WEALTH October 26, 2025 0 Comments

Is Ireland’s Radio Industry Quietly Sabotaging Its Own Future by Ignoring Homegrown Talent?

Ever wonder why, in a country bursting with musical talent, our radio airwaves often sound like a global greatest hits playlist — while homegrown artists barely get a nod? It’s bonkers when you consider that Irish consumers are shelling out around €375 million on music this year, yet the majority of local musicians struggle to make even pocket change from streaming royalties. The harsh truth? 99% of musicians on Spotify earn a paltry €23 annually. In this digital age, radio remains a crucial lifeline for artists, not just to earn royalties but to fill venues and sell merch. Yet, Irish stations currently dish out a meager 15% airtime to Irish acts, far short of the 40% quota many argue they should be legally mandated to provide. Amidst this tug-of-war between international influence and local culture, where do our radio stations fit — and more importantly, what’s the fix? Let’s dive into this tangled web and explore why the time for change has never been more urgent. LEARN MORE

International influence has taken over the airwaves as local artists struggle to make ends meet, but where do our radio stations fit into the mix and what should be done to fix it, writes Chris Cashen

Despite about €375m being spent on music by Irish consumers in 2024, the financial situation for many artists is dire.

Ninety-nine per cent of musicians on Spotify reportedly earn an average of only €23 per year from royalties.

Now, more than ever, artists require radio plays to generate revenue and leverage airtime to tour, sell tickets and merchandise.

Irish radio stations should be required by law to allocate at least 40 per cent of their airtime to Irish artists.

This is currently not happening. Irish stations, on average, dedicate 15 per cent of their airtime to Irish artists.

There were more Irish artists this year at Glastonbury (33) than in the last five years combined.

Despite this, Irish music still struggles to get that reflected in music airtime.

For example, CMAT had a sell-out concert at the 3Arena in Dublin on her resume before getting wider exposure on Irish radio.

BBC Radio 6 has demonstrated significant support and influence regarding Irish music, particularly for artists like Fontaines D.C., CMAT and Lisa O’Neill.

That station demonstrates its support long before a song gets sufficient rotation on Irish commercial radio.

It’s reminiscent of Father Ted being broadcast on Channel 4, after RTÉ hesitated.

The lack of Irish airtime is challenging for artists in several ways.

Firstly, they lose out on royalties and we send most of the airtime revenue overseas.

Irish radio stations continue to hold significant influence, with almost 80 per cent of us tuning in daily, according to the latest national listenership figures.

Half of people (49 per cent) turn to the radio to discover new music. Yet the music agendas of these stations often mimic platforms like Spotify, favouring big international stars over emerging Irish talent.

RTÉ has a cultural remit that should support Irish music, but this is balanced against the need to attract a broad audience.

For commercial stations like Today FM, which are driven by market forces, the risk of not allocating 85 per cent of your rotation to internationally successful artists is too great.

The result is a fragmented and often challenging environment for Irish artists seeking airplay.

While there are pockets of support and specific initiatives, there is no consistent, sector-wide policy that guarantees a significant platform for homegrown talent.

Ireland has no mandatory quota for Irish music on the radio, mainly due to fears of breaking EU law.

This is in stark contrast to countries like France (40 per cent) and Canada (35 per cent), which have successful quota systems.

The result is that Irish artists are left to fend for themselves in a system that is not set up to support them.

It’s not likely to change either. There were just four mentions of music in RTÉ’s most recent five-year strategy document.

When contacted, the broadcaster said its support for Irish artists was “extensive”.

It said that music by Irish artists featured “heavily” across the playlists curated by presenters on its main music shows.

“RTÉ Radio 1’s mission is to build on our strong reputation of supporting Irish artists across genres throughout our regular music schedule,” it said.

The broadcaster said 44 per cent of its recommended Album of the Weeks were Irish, and 67 per cent of its recommended tracks were Irish.

It also outlined the various initiatives that support and cultivate Irish artists, including presenters, regular slots, the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and 2FM Track of the Week.

Artists’ frustrations at being undervalued by their own national and local radio stations are understandable.

There is only so far that using social media and alternative platforms will take them. But the concerns of the stations themselves are also understandable.

Why should they take a chance on lesser-known acts if it could result in listeners switching over?

This is why we should introduce a quota. Australia could be a model to follow — it has a quota system with different levels for different types of stations.