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May 2024: Main Reason Teaching and Hybrid Listeners Listen

“. . . 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.

Top Five Reasons Hybrid and Teaching Listeners Listen 

The Finney Media Why Listen® Survey has uncovered listener perceptions of Christian radio stations nationwide for almost ten years. In our latest survey, almost 15,000 listeners to Christian radio responded. Today, we unpack responses from the past three Why Listen surveys to see the Main Reasons listeners say their listening has changed. 

Here’s how we asked the question:  

“There may be several reasons why you listen to Christian radio. For each of the reasons below, please indicate whether for you it is a Main Reason, Secondary Reason or Not A Reason At All to listen.  

We presented our respondents with about 20 different reasons they might listen. 

Here are the Top Five Reasons from the past three surveys, ranked by percentage who indicated Main Reason:

Hybrid (Music & Teaching)

Reason 2018 2021 2023
1. It helps you grow spiritually 86% 85% 85%
2. It helps you worship God throughout the day 83% 86% 84%
3. You want to be encouraged 70% 76% 73%
4. You like worshipful Christian music 63% 80% 71%
5. It helps you understand the Bible better 74% 68% 71%

Teaching

Reason 2018 2021 2023
1. It helps you grow spiritually 89% 87% 92%
2. It helps you understand the Bible better 80% 79% 85%
3. It helps you worship God throughout the day 81% 81% 81%
4. You want to hear sermons 58% 65% 77%
5. You want to be encouraged 67% 70% 71%

It’s helpful to see how listeners don’t identify Worship with just music. “It helps you worship God throughout the day” is one of the top Main Reasons for Teaching stations that play no songs. 

Look at how strongly “grow spiritually” is a Top Reason in both formats, especially in Teaching, now more than 90 percent saying that’s a Main Reason they listen. 

News? Not of high interest or expectation among these listeners. It’s now under 25 percent saying it’s a Main Reason they listen for both formats. 

Finney Media does music research every year on hundreds of songs in multiple markets across North America . . . and every year, the numbers on which songs from the past are the most popular with Christian Music Radio listeners changes. From our research during the past year, here are the Top Five Testing Songs released during each of the past ten years: 

2023

1. Elevation Worship/Same God
2. Katy Nichole/God Is In This Story
3. Micah Tyler/I See Grace
4. Brandon Lake/Gratitude
5. MercyMe/Then Christ Came
 2022

1. We The Kingdom/Miracle Power
2. Katy Nichole/In Jesus’ Name (God of Possible)
3. Josh Baldwin/There Is Freedom
4. Matthew West/Me On Your Mind
5. Cece Winans/I’ve Got Joy
2021

1. Anne Wilson/My Jesus
2. Zach Williams/Less Like Me
3. Phil Wickham/House Of The Lord
4. Casting Crowns/Scars In Heaven
5. Lauren Daigle/Hold On To Me
 2020

1. Elevation Worship/Graves Into Gardens
2. Kari Jobe/The Blessing
3. Jordan St. Cyr/Fires
4. Phil Wickham/Battle Belongs
5. Jeremy Camp/Keep Me In The Moment
2019

1. Matthew West/The God Who Stays
2. We The Kingdom/Holy Water
3. Michael W. Smith/Waymaker (ft. Vanessa Campagna)
4. Zach Williams/There Was Jesus
5. Johnathan & Melissa Helser /Raise A Hallelujah
 2018

1. Lauren Daigle/You Say
2. Josh Baldwin/Stand In Your Love
3. For King & Country/God Only Knows
4. Cory Asbury/Reckless Love
5. Hillsong Worship/Who You Say I Am
2017

1. Crowder/All My Hope
2. Passion/Glorious Day
3.Tenth Avenue North/Control
4. Ryan Stevenson/The Gospel
5. Lauren Daigle/O’Lord
 2016

1. MercyMe/Even If
2. Ryan Stevenson f/Gabe Real/Eye Of The Storm
3. Hillsong/What A Beautiful Name
4. Chris Tomlin/Good Good Father
5. Big Daddy Weave/The Lion & The Lamb
2015

1. Bethel Music/No Longer Slaves
2. One Sonic Society/Great Are You Lord
3. Big Daddy Weave/My Story
4. Jeremy Camp/Same Power
5. Kristian Stanfill/Even So Come
 2014

1. MercyMe/Greater
2. Francesca Battistelli/Holy Spirit
3. Lincoln Brewster/There Is Power
4. MercyMe/Flawless
5. Citizen Way/Evidence

Check out which titles are on this list that you may have taken out over the years . . . and consider if they should be a part of your station now. 

Coming in March: The latest on the most popular artists with CCM listeners across the United States.

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