The technology is being strongly endorsed by Afrikaans musicians such as Snotkop and Christiaan Botha, who see it as a way of improving engagement with their audiences and bringing new music to the attention of the public.

According to Attila Bernariusz, divisional head of Kagiso Digital, Ja.fm is experiencing good growth in listeners every month as South Africans and South African expats tune in to hear the latest Afrikaans music. The channel plays a wide range of Afrikaans music - some of it familiar, some of it less well-known and all of it accessible - and gets the audience to steer the playlist through their online votes.

Nearly anything goes – as long as it is Afrikaans - from Bok van Blerk, Bobby van Jaarsveld and Anneli van Rooyen to Glaskas, Fokofpolisiekar and Jack Parow.

It is the LDR technology that sets Ja.fm apart by allowing listeners to vote for which song they would like to hear next on the main selection screen on the home page, or the mini one on the rest of the site. “Listeners become highly engaged with the platform because they feel like they are shaping the music that it plays,” says Bernariusz. “Our charts are an interesting reflection of the music that listeners want to hear.”

Popular musician, Snotkop, concurs. “LDR Radio is absolutely incredible for artists as it is a true reflection of what is popular at any current time. It’s an accurate snapshot of what people want to hear,” he says. “It also affords an opportunity for artists who might not enjoy a lot of exposure on radio to be heard and exposed.”

Christiaan Botha, lead singer and guitarist for NRG describes LDR and Ja.fm as a revolution for artists and media. “Things can quite easily become boring and a lot of artists fall into the trap of thinking that the music traditional radio stations play is the only music the public want to hear. Because of this, artists’ creative thoughts stagnate and before we know it, we all just do the same thing instead of leading with new ideas. LDR has not only given the listener the power to choose, but it has also empowered the artist.”

The most popular songs on Ja.fm reflect the audience’s passion for their music, demonstrating the star power of Afrikaans musicians. With the top 5 selling albums in South Africa, being Afrikaans titles, this further proves the tremendous engagement and buying power of this audience. Some of the tracks that are topping the charts on Ja.fm at the moment include Snotkop with Song vir my Dad; Juanita du Plessis with Engel van my Hart; Gerhard Steyn with Diamante vir Jou; Riana Nel with Dans; and Dozi with Grassade in die Wind.

Creating an online Afrikaans radio station was a natural move for Kagiso Media because the Afrikaans music scene is more vibrant than ever before, says Bernariusz. Afrikaans language and its culture are stronger than ever, with Afrikaans listeners displaying a real passion for Afrikaans music.

The success of Ja.fm proves that there is a viable business model for niche online radio stations, Bernariusz says. Serving more than 20 000 LDR sessions over a 30 day period, and with audience interaction rates growing at 13% in the last month, Ja.fm is quickly establishing itself as a popular online radio station in South Africa.