What radio still does better than the algorithm

The Buggles might’ve once sang ‘video killed the radio star’, but did it really?

Even after the release of on-demand music and complex algorithms, human-curated radio is still highly relevant. The UK is spoiled by personalised recommendations that show us exactly what we want to hear and when. It’s a whole new level of sophistication and convenience that simply requires a few taps, but radio hasn’t been eclipsed or pushed into a corner.

For the simple reason that radio has a range of qualities that streaming will never have, it’s managed to stay afloat and thrive. Although AI-driven platforms have a leg up when it comes to choice, immediacy and efficiency, radio has the beauty of making listening feel human. Curious about why radio still holds its charm? You’re in for a ride.

The Delight and Surprise of the Radio

While you could shuffle to no end on Apple Music or Spotify, radio is so appealing because of its ability to surprise us. We’re not sure what we’ll find when we visit a live station online or turn the dial. Could it be a quirky ‘call in and tell a story to win’ segment, a new hit song or a comedy minute? It’s an effortless discovery at its finest that could end in a dance session, belly laugh or even the decision that this particular radio station isn’t for you.

That’s not to say discovery isn’t a priority for some streaming services. With Spotify, for instance, the platform features a Discover Weekly playlist and plenty of ways to find new music or podcasts. The issue is that the algorithm-driven recommendation system tends to showcase what you already like. Someone who listens to heavy metal regularly isn’t likely going to get a folk or R&B mix. In essence, they know too much about you, predicting your tastes and curating playlists that match your behaviour. Inadvertently, it can actually narrow the scope of your experience.

Meanwhile, radio has always been about happy accidents. The fun of stumbling across a human-chosen track and having to listen to it in its entirety is part of the journey. As modern tech users, our short attention spans and constant bombardment with choices mean we tend to abandon ship easily and rarely give things a chance. Radio helps us slow down, stay in the moment and enjoy the spontaneity.

The Human Voice and Personality on Air

Radio stations don’t often just set up a playlist and call it a day. They have human voices running the show. Whether a DJ or radio personality, they set the stage for a fun day of stories, music and moments. On Valentine’s Day, for example, a DJ might plan a day full of love-related tracks, shoutouts and song requests for loved ones. That way, they set the mood and connect with listeners on a personal level, creating an inherently shared experience. The timing, commentary and spontaneous jokes and interactions make listeners feel a sense of connection that an algorithm can’t replicate. 

Radio hosts often exude their own unique personalities, like a smoky late-night voice for evening jazz or an energetic presence for a morning show. These human hosts do wonders for shaping the radio journey, carefully framing their words, commentary and the order of songs so everything aligns. Spotify’s AI DJ attempts to mimic these features, with an AI voice providing insights on the songs, but it falls short in capturing the nuance and charm of a real DJ.

Algorithmic recommendations might be able to suggest a song similar to the last one you liked, but they can’t anticipate telling the right joke or expressing a heartfelt reflection beyond a generic description of the genre or track.

A Live, Communal Experience 

Certain moments in the music industry call for collective listening. Maybe a big-time artist just dropped a new album or a conflict between rappers led to a back-and-forth diss track battle. Chances are, many people have listened and revelled in the moment together, sharing reactions and commentary online. But there’s nothing quite like hundreds of thousands of listeners tuning in live, singing along to the same tracks or laughing at the same stories.

That real-time quality means people can participate and immerse themselves in the broadcast as it unfolds. In contrast, algorithm-driven listening is highly solitary. Streaming services are tailored to the individual—not the collective. While they’ll push popular artists and hot new albums, listeners rarely feel part of a wider cultural moment. Especially with local radio stations, there’s a tighter bond between listeners, as local hosts reference nearby events, road traffic and shout out local businesses.

On-demand media dominate our world, and sometimes when we’ve got it all, we crave the simple delight of stumbling across something unexpected. Even as technology continues to advance, it struggles to generate the communal experience that live radio is built for.

Finding a Human Touch Across Digital Platforms

The main merit of algorithm-driven apps seems to be effortless personalisation using AI, and this is applied across digital entertainment platforms. These platforms increasingly rely on strategies like gamification and curated recommendations to recreate the emotional highs people get from a human-curated experience. We naturally crave the real-time anticipation, unpredictability, rewards and sense of connection from real-life entertainment, and developers try to emulate those feelings digitally.

Unfortunately, these efforts can sometimes backfire and strip away the warmth and spontaneity that make entertainment authentic and memorable. That tension is perhaps most evident in some of the online casinos launched in 2025, as developers now more than ever rely on technology to automate engagement and personalise the experience. After all, with the dynamism of the in-person casino experience and mobile games to compete with, digital casinos have to constantly innovate. They might use AI to curate game libraries and target bonuses and gamification to create a sense of progress. 

But with high automation comes the need to amp up approachability. Players don’t want to be faced with a cold and overly calculated interface, but rather human-friendly design elements that make the experience feel more authentic. These principles are exactly the same in other apps and platforms. The most successful will combine the value of algorithms and AI and integrate emotional resonance at the same time.

It’s Not Either/Or, It’s When and Why

Many of us use both the radio and AI-driven streaming platforms for different reasons and in different scenarios. We might look to streaming apps when we want true control. Perhaps we want to put on a specific playlist to match our mood or align with what we’re doing. Radio is ideal if we want some company while driving alone or when we’re okay with something a little less predictable. The feeling of being part of a communal moment or listening to a witty conversationalist who puts together their own mix of songs can’t be beat.

Radio has strengths that rely on a human rhythm. Human DJs have intuitive senses and personalities that algorithms can’t capture or mimic, but that in itself makes the comparison less of a competition. With both sides serving different purposes, we won’t have to worry about one replacing the other.

So let’s continue enjoying the best of both worlds: technology offering convenience and choice, and radio delivering the warmth and community feel that brings us back to our humanity.