners have submitted to her. Instantly, I thought genius! What an amazing way to save the longevity of radio. Seriously think about what that could do for music and emergence of cultures. You will hear the songs that people hold dear to them. The songs that are on their tracklist for their soundtrack of life. People would hear a variety of music. Songs they never heard before. Artists they never heard before. Musical genres they never heard before. Almost every musician would have the opportunity to get their voice heard. Of course, the hosts would still screen the playlists and probably choose the most fitting ones for their station's interest. Gatekeepers would still exist because they have to.Regardless, that simple choice does extend the listener's freedom to engage in a radio station and the common love for it all, music. But just the simple idea of letting listeners choose the music they would like to listen to or share with the world is a big step in the right direction. Especially as opposed to hearing the same 10 songs in rotation all day. Maybe it is a suggestion the vast majority of listeners could take on by encouraging your local radio stations to play music submitted by the listeners themselves.