The Grynd Report had the opportunity to sit down with DigitalRadioTrackers CEO, Michael Matthews. This interview is an in-depth look at how Michael Matthews started DRT, the benefits from using the service and more. Check out Mr. Matthews on issue 64 cover of The Grynd Report Magazine.

Thank you for spending time with us DigitalRadioTracker, please introduce yourself to The Grynd Report.
Thank you Grynd Report for having me. My name is Michael Matthews, and I am the founder of DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc.

You were founded in 2011, tell us how it all came about.
This all started one day as I was talking to an associate. You see, I come from a radio promotion background and we started to notice that more and more of the songs that we were promoting were being played on digital radio. At the time, it was referred to as Internet Radio. As we began our research, we discovered that no one was really monitoring the activity of songs on digital radio. As a record promoter, you always want to know what is going on with the songs you are promoting and be able to illustrate to your clients that you are working for them. In talking to some of the main monitoring companies, we found out that they were not interested in monitoring airplay on digital radio as well as some small-market FM stations. These stations are known to support new and developing artists and are much easier to garner airplay from. Being that this was a void in the music industry, we thought if no one wants to do it, maybe we should try and develop something. What started off as an internal software to show our clients that their song was being played at various levels of radio, has now turned into a global monitoring company – DigitalRadioTracker.

Who can benefit from using your services?
DRT is utilized by artists, publicists, managers, promoters, radio station programmers, DJs, music industry executives and more! The global airplay data that DRT collects is very useful to artists and record labels because they can use the information to book shows and tours, set-up interviews, sell merchandise or promote their songs to other radio stations to secure more airplay. Artists and record labels can also use the airplay information to assist in collecting royalties on their music and further build their fan base. Or they can use the data to develop promotional strategies and learn which markets to further promote as well as monetize their brand.

What genres of radio stations do you work with?
DigitalRadioTracker prides itself on working with many genres of music. The main genres we monitor are Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop, Country, Gospel/Inspirational, Adult Contemporary and Rock. However, we also monitor a small number of Jazz, Americana and Blues stations. We also track an array of Terrestrial FM, Satellite and College radio formats from around the world. DRT’s primary focus is monitoring digital streaming radio stations globally.

You currently track over 5000 radio stations; how can new stations get involved?
We are delighted by many the requests we have received from stations wanting to join our community. DRT does not discriminate on the size of a radio station or how many listeners it has. We are about building a strong broadcasting community that represents a true voice as to what music is being played. If a radio station is interested in being monitored by DRT, they can simply register for a free DRT Account on our website. Once registered, login to our web portal and select a monitoring plan from our “Buy Packages” section. We will contact the station to complete the monitoring process and tracking will start within 48-72 hours. Radio stations from any territory globally can sign up to be monitored by DRT.

Are your services available worldwide?
Yes, DigitalRadioTracker understands that technology has changed the landscape of the music industry. We are now in a global industry. It is no longer about a song’s local reach. It is all about what a song is doing globally. DRT monitors over 45 million song titles a week in more than 125 countries around the world! Music industry professionals can access DRT’s database from anywhere in the world via our user-friendly web portal.

Describe to artists how important it is to have their music tracked by a service like yours & how they can get started.
It is vital for an artist to have their music tracked by third-party monitoring companies such as DigitalRadioTracker. I cannot express the importance enough. In the music industry, one of the hardest things to obtain is getting validation as an artist. A song’s analytics is one of the main ways the music industry determines whether an artist is trending or not. It can also be used to determine how successful an artist or song may become. DigitalRadioTracker is the only monitoring company in the world that does not require any special encoding or fingerprinting. By using its proprietary software, DRT can track songs from the first time it is played! Other monitoring sources cannot monitor a song unless someone sends the song to them to be encoded first. This is especially important as spins are often missed on songs which can affect promotional strategies and royalties on a project. One of the unique things about DRT is that we also track different versions of a song such as a feature or remix. Other monitoring companies simply merge the song detections under one file. DRT has simplified the process in getting a song tracked. Get your song played at least one-time on any of the 5000+ stations that DRT monitors and a DRT file will be created on that song. Register for a free DRT Account on our website and then login to our web portal to generate a DRT Report at any time on your song. It is that easy!

It is a brand-new year, what is new and different that we can expect from DigitalRadioTracker in 2021?
As technology continues to expand with devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, DigitalRadioTracker plans on monitoring more digital streaming stations on these devices. We plan on increasing stations that are streaming in millions of cars that now have Internet Radio. DRT’s goal is to be the first broadcast monitoring company in the world to track specialty shows such as DJ mix-shows, ministries, talk shows and more!

Any words of advice to our readers?
We recommend to everyone interested in airplay data to utilize our free artist/broadcaster searchable database. Simply register for a free DRT Account and take advantage of this great tool to research which songs are receiving current airplay. As for the artist reading this, do not overlook digital streaming radio as it is making a great impact on new music discovery. There are thousands of digital streaming radio stations around the globe who are willing to support and break your music.

Where can we follow you online?
You can follow DRT on Instagram/Facebook @DigitalRadioTracker and Twitter @DRTRadioTracker.

Be sure to visit https://www.digitalradiotracker.com/