idol BEATS Radio Re-launch Fundraiser

Back when idol BEATS Radio was shut down, many of you contacted me saying you would be willing to donate to help keep idol BEATS Radio running with a new host (which would require a monthly fee.) This made me extremely happy, but was not something I could look into much at the time, due to the timing of things. (I was unbelievably busy at the time, and the amount of time and research it'd take to find the right place to re-launch, run a fundraiser for it, and re-upload and plan an entire station would be impossible.)

However, I now have enough time to take on the task, and am so excited to have the opportunity to try and get idol BEATS Radio back! I have opened a GoFundMe campaign to try and gain donations to cover a monthly fee. You can access it and make donations here: http://www.gofundme.com/idolbeats

As you can read in the story on that page, I am not expecting or needing the goal to be met in order to re-launch the station. The goal was chosen through looking through a lot of hosting options and opportunities for the station. It can be done on less, but can possibly do better on more. My plan is to see what is raised, and with that decide what host will be give the best for what seems affordable. If the fundraiser has a strong start, I will begin trying to have idol BEATS Radio begin its re-launch immediately, even before the campaign is over.

After the campaign ends (depending on how well or not-well it did), this website will likely get an optional "donate" button. It will not be advertised or pushed in your face, but simply be an option for if people want to help be sure the station continues running. idol BEATS is completely non-profit. No money earned for idol BEATS Radio will ever go to anything that is not directly related to the station.

Another way to cover this monthly fee when the campaign ends will be through Single Spotlights. As you likely remember, if you bought a single through the Single Spotlight links, a percentage of the money would go towards idol BEATS Radio. Rather than going into new music, that money will all go  towards keeping the station running. (Which means we will need it more than ever if this is successful, so be sure to always check the Single Spotlights and see if there is something you enjoy!)

If you are not able to donate:

Even as little as $1 would be extremely helpful in re-opening idol BEATS Radio, but I know that of course, many of you can not afford to donate. So, if you still want to help idol BEATS re-launch, here is what you can do:

• Share the GoFundMe campaign link http://www.gofundme.com/idolbeats on social media! (Facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc.)

• Blog about the potential re-launch of idol BEATS Radio. Talk about what you enjoyed about the station, and share this post or this link http://www.gofundme.com/idolbeats Nothing is more powerful than getting the word out there!

• Show your support by following idol BEATS Radio on social media, if you don't already. If you can't support financially, at least show you're a fan and awaiting a relaunch. It's not all about financial support! You can follow at www.facebook.com/idolbeats as well as https://twitter.com/idolBEATSRadio

• Keep an eye out for the tweets from idol BEATS Radio during this fundraiser! I plan to use the twitter to tweet about upcoming idol releases with links, like a brief, shortened version of single spotlights (but potentially with albums included) and like before, the links will fund idol BEATS Radio! So even if you don't feel comfortable donating directly, if you happen to find an idol release you are interested in purchasing through the twitter, you can purchase it and help our re-launch at no extra cost! Or, if you know of an upcoming idol release that you plan to buy, or simply think people should know about, let me know through a private message on the facebook page or twitter, or at idolbeatsradio@gmail.com 

2014 New Years Countdown Results

idol BEATS Radio calculated results of the voting from tons of idol fans all over the world, to bring you what the fans voted as the Top 100 idol songs of 2014! The results are in, so here you go:

1. Toki wo Koe Sora wo Koe (Morning Musume)

2. I miss you (C-ute)

3. Koko no Iru Riyuu (Nogizaka46)

4. Ano Hi Boku wa Tossa ni Uso wo Tsuita (Nogizaka46)

5. Ai wa Itsumo Kimi no Naka ni (Berryz Koubou)

6. Umareta mama de (Nogizaka46)

7. Mikaeri Bijin (Morning Musume)

8. Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no Kiss (Juice=Juice)

9. Kizuitara kataomoi (Nogizaka46)

10. Kibouteki Refrain (AKB48)

11. Kokoro no Sakebi wo Uta ni Shitemita (C-ute)

12. Bling Bling My Love (Fairies)

13. Romance wo Katatte (Berryz Koubou)

14. Shabadabadoo (Sayumi Michishige)

15. Nandome no Aozora ka (Nogizaka46)

16. Kokoro no Placard (AKB48)

17. Do You Believe? (GEM)

18. What is Love? (Morning Musume)

19. Watashi, okiru (Nogizaka46)

20. The Future (C-ute)

21. Senobi (Juice=Juice)

22. Natsu no Free and Easy (Nogizaka46)

23. Kaze ni Fukarete (Juice=Juice)

24. The Power (C-ute)

25. 1-Oku 3-Zenman Sou Diet Oukoku (Berryz Koubou)

26. Hikaeme I love you (HKT48)

27. Love Take it All (C-ute)

28. Labrador Retriever (AKB48)

29. Aa, Susukino (S/mileage)

30. 12gatsu no Kangaroo (SKE48)

31. Urahara Temptation (Kikkawa Yuu)

32. TIKI BUN (Morning Musume)

33. Sakura, Minna de Tabeta (HKT48)

34. Futsuu, Idol 10nen Yatterannai Desho!? (Berryz Koubou)

35. Towa no Uta (Berryz Koubou)

36. Sono saki no deguchi (Nogizaka46)

37. Kodoku Kyoudai (Nogizaka46)

38. Candy Pop Galaxy Bomb!! (Cheeky Parade)

39. Chikyuu wa Kyou mo Ai wo Hagukumu (S/mileage)

40. Nani mo Dekizu ni Soba ni Iru (Nogizaka46)

41. Egao no Kimi Taiyou sa (Morning Musume)

42. Korogatta Kane wo Narase (Nogizaka46)

43. Mukuchi no Lion (Nogizaka46)

44. Ambulance (AKB48)

45. Bukiyo Taiyou (SKE48)

46. Kimi no Kawari wa Iyashinai (Morning Musume)

47. Mawaru Sekai (Yumemiru Adolescence)

48. Star Shine Story (GEM)

49. Dankeschön (Nogizaka46)

50. Mystery Night (S/mileage)

51. Watashi wa Watashi Nanda (Morning Musume)

52. Together (Cheeky Parade)

53. Otona na no yo! (Berryz Koubou)

54. Koi wa Panic (Babyraids)

55. Arekore Shitai (Juice=Juice)

56. Hanamichi!! Ambitious (SUPER GiRLS)

57. STUPiG (BiS)

58. Killing me softly (Tokyo Girls’ Style)

59. Password is 0 (Morning Musume)

60. Kirari to Hikaru Hoshi (Morning Musume)

61. Moon Pride (Momoiro Clover Z)

62. Odoro yo, fish (Tsuribit)

63. Black Butterfly (Juice=Juice)

64. Your Love (M Three)

65. Takane no Ringo (NMB48)

66. Bouken (LinQ)

67. Amai Melody (Kikkawa Yuu)

68. Run with U (Fairies)

69. Ii jan (Kikkawa Yuu)

70. Shampoo Hat (Team Syachihoko)

71. Haitateki! (Shiritsu Ebisu Chuugaku)

72. yell (Orange Port)

73. Juujun na Slave (AKB48)

74. Bari 3 Kyouwakoku (Dempagumi.inc)

75. REAL (Rev. from DVL)

76. KONJO (AKB48)

77. Final Dance (BiS)

78. Just! Call Me (GEM)

79. Eighteen Emotion (S/mileage)

80. Perfect Sky (PASSPO)

81. Dakishimete Anthem (Team Syachihoko)

82. Mae Shika Mukanee (AKB48)

83. Romance no Start (Nogizaka46)

84. Partition Love (Tokyo Girls’ Style)

85. Naiitemo Iindayo (Momoiro Clover Z)

86. Sky Traveler (Dorothy Little Happy)

87. LOVE -Arigatou- (Rev. from DVL)

88. Dare ni mo Naisho (Bitter & Sweet)

89. Mirai to wa? (SKE48)

90. Date ja nai yo Uchi no Jinsei wa (Juice=Juice)

91. Miracle Paradise (i*Ris)

92. Wind Chime ~Machi no Tunnel~ (RYUTist)

93. Toiki no Method (Nogizaka46)

94. Heart no Hoshi (Sakura Gakuin)

95. Sailor Zombie (AKB48)

96. Kanashiki Heaven (Single version) (C-ute)

97. Like a Heartbeat (GEM)

98. Snow Distance (Palet)

99. Itoshiki Rival (AKB48)

100. Ibiza Girl (NMB48)

It's a great Top 100, with a lot of big names, but also a few lesser-known idol groups who managed to rank! There is a lot of variety as far as the songs musically, as well. If you see something you've never heard, I recommend going and giving it a listen! 

Along with this, it was also decided to post 25 Honorable Mentions. The below songs all had multiple votes, are mostly ties with each other (or all ranked very closely) and all could have easily ended up somewhere in the Top 100 if voting had just been a slight bit differently. Because of this, I thought these songs were definitely still worth mentioning, and I hope you will all give them a look:

Kidoku Suru (HKT48)

Kiss me Kiss me (Coco Decoru)

Moshimo aeta nara (Osaka Shunkashuto)

Natsukoi (LinQ)

Ahhahha! ~Chouzetsu Bakushou Ondo~ (SUPER GiRLS)

Kowareta Ai no Hate ni (Predia)

Kiraki Runway (Prism Box)

Chu-la-la (RYUTist)

Brand New Style (GALLETe)

Sakura Apparition (Dempagumi.inc)

Mukashi no Kareshi no Oniichan to Tsukiau to Iu Koto (HKT48)

Kimi wa Kimagure (AKB48)

Toomawari no aijou (Nogizaka46)

Dream Last Train (Triplet)

Tomorrow World (Weather Girls)

Primary Colors (Kamen Rider Girls)

Colorful Days (LinQ)

Yuki Usagi (IDOLING!!)

Campanula no Yuutsu (Terashima Yufu)

LEFT or RIGHT…? (Cheeky Parade)

Tabidachi Kirari (Tsuribit)

Idol Illmatic (Rhymeberry)

Super Hero (Fairies)

Himawari (PASSPO)

Evolution Da (HR)

So, what songs that you voted for managed to rank? What are you surprised to see (whether it's unexpectedly high or low)? Let me know in a comment, I'd love to know everyone's reactions to the results!

I'd also like to take a moment to let those of you who do not know that idol BEATS Radio is looking for volunteers to join the staff here. There are different jobs, and the more people who volunteer, the more we can split them up and make everything less time-consuming. If you enjoy this station and want to see it continue to grow, or if you are passionate about idol music and hope to spread it, please consider joining me. You can get full information on the post linked here.

Important Announcement

Hello everyone! First off, I would like to let you know that the long-awaited results to the 2014 New Years Countdown will be posted both here and on idol BEATS Radio's facebook page tomorrow! (The winner of the drawing for an idol CD will be chosen a week later.) Many of you have contacted me asking about the results, and I'm very sorry it has taken so long, and that they were no played on the station on New Years Eve or Day as planned.

This leads into what I need to talk about, so please continue reading.

I am struggling keeping this station at the level and activity I would like it to be at. I am passionate about idols and this station and never want to drop it, but I really need your help. As I've stated before, this is currently a one-(wo)man operation. I am currently doing everything on my own. However, I currently have a LOT happening in my life, and it's making it difficult to make sure there is a good variety of songs playing every day, let alone do everything else I'd like to do with the station. (As I'm sure several of you have noticed, I currently have no January Single Spotlights.)

I'm reaching out to all of you to ask for help. If you love this station and want to see it keep up, and/or are as passionate about idols as I am, I ask you join me as an idol BEATS Radio staff member.

My hope is to have a few people join me, so we can split up work and make it an easy job for all of us. There are several tasks I can split people up doing, and my hope is to make these tasks as small as possible so no one person has anything too time-consuming. This, of course, depends on how many people offer to help. The jobs that I am potentially looking to fill are:

• Single Spotlight Collector: This job would simply be creating a list of every idol single you can find releasing each month. This person (or people) would need to actually seek out idol releases, often checking regular forums, CD websites, official idol websites, etc. for as many single releases as they can find. You'd need to find the artist, the single title, and the release date. Finding things such as MV previews, live performances, and track lists would probably be optional, but appreciated.

• Single Spotlight Writer: This person would write up posts for Single Spotlights. Posts don't require massive amounts of info, just the info that the collector provides you with, listed in order by release date, along with links to where the single can be purchased.

• Single Spotlight Recorder: This is a job that I am unsure if I will fill, and if I do it will still be split between the other person and me. This job would require you being comfortable with your voice being heard by listeners, as you would be taking the info from the Single Spotlight Collector and recording yourself saying it. You would then need to provide a preview of the single (hopefully containing about one verse and one chorus). This would all need to be put into one mp3 track to be played on the station. The challenging part is, the track has to be exactly 2 minutes long. I have created a script that usually leads to it being about this length, but when a particularly long, short, or uniquely composed idol song is being used, it can be a bit difficult to work it to two minutes, and may require talking slower, faster, or providing more or less info. 

• Inactive Idol Finder: This job would be pretty simple, and shouldn't be time-consuming. This person would need to seek out any information on idol groups that are in anyway disbanding, going on hiatus, etc. and let me know. When it comes to underground idols, this information isn't always in broad daylight, so they may have to really seek it out. IF needed, I may provide a (constantly updated) list of underground idols currently playing on the station, so they can then keep an eye on those idols specifically.

If you are interested in possibly taking over one or several of these jobs, please contact me at idolbeatsradio@gmail.com I can also be reached through the idol BEATS facebook page or twitter, but email is my preferred method of contact. If this works out, all idol BEATS staff members will be added to a staff page so everyone knows who is helping to make this station possible! This page would include basic info such as name (you can use your real name or a common nickname or username you are known by), age (optional), country (optional) and possibly some info such as favorite idol group, song, etc.

At this time I still plan to do all things related to the stations scheduling, such as seeking out new idol songs to play, uploading and deleting music, and scheduling what will be played and when on the station each day. I will also likely be helping with each of these tasks, especially if anyone is struggling, but my hope is that this takes away some of my duties so I can keep the station updated and playing as much variety as I would like it to on a regular basis.

Of course, if you are not able to offer to take on any sort of task with idol BEATS Radio but would still like to help the station, please visit the "idol BEATS Radio needs YOUR help" page for little things you can do to help! And remember, one way you can always help is by listening a lot and by sharing and promoting idol BEATS Radio! There are still several idol fans who do not know this station exists, so please spread the word any way you can! Share news of the station on social media, tell friends, put a link in your signature on forums, make a blog post, or add an idol BEATS Radio player to your blog!

Please send me an email ASAP if you are interested in helping out in any way!

Vote for your favorite idol songs of 2014 + Win an idol CD!

Hello everyone! As always, thank you for listening to and supporting idol BEATS Radio. I hope to continue to constantly gain more listeners and spread idol music all over the world!
As was done last year, there will be a New Years Countdown on idol BEATS Radio this year. This countdown aims to play the best idol songs released this year, starting from 100 counting all the way down to the #1 song of the year. (The countdown will take place on December 31st, and will play several times to allow people all over the world a chance to tune in. The exact times you can listen to the countdown will be announced at a later date, so keep an eye out!)

This is where YOU come in. idol BEATS Radio needs YOUR votes. A massive amount of amazing idol songs were released this year, so I need you to vote for your favorites! To try and make the results as accurate as possible, I need as many idol fans as possible to vote. The more people that vote, the more accurate the results are for the entire idol fanbase. So I ask that everyone votes- whether you're a fan of hundreds of idol groups, or you only listen to Hello!Project or AKB or Stardust or whatever your personal weakness is. Please vote regardless.

And, for some initiative to vote, there will be another giveaway! Anyone who includes their email address when they vote (I'm also willing to accept other locations I can personally contact you) will be entered into a drawing for a free CD. The winner will be drawn at random and get to choose the CD of their choice out of what I have to offer.

Here are the choices, with CDs claimed in the last giveaway blackened out.

There is also one other way to win, similar to entry with the last giveaway. You can enter through sharing the facebook post about the New Years Countdown (located here), retweeting the tweet about the New Years Countdown (located here), or reblogging the post about the New Years Countdown (located here). Each one of these will add your name another time into the drawing, meaning if you vote, and share on all three websites, you are entered 4 times! 

Unlike last time, there will not be a winner from every website. There will be one or two winners, dependent on the amount of participation. There will either be one name drawn from all entries of any method, or, there will be one name drawn through sharing, and another drawn out of the voters. (Which means, yes, you could potentially win twice, or at least give yourself better chances.)

Vote for Best Idol Songs of 2014

Now, it's time to vote! Below are the rules and guidelines for voting:

1. You can vote for ONE to FIFTEEN songs. It's your decision. You can just put in a vote for your absolute favorite song of the year, or maybe you can only think of your Top 7. Or, you can vote for your full Top 15. You can vote for any number up to fifteen, there isn't a certain amount of spots you have to fill.

2. You must vote in order of favorite to least favorite. The song you put as "Number One" must be your absolute favorite, while the song in the last spot you fill must be your least favorite of the songs you vote for. This is because songs are ranked in a mixed system where songs with the most votes will be on top, and songs that have the same number of votes will be ranked based on how high of a position voters listed them in. So make sure you rank your songs in the correct order!

3. The song has to be released in 2014. This is simple and set in stone. The songs actual, physical or digital release date must be between January 1st, 2014 and December 31st, 2014. It doesn't matter when previews, MVs, or otherwise were released, these do not count as the release. The single must have gone on sale (or for free download from management) in 2014. The song itself can be anything from a single, album song, bside, etc. It must have a studio recording (some kinda of physical release, downloadable release, or itunes release is needed) but any idol song from 2014 goes.

4. Songs re-released in 2014 are eligible under the following circumstances: A song re-released in 2014 with a brand new arrangement or completely new lineup is allowed. However, a song without change that was, for example, released in 2013 and then also on an album in 2014 is not eligible. If there are questions about this rule or if specific songs are eligible, contact me at idolbeatsradio@gmail.com
5. Songs by disbanded or inactive idols/groups are eligible. As long as it's an idol song from 2014, it's allowed. Whether the group is disbanded or it was a temporary sub-unit, etc. So long as the song is idol and was released in 2014, it is eligible.
6. Please include the song title and the artist in your vote. Pretty straight forward one. Make sure you list the song and who it is sung by so I can find it easier. Romaji is preferred. 

With that, please vote below! Remember, entering your email address is not required for voting, but is required to be entered in the giveaway. If you do not have an email address or aren't comfortable giving it to me, I'm willing to accept other forms of contact such as twitter handles.

The deadline for voting is 11:59 pm EST on December 27th.

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Giveaway in celebration of the Grand Re-opening!

Hello listeners! I'm hoping this post is going to be read by regular listeners, as well as people who have never heard of the station until now. Idol BEATS Radio just had it's Grand Re-opening yesterday! The station is new and improved, with hundreds of hours of idol music programmed on it. (And let me tell you, it's got it all- 48G, Hello!Project, Stardust, tons of lesser-known and indie idols, and anything you can imagine!) This station is the best way to hear the great variety in the current idol scene in Japan, and to listen to your favorite idols while discovering new ones.

To celebrate the Grand Re-opening as well as try and get more people to discover the station, there is going to be a CD giveaway, and anyone can participate. First off, as I'm sure you are all dying to know, these are the CDs up for grabs:

If you win, you get to choose whichever one of these CDs you want most. Now, the way enter it simple. You can participate through Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. (However, idol BEATS Radio currently does not have an official Tumblr. The Tumblr post was simply made on an old tumblr account I have lying around. If you believe idol BEATS should have an official tumblr, please leave a comment about it on this post!!)

• To enter the giveaway on Facebook, simply share the facebook post linked here and comment saying which CD you are interested in.
• To enter the giveaway on twitter, simply re-tweet the tweet linked here.
• To enter the giveaway on twitter, simply reblog the post linked here.

That's all it takes. And, yes, you CAN enter in more than one place and have better chances to win! The winners name will be drawn randomly from all of those who entered, so the more places you enter, the better.
Also, if there are a lot of entries, I will have THREE of these CDs given away at once, and someone from each website will win. (Which means, potentially, if you have some great luck you could win multiple CDs if you enter in different places.)

The giveaway will end on Monday, November 10th at 11:59 pm EST.

If you have any questions, be sure to leave a comment here or contact me through the official twitter or facebook page. And, with that, go ahead and enter!

New and improved idol BEATS Radio♪

Welcome to idol BEATS's official website! Hopefully some of you people who have been listeners of the station, and I also hope some of you are brand new and have come to check it out!

For new listeners:

Welcome to idol BEATS Radio's official website! I'm so glad you found this page. idol BEATS is an online radio station that plays Japanese Pop songs by female idols. The station has two goals:

• To introduce people to japanese idols and try and get their popularity to grow worldwide
• To introduce people who are already fans to brand new groups

There are so many amazing idol groups out there today, they are popping up constantly. You can find idol groups with almost any look, theme, and sound you can imagine. Since part of the station's goal is to introduce people to new idol groups, the station keeps updated and makes sure all groups (and soloists) playing are currently active idols. A group is deleted once they disband or stop releasing and performing, and I will try to add as many new groups that pop up as I can, to give an accurate representation of the idol scene in Japan. 

Please feel free to look around the website to learn anything else you'd like to know, or email me with any questions at idolbeatsradio@gmail.com

Please sign the guestbook, and I hope you become a regular listener of idol BEATS Radio♪

For those already fans of the station:

You may be wondering just what "new and improved" may mean. Let's start with what the problem was:
Basically, though the station has been playing non-stop since opening successfully, a few months back it went through a period where I was less-able to update it. A lot was going in my life, and though I made sure there was always something scheduled to play on the station, it just wasn't what I wanted the station to be. Enough new groups weren't added, or recent singles by groups already included. I hadn't deleted some groups that disbanded, and I wasn't taking as much time to be sure groups with similar sounds or relations weren't playing too close together. I then went off to Japan which, though amazing, made it even more impossible to work on the station.
However,
I discovered even more amazing new idol groups while in Japan, and brought back so much great music for you all too listen to! I have been buckling down hard on the station since returning, making sure everything is totally up to date. I tried to make sure I have the full discography of as many groups as I possibly can added to the station. I was sure to delete any groups that have disbanded, and I have added mass amounts of brand new idol groups with all kinds of different sounds! The station has been organized in a way where you will get much more variety in the kinds of songs and groups you are hearing in a row, as well. I have set the station up in a way that will make it much easier to constantly be updating with anything new I can get my hands on, as well. I will be keeping the twitter and facebook page active, as well as this website. (So be sure to follow them all!)
I have a lot of great ideas for this station that are still yet to come soon, so keep an eye out!
For those of you who remember fan voting and "Top Tuesdays," those will currently not be around. I will be seeing just how much time is taken up from scheduling the station, and what I am able to do, but if listeners want it, I may be able to bring back a monthly vote :)
The big New Years countdown for best songs released this year will still be happening, though, so look forward to it!

Currently, the station has music ads. These play once or twice every hour, and are a preview of a song, not a full song. However, these songs are not idol music, they are chosen and programmed by Radionomy. I feel this breaks up the flow of the station, so I'm looking into trying to get them to allow me to use spoken ads instead of music ads, so it doesn't sound as if there has been a mistake in music added to the station.

The station has had some loyal listeners who have been consistently listening since it's opened, but, as expected, when it stopped being updated well a lot of listeners were lost. I hope to gain those listeners back, as long as many more! So please listen and let people know about the station! I am positive that anyone who listens to the station will be introduced to at least one interesting group they've never heard of (likely many more) and will find some great new music. There is a lot of variety as the idol genre is really growing, but I think you will really enjoy what I've found for you all to listen to :)