Ayappa Biddanda (right) with label executive Karen Durkot (left) at NonCommVention 2019.

From emerging artists to GRAMMY winners, Concord Label Group’s radio strategy contributes to the sound of noncommercial radio

Kendrick Lamar was the biggest winner at the 2025 GRAMMYs, sweeping five categories. But right on his tail was country and Americana singer Sierra Ferrell, who took home four trophies of her own, dominating each category with her nomination.

While the Recording Academy may have helped cement her success, Ferrell first found her audience on public radio — helped in part by a team at her label, Rounder Records. Great music naturally finds its way onto noncommercial radio stations across the country, but it’s often championed even further by radio promotion teams.

One person who knows this process well is Ayappa Biddanda, the Senior Director of National Grass Roots, Video, and Tour Promotion at Concord Label Group, the label family that includes Rounder.

Biddanda’s job sits at the intersection of artistry and broadcasting, a bridge between labels, artists, and the ever-important world of radio. “Radio is the way that we’re able to lift up artists’ voices and really connect in a deeper way with context and with a narrative,” says Biddanda.

Biddanda has spent over two decades in the music industry, but his start wasn’t exactly traditional. After graduating from the University of Tennessee, he followed Counting Crows on tour, eventually helping an opener, Peter Stuart, sell CDs at shows. This experience led him to Vanguard Records and Sugar Hill Records, where he first took on a street team role, then an internship, and then a full-time job, leading the Street Team & Tour Promotion department and eventually running the Radio department.

“At first, I said no,” he admits about that transition. “Why would I want to go somewhere where the answer is no before I even say the first word?” But the challenge—and the impact—was undeniable. “Radio is the way to make the biggest impact in the career of an artist.” He joined the bigger radio promotion team after the label was acquired by Concord.

“Radio is the way to make the biggest impact in the career of an artist.”

A day in the life of a radio promoter isn’t easily pinned down. “I will have a 35-point to-do list every single day, and the very first phone call or email can blow that totally up,” he says. But his days generally involve a mix of radio outreach, artist and management strategy meetings, and deep dives into listener behavior. “What’s going to make the biggest impact in any moment? That’s my guiding principle.”

Now leading Concord’s noncommercial and tour promotion efforts, Biddanda’s work extends far beyond just getting songs on the air. His purview alongside his team also includes video programming, SiriusXM partnerships, Pandora strategy, airline music curation, and even in-store retail playlists. “Really, what we’re trying to do is get as many impressions as possible and then reinforce that,” he explains. “Because ultimately, we’re here to build careers for artists beyond chasing a hit. A hit is only the beginning.”

Noncommercial Radio’s “Community of Listeners”

For noncommercial radio specifically, Biddanda sees something unique: a depth of engagement that commercial stations can’t always provide. “With non-comm radio, you’re able to connect with a community of listeners. There’s the music, but then there’s also the storytelling, and that’s something non-comm radio does exceptionally well.”

He points to artists like Indigo Girls, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, esperanza spalding, Allison Russell, Margo Price, Valerie June, Soccer Mommy, Sleater-Kinney, The Arcs, and Ferrell — musicians whose careers have been deeply intertwined with public radio. “Sierra had the number one most-played album at Americana radio and Folk radio this past year,” he notes. “We have as many stations celebrating her as she is celebrating radio. It really is a partnership.”

The role of noncommercial radio extends beyond just airplay — it is about creating a narrative around an artist. “These stations are curators. They’re not just playing a song and moving on. They’re creating a story around the music and the artist, and that’s what makes it so important.” He explains that, unlike commercial stations, noncommercial DJs often have the ability to introduce an artist through in-depth interviews, live sessions, and carefully crafted on-air storytelling. “You’re not just hearing a track; you’re hearing why it matters.”

“With non-comm radio, you’re able to connect with a community of listeners. There’s the music, but then there’s also the storytelling, and that’s something non-comm radio does exceptionally well.”

At its core, his job is about finding the right audience for every artist he works with. “I can never say, ‘Sorry, that doesn’t work.’ It doesn’t have to be a radio hit to connect in a magnificent and powerful way.” His approach involves understanding each station’s identity: some programmers want to be the first to play new artists, while others wait for proven success. “Right artist, right record, right time — that’s our motto.”

Biddanda has been an active supporter and encourages industry efforts to bolster public radio’s role, including events like Public Radio Music Day and organizations that offer chances to foster wider communication between stations, the music industry, and government actors.

He also sees public radio’s ability to listen and adapt to their audience as a vital part of their place in culture — particularly through the growth of Urban Alternative and Americana radio. “Urban Alternative is making a huge difference every single day. The music of Black culture is foundational for every genre in American life, and it’s incredible to see these stations finally have the bandwidth to represent that diversity.”  The Urban Alt format has supported recent music by Killer Mike, Denzel Curry, Tommy Richman, Dizzy Fae, Sampa The Great, Butcher Brown, and Common & Pete Rock.

Similarly, he sees Americana as a growing force in noncommercial radio, citing Sarah Jarosz, Amythyst Kiah, Katie Pruitt, and Early James as examples of artists who have built careers through public radio support.

For Biddanda, the work remains as fulfilling as ever. “We have the rare opportunity to impact culture. That means on the artist side, the listener side, and the broadcast side. The way we listen to music is evolving, and public radio thrives because it’s responsive and on the cutting edge of that evolution.”

“The way we listen to music is evolving, and public radio thrives because it’s responsive and on the cutting edge of that evolution.”

Biddanda’s work never really stops. After getting his two young kids off to school in the morning, Biddanda dives into calls and emails, balancing station relationships, artist needs, and label priorities. The evening might include a record-listening session with his children before he returns to his inbox and analyzing radio charts to get ahead on the next day’s work. “Music is part of my personal life too. I make sure my kids grow up understanding the value of great songwriting and storytelling.”

Fostering that kind of relationship to music in his personal life evokes the often unique connection you find in noncommercial radio and what makes it indispensable to artists and audiences alike. Across musicians, labels, stations, and the communities they connect with, Biddanda finds something at the core of how we connect with each other. “We are forever and continually changing how listening happens. And by doing that, we’re impacting culture on a never-ending scale.”