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June 2024: Expect the Unexpected in Research (Hybrid/Teaching)

Ready for a surprise from the Finney Media Why Listen® Survey?

Teaching listeners are much more likely to have heard a Christian podcast during the past week than listeners to all-music stations. 

Here’s how we asked the question:

In the last week or so, how many times have you listened online to podcasts (online programming available for you to listen anytime) from any Christian radio ministry?

The percentage of respondents who have heard at least one Christian podcast in the past week:

Among listeners to all-music stations   39%
Among listeners to music + teaching stations  57%
Among listeners to all-teaching stations and programs  67%

A couple of points for your consideration and discussion:

  • Right now, teaching listeners appear more interested in, more adept at, and more involved in hearing online Christian audio content.
  • This may provide an area of opportunity for you. Your ministry has expertise in spoken word programming already. Is it time to grow your online presence? Your listener is likely already there!

Our next Webin8, our eight-minute webinar, is happening this month with our podcast expert Rick Hall. He’ll share five tips for growing your podcast audience. It will be available for you and your team June 25th at Noon CT/1 p.m. ET.

And it’s free! SIGN UP to get access today.

Every year, Finney Media Research tests library songs from CCM artists with listeners across the United States.

We thought it would be profitable for you to see the Top Five Testing Songs from our recent research plus the next five songs. If you’re playing them, terrific! If you’re not, perhaps it’s time for a discussion about playing them.

Top Five Testing Songs

1. MercyMe – Greater 2014
2. Hillsong Worship – Who You Say I Am 2018
3. Phil Wickham – House of the Lord 2021
4. Chris Tomlin – Whom Shall I Fear 2012
5. Casting Crowns – Nobody 2018

and, the next five:

6. Matt Redman – 10,000 Reasons 2012
7. Lauren Daigle – You Say 2018
8. Newsboys – We Believe 2013
9. Cody Carnes – Ain’t Nobody 2022
10. Phil Wickham – This Is Amazing Grace 2013

A noteworthy fact before we say more on this list: For the first time since the movie came out, I Can Only Imagine is not among the Top 10 testing songs. But take a deep breath and don’t pull it off the air. It’s at no. 15.  

The most notable thing on this list is the surge in testing on worship songs. Hillsong Worship at no. 2. Tomlin at no. 4. Redman at no. 6. Carnes at no. 9. Wickham at no. 10. Our listeners love worship songs and, if anything, the scores are climbing.

Coming in August: The Top Five Testing Topics.

“. . . continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”   2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV

One of the many encouraging findings from the 2023 Finney Media Why Listen®  survey  is the percentage of respondents who were invited by Teaching/Music Stations and All-Teaching Stations/Programs who said a Main Reason they listen is:

It helps you understand the Bible better.

Among Teaching/Music Station respondents – 71%

Among All-Teaching Station/Program respondents – 85%

That’s a double positive:

  • Not only does this finding line up with the mission of these channels – virtually all of them have “reaching people with Biblical Truth” missions.
  • It means that if you do this consistently, you’re likely to have these respondents come back more often – they’re less likely to listen elsewhere and stop listening to your channel.

It’s as if these respondents are telling us:

  • More Bible understanding, fewer commercials and things that sound like commercials.
  • More Bible understanding, less sports.
  • More Bible understanding, less pop culture.
  • More Bible understanding, less hard news.

Listen to your station or program, put yourself in your listener’s busy, hurting, chaotic, noisy environment shoes, and ask yourself if you’re helping her understand the Bible and God enough.

One more minute every hour of Bible understanding and one less minute of something else will help him or her take a step toward God today.

Every year, Finney Media Research tests library songs from CCM artists with listeners across the United States. Listeners decide this ranking from research we’ve gathered across North America.

In March, we showed you the Top Five Female Artists (READ HERE). In April, the Top Five Male Artists (READ HERE). In May, the Top Five Groups (READ HERE).

Now, we reveal the Top Five CCM Artists – Male, Female and Group – from our recent research. Also included, the second five, all CCM, all in one list:

  1. Chris Tomlin
  2. Casting Crowns
  3. MercyMe
  4. Jeremy Camp
  5. Lauren Daigle
  6. Zach Williams
  7. Big Daddy Weave
  8. Elevation Worship
  9. Matthew West
  10. Crowder

To make this list, you must have 1.) a lot of songs that 2.) test well. That’s Chris Tomlin. His older material tests well. His newer material tests well. Each of our Top four artists have great testing materials that spans twenty years.

Lauren Daigle continues to bring out great testing song after great testing song. Same with Zach Williams. Both have been making great CCM songs for less than ten years.

And we see the strength of Worship music testing with Elevation Worship at no. 8.

Are you playing these artists enough?

…and why it matters

. . . he who marries . . . does right, but he who does not marry . . . does better. 1 Corinthians 7:38

In the most recent Finney Media Why Listen® Survey, less than half of respondents are married for the first time. Forty-seven percent among respondents to all three radio formats Teaching, Teaching/Talk and All Music.

Among respondents from all-Teaching stations and programs, the percentages of first-time marrieds are even lower: 42 percent with more respondents widowed, divorced or re-married.

Here’s the truth about Christian radio listeners: about half are not currently married for the first time.

How should affect your on air approach?

Be careful that you don’t sound condescending to those who are not married for the first time. If you’re married for the first time it’s easy to slip into that on-air attitude. But, try to put yourself in the shoes of friends who aren’t there.

Every year, Finney Media Research tests library songs from CCM artists with listeners across the USA. Listeners decide this ranking through  the research we’ve gathered.

In March, we showed you the Top Five Female Artists (READ). In April, the Top Five Male Artists (READ). Now, we reveal the Top Five CCM Groups from our recent research. If you’re playing them, terrific! If you’re not, perhaps it’s time for a discussion about playing them.

Top Five CCM Groups

1. Casting Crowns
2. MercyMe
3. Big Daddy Weave
4. Elevation Worship
5. For King & Country

Casting Crowns and MercyMe are almost tied for our top spot. They have over 20 years of chart success and they continue to connect even whilesongs from more than 10 years ago  test well. Big Daddy Weave, with their long history, and lots of great testing songs, pulls in at no. 3. Worship songs and artists continue to test strongly, and you see that with our no. 4 group Elevation Worship. For King & Country cracks our Top Five for the first time!

Coming in June: We bring it all together. The Top Five Artists – Male, Female and Groups – all in one full list.

“My life is challenging. I love it when the announcers help me feel more connected to God. I sure need that.”

We often hear such comments in face-to-face interviews during Listener Advisory Panels*. And we see it in the numbers in the Finney Media Why Listen® Survey.

Among Christian Teaching listeners:

Eighty one percent (81%) say that “help with worshipping God throughout the day” is a Main Reason they listen. It’s among the biggest Main Reasons Christian listeners listen. We ask listeners questions for a living, and the size of these numbers surprises us!

Here’s a challenge. Listen to your station or program and ask.

Are you spending a big part of your time helping our listener worship?

  • By actually worshipping, praising God.
  • By praying on the air.
  • By talking about living a worshipful life and how to do that. (Hint: The world is an instruction manual on worshipping self, not God. You may be the only place she hears otherwise.)
  • By speaking Scripture, especially verses that bring God praise.
  • By helping show your listener what worship is.

We have a friend who has challenged his announcers to be, on the air, worshippers. And not preachers.

We have another friend who has challenged his announcers to make Scripture a part of their live breaks at least hourly. To speak Scripture rather than vaguely talking about Scripture.

We agree with both of them. And this kind of thing will help better accomplish your Biblical mission and make your listeners smile.

How can your station or podcast lean in a more worshipful direction?

Ask us. We can help.

*Listener Advisory Panels are are a lot less expensive than you might think through the power of Zoom video conferencing.

Missed last month’s article?

FEBRUARY 2024

Every year, Finney Media Research tests library songs from CCM artists with listeners across the United States. The listeners decide this ranking. 

We thought it would be fun for you to see the Top Five Male Artists from our recent research. If you’re playing them, terrific! If you’re not, perhaps it’s time for a discussion about playing them:

1. Chris Tomlin
2. Jeremy Camp
3. Zach Williams
4. Matthew West
5. Crowder

And as a bonus, because they are so close to the Top Five, here are the next five . . . 

6. Matt Maher
7. Phil Wickham
8. Toby Mac
9. Micah Tyler
10. Tauren Wells

Making the top of this list means you have lots of high testing songs. If you do music testing, you know that many of Chris Tomlin’s songs are still testing well! So are Jeremy Camp’s. And Zach Williams likewise. Matthew West is no surprise at no. 4. His latest songs have been especially strong. Crowder is our new entry in the Top 5!  

Coming in May: The Top Five Groups in nationwide CCM Music Research during 2023. Be sure you’re playing these artists to Grow your Audience. 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Many of us will gather in the coming days in Nashville at the 2024 NRB Convention. The following week, many will do the same in Dallas/Fort Worth at the CMB Gold Member get-together.

To meet new and old friends, to network, to discuss and put together “deals”.

May I suggest some different priorities?

  • Pray as you head into each meeting. For Jesus’ ways and thoughts in that meeting.
  • Bless and Love the people you’re with. Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39)
  • Be fully present. Resist the temptation to look over the person’s shoulder.
  • That He will provide. That he will give you the strength to walk the Gaylord Opryland Hotel Nashville and Gateway Church Dallas/Fort Worth from morning til night with vigor. 😊
  • Rejoice! Can you believe we get to do this?!? Our jobs are to tell people about the King of the Universe? How amazing is that!!!
  • If, when, you see me and our Finney Media team, please ask us about and hold us accountable to these.

We look forward to seeing you, blessing you, listening to you, loving you. And rejoicing with you!

Every year, Finney Media Research tests library songs from CCM artists with listeners across the United States. Listeners decide this ranking from research we’ve gathered across North America.

We thought it would be fun for you to see the Top Five Female Artists from our research recently. If you’re playing them, terrific! If you’re not, perhaps it’s time for a second look:

  1. Lauren Daigle
  2. Kari Jobe
  3. Tasha Layton
  4. Katy Nichole
  5. (tied) Anne Wilson & Francesca Battistelli

We’ve seen a resurgence of top testing songs by women in the past few years, including Katy Nichole’s debut. Francesca Battistelli and Kari Jobe continue to score well. But the real story in the Top Five is the dominance of Lauren Daigle. The way we do our Artist Scoring rewards artists with lots of high testing songs. Lauren scores are so much higher than the others that her score total – driven by lots of hit songs with high scores – is larger than all four of the artists behind her!

Coming in February: The Top Five Male Artists in nationwide CCM Music Research during 2023. There are changes this year in the list! Be sure you’re playing these artists and grow your listenership.

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@FINNEY MEDIA 2025

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