We Should Keep an Eye on Dash Radio
I’d heard of Dash Radio–vaguely–but now I’m going to have to find a way to properly check it out. From The Daily Dot.
If you think streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have grown to prominence because people want their music on demand—something traditional radio can’t provide—you’re only half right. Traditional radio can’t provide what people want, but what people want is good radio.
No one knows that better than Scott Keeney, better known as DJ Skee. He’s been a staple on the radio airwaves since taking his first gig at age 16, hosting flagship shows on Sirius XM and KIIS-FM in Los Angeles. Skee is responsible for giving early spins to Kendrick Lamar, Lorde and Lady Gaga.
“My whole life has revolved around radio,” he told the Daily Dot. “It’s the reason I’m in the position I am.”
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A digital radio platform offering 24/7 streaming programming, Dash is what radio would look like if a Silicon Valley startup built it: the stations aren’t regional or restricted by signal strength, everything is accessible, and you can see what’s currently playing on every station at all times.
The main draw is the litany of big name hosts. The lineup of personalities on Dash looks like one you’d expect to see at a music festival. There’s universally known talent like Snoop Dogg, acts with cult followings like Tech N9ne, and forgotten favorites like T-Boz of TLC.
Tuning in to Snoop’s station on Dash isn’t like tapping “Snoop Dogg Radio” on Pandora. Snoop is more inclined to share stuff he’s been listening to and music that has influenced him rather than just the artists he shares a genre tag with.
By putting experts at the helm, Dash is attempting restore the human element to music curation. Regardless of where you fall in the human versus algorithm debate, it seems obvious that radio should at least provide a viable alternative to computer-driven services. In most cases, there isn’t one. Skee got confirmation of that when he was still a part of the beast.
