Airplay is a term used in the radio broadcasting industry to state how frequently a song is being played on over-the-air radio stations. For example, a song which is being played several times every day (spins) would be classed as receiving a large amount of airplay. The explosion of music played on jukeboxes, in nightclubs and at discotheques between the 1940s and 1960s fell into this category.
For commercial broadcasting, airplay is usually the result of being placed into rotation, also called adding it to the station's playlist by the music director, possibly as the result of a Pay for Play sponsored by the record label. For student radio and other community radio or indie radio stations, it is often the selection by each disc jockey, usually at the suggestion of a music director.
Most countries have at least one radio airplay chart in existence, although larger countries such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Brazil have several, to cover different genres and areas of the country.
A song which was very successful in the airplay charts but not so strong in sales was commonly known as "turntable hit" when radio stations played only vinyl singles.
Airplay can be a crucial element in securing a singer's 'hit', and alongside social networking websites it is an effective method that artists uses to make their name known.