Signage at Florida A&M University’s radio station WANM 90.5. (Khalil Lullah-Ballentine/FAMUAN)
Music listening and discovery outlets are always evolving. Gen Z’s relationship with music and the discovery of new sounds is rich in terms of the number of streaming sources and still includes radio.
Many older Gen Z members can recall their experience of discovering their first favorite song while riding in the backseat of their parents’ car. On the other hand, Gen Alpha has been known to discover their favorites without keeping the dial locked.
In a study conducted by Edison Research, Gen Z is reported to spend 42 percent of their average audio day streaming music, 20 percent with music and music videos on YouTube, and 16 percent with AM/FM radio and radio streams.
Music is essential to Gen Z—the technological advances made in enhancing the audio experience. Through both wired earbuds and Bluetooth headphones and speakers, listeners can immerse themselves in another world while still connected to this one. This, paired with the dominance of streaming platforms, makes it difficult for radio to keep its volume up.
“I am completely one hundred percent disconnected from the radio–FM does not see me,” said Nydia Roman, a fourth-year business administration student. “Streaming services have completely taken over—I got my playlist now, so it’s just me and that aux cord.”
Although radio has taken a backseat in terms of music, community building, showcasing on-air personalities and music research, it has allowed Gen Z to appreciate their local college radio stations.
WANM-FM 90.5 The Flava, through its promotional campaigns, content creation, and on-air personality engagement, has helped the FAMU student body develop a greater appreciation for the radio station.
“I’m out of the loop, so I do appreciate that we do have a radio station,” Roman said. “But I do know a lot of people who tune into it.”
WANM-FM 90.5 The Flava has become more than a cornerstone for music. The station keeps students up to date on the latest news, entertainment and sports, and is home to several student-produced talk shows, including Remix and Rewind, Situations and Relations and Half-Time with the Playmakers.
Born from 2010 onward, Gen Alpha is the first generation to be fully exposed to the age of technology and social media. Most of whom, unlike Gen Z, have never known a world without iPads, YouTube or TikTok.
Many platforms, such as TikTok and YouTube Shorts, allow for new music to be discovered in an instant. Many of the songs on the top charts, such as Love Me Not by Ravyn Lenae—which currently sits at number 17 on the Billboard hot 100 charts—have made their successful strides on TikTok.
However, what may come as a surprise to many, Gen Alpha has found themselves enjoying music in physical form. A study by Key Productions Group found that 46 percent listen to CDs, and 38 percent listen to vinyl.
“I don’t always like to listen to music in the most convenient way,” said Jaisha Smith, a fourth-year sociology scholar. “I feel like with vinyl it makes my listening experience more intimate, it just hit different.”