AUDIO & VIDEO
Take a look inside the new
Q-studio
Mattie Valk
from dj to showhost
Since moving into its new studio in Mediavaert, DPG Media’s Amsterdam headquarters, Qmusic has been embracing change. “What you hear when you tune in to our morning show is now seamlessly connected to our video stream.” Mattie Valk tells us how he and his co-host Marieke are laying the foundations for a new form of radio.
The idea didn’t come out of nowhere – Mattie knew that shows in Australia were much further along in combining radio and video. “Video has been an important factor for some time over there,” Mattie says. “In the Netherlands, you’re still basically just watching a radio studio. For me, that has lost a lot of the magic it once had. I wanted to take the next step by focusing more on the visual element.”
Mattie travelled down under to find out how the Ozzies are pioneering a new kind of radio. “Everyone in the studio has a role there, which creates a living room atmosphere. I wanted to build on that in our new studio by creating a show that feels like Friends,” he says, referring to the successful US sitcom about a group of six friends that first aired in the 1990s.
The new studio not only has better audio equipment, but also video cameras, making it a creative playground. “Marieke and I are obviously still the hosts, but the producers have become much more part of the show. They used to be hidden away behind glass, but now they sit right across from us, so there’s a lot more interaction. They’re all unique characters with their own experiences, and that’s something we use. It adds to that Friends vibe, and it’s a dynamic that enriches the show.”
The importance of video is also reflected in the ratings. “People don’t send each other audio clips, but they do share videos. That’s how you get a much bigger reach on social media.” Sometimes clips from Mattie and Marieke’s morning show get more than a million views. On Instagram, the hosts have over half a million followers, and the introduction of video has opened up new demographics. “Some of those followers have never listened to our radio show, but they are fans. It’s actually quite hilarious, they only know us from the videos.”
The new studio has been designed with an eye for detail. The traditional microphones, for example, have been replaced by barely visible ones. This not only ensures more freedom of movement, but also keeps the focus on the conversation. “Things happen while we’re on the air. Now I can walk through the studio without disrupting the show. It’s also just a lot more pleasant to watch – in video clips from traditional radio studios, people’s faces are always blocked by those giant microphones.”
The look of the new studio is a synthesis of traditional and modern elements, Mattie explains. “Lots of foam panels to optimise sound quality, the famous Qmusic red and cameras everywhere. We’re evolving with the times. Our technical department really deserves a lot of credit, because we got off to a flawless start. I figured we’d have all sorts of teething problems in the first six months, but those fears were unfounded. The first time we went live, it was as if we’d already had six months to test everything.”
“The first time we went live, it was as if we’d already had six months to test everything”
What continues to set Mattie & Marieke apart from other morning shows is its commitment to the power of storytelling: serious personal stories, with room for banter. “We don’t want to depend on the daily news to see if there’s anything fun to talk about. When we began, we made a conscious decision not to copy all the other morning shows.”
Despite the increasing focus on video, radio remains number one for Mattie. That’s also the starting point for the producers: it’s about turning radio into video, not the other way around. “Radio is the foundation, the theatre for our imagination. That’s also what made me fall in love with the medium. But at the same time, I can no longer deny that video offers incredible opportunities for radio creators like us. It’s a great second layer. The beauty of radio remains that people can listen anywhere: in the car, while making breakfast. Video demands a different kind of attention – you have to sit down for it.”
Mattie finds that he has started thinking more visually now that video is a bigger part of the show, and he realises that the traditional role of the radio DJ is changing. The DJ working the controls and announcing the next record is slowly turning into a show host who’s much more focused on TV screens. “We’ve tried to create a dark atmosphere to retain the intimacy of a radio studio, while also creating space for guests and producers. People no longer turn on the radio just to listen to music – they also want conversations and good company.” That’s why Mattie intends to be a show host who connects the people in the studio with the listeners, creating that Friends feeling. “I want to use all my mental bandwidth to forge that friendship during the show. That’s the dream at least.”
