The Infinite Dial

TechCrunch is reporting that Google will soon launch a service called Google Music, which presumably will deliver the latter in the style of the former. There is probably nothing new here, per se, other than the fact that this new service has all the advantages of Google's gigantic "reach."

I point this out not to highlight yet another thing that is going to kill radio, but to remind you all that services like this facilitate the sharing of music--playlists, recommendations, curation--and radio can use them just as well as anyone else. If Google makes sharing and listening to music friction-free, then music radio stations have just as much right to use these services to communicate and share with listeners as anyone else. Look at it this way--Google may be unveiling a potential threat, but they are also probably making sharing music content easier than ever (as they do,) and you can use that to your advantage, if you embrace and do not fear. Revenue trumps Ratings, and Relationships will drive Revenue in radio's digital future.