The transition from terrestrial radio to audio-on-demand: analyzing audience autonomy and emotional connection among urban youth in Surabaya

The rapid evolution of the digital media landscape has fundamentally restructured audio consumption, shifting the paradigm from linear broadcasting to asynchronous, platform-based environments such as Spotify and YouTube Music. This study investigates the transition among urban youth in Surabaya, Indonesia, from terrestrial radio to audio-on-demand (AoD), focusing on the critical tension between audience autonomy and emotional connection. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 university students (aged 19–25) to explore their lived experiences across diverse situational contexts. The findings reveal a dualistic consumption pattern in which terrestrial radio is relegated to a “situational utility” or “commute companion” due to its linear constraints and high density of “auditory clutter” (intrusive advertising), yet it remains a resilient source of social presence. Conversely, AoD platforms are prioritized for their technological affordances, granting users absolute autonomy over their sonic environment. However, a significant “emotional paradox “emerged: despite the algorithmic efficiency of digital platforms, young audiences continue to seek the “human anchor,” “characterized by real-time interaction, cultural proximity, and the local Suroboyoan dialect, which remains largely absent in AI-driven curation. This study proposes the digital mutation framework, arguing that the survival of legacy audio media depends on a hybrid model that integrates technical adaptability (on-demand access and clean content) with emotional amplification (contextualized human spontaneity). These insights offer a strategic blueprint for broadcasters in the Global South to achieve ontological relevance in an increasingly algorithmic media ecology.