Research by AutoTrack shows that 81% of Dutch motorists listen to the radio while driving. However, fans of hardstyle are out of luck. Despite the genre’s popularity within the dance scene, hardstyle is rarely played on mainstream radio stations such as 3FM, Qmusic and Radio 538. Although dedicated hardstyle stations like Q-dance Radio and Hardcore Radio do exist, they are only available online. As a result, hardstyle fans in the car are largely dependent on platforms such as Spotify and SoundCloud.
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AutoTrack analyzed the airplay of 21 Dutch radio stations and surveyed more than 1,500 Dutch listeners about their in-car listening behavior. The analysis revealed several notable findings. KINK broadcasts the most music per hour on average, clocking in at 50 minutes and 17 seconds. Radio Veronica and NPO Radio also rank high, with 45:34 and 46:23 minutes of music per hour, respectively.
Major stations such as SLAM! and NPO FunX, on the other hand, dedicate a significant portion of their airtime to talk. Both stations air less than 30 minutes of music per hour. NPO Radio 1 sits at the bottom of the list, with an average of just 3 minutes and 49 seconds of music per hour.
Occasionally full throttle on mainstream radio
While it doesn’t happen often, hardstyle fans do occasionally hear their favorite genre on mainstream radio. Earlier this year, 3FM hosted a hardstyle night during 3FM Serious Request for the second time. Wildstylez and Sub Zero Project went back-to-back, blasting heavy hardstyle tracks across the market square in ’s-Hertogenbosch.
Hardstyle also sometimes makes an appearance on Radio 538. DJ Barend van Deelen is considered a true hardstyle ambassador on Dutch radio. “I think we, as radio, underestimate hardstyle way too much,” Van Deelen said on Instagram. The DJ is known for regularly playing hardstyle on air and even (accidentally) helped Brennan Heart and Trevor Guthrie score a ‘Dance Smash’ on Radio 538 in 2018 with ‘Won’t Hold Me Down (Gravity)’.
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A bigger reacht than all streaming services combined
According to data from Radiomonitor, radio in the Netherlands reaches five times as many people as Spotify. This gives radio a larger audience than all streaming services combined. The figures highlight radio’s continued influence in bringing music to a broad audience. Yet despite this reach, hardstyle remains largely absent from mainstream radio.
Although dedicated hardstyle stations exist, they do not have fixed FM frequencies. This means drivers cannot tune in to them via traditional car radios. As a result, hardstyle fans must rely on platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud, or simply settle for mainstream music.
