Many things are unique to the Christian music industry. From devotionals based around songs to our very own We Love Music Awards, there are so many reasons why we love working in this space. NRT's Brendan Burke and founder, Kevin McNeese, captured some of their favorite things about the Christian music industry from A-Z.
A: Acoustic Story Time
Each month, Jason Gray hosts an acoustic concert at The Well in Nashville, where he records a special for SiriusXM. Some of his guests on the show include Ben Fuller, David Leonard, and Love & The Outcome. You can listen to new episodes here.
B: Behind The Song With Kevin Davis
NRT team member Kevin Davis highlights a new song weekly and meets with the artist to discuss the story behind their single. Read one of his recent devotionals here.
C: Christian Music Fandom
Are you looking for an incredible Facebook group to discuss music with other diehard Christian Music Fans? NRT's Brendan Burke and NewReleaseToday run Christian Music Fandom to share memes, music, and fun interactive posts. Click here to join!
D: Devotionals
Talented artists write many devotionals to showcase their music and lead you deeper in your faith journey. Numerous artists have written them, and they help you dive into God's word with music, stories, and bible verses. Check out artist's merch shops or bookstores to find one that fits you.
E: Elevate Playlist on Apple Music
There are many playlists that highlight Christian music but Apple's Elevate Playlist has been a staple since the beginning. Check it out here. (And while you're at it, subscribe to NRT's playlists on Apple Music. We're one of 8 official curators in the Chrisitan music genre!)
F: Festivals
There are many festivals across the country each year. They all offer unique things and host a significant number of artists. Summer is a great time to experience these with your friends and family.
G: Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a performing venue that hosts many concerts, events, and more. This is where the K-LOVE Fan and Dove Awards are held each year. You can see other events, along with tours of the legendary place. Plan a visit and get your tickets for a show here.
H: Hits Deep Tour
Each year, TobyMac hosts the Hits Deep Tour with his friends. They offer many acts and have great performers all the time. Some artists on this tour with TobyMac are Cory Asbury, Crowder, Mac Powell, and Ryan Stevenson, just to name a few.
I: I Can Only Imagine
MercyMe's "I Can Only Imagine" is the number one best-selling Christian single ever. With over 2.5 million copies sold, the hit single has reached many fans. The song was so popular it even led to a movie in 2018 with Dennis Quaid. I recommend the movie and the song if you haven't seen or heard either yet.
J: Jesus Freak
"What will people think/When they hear that I'm a Jesus freak/What will people do when they find that it's true/I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak/There ain't no disguising the truth /Ain't no disguising the truth/No, I ain't into hiding the truth." DC Talk's hit song "Jesus Freak" is a must-listen for any Christian music fan. Did you know DC Talk fans are releasing an album from them powered by AI? Er--maybe not. Read our April Fool's headline here.
K: K-LOVE At Red Rocks
Every year, K-LOVE At Red Rocks is a unique event where several artists perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheater. Two full days of music with nonstop memories and music in the best concert venue ever? Sign us up!
L: Lyric Search On NewReleaseToday
Did you know NRT has a vast database of Christian song lyrics that you can search? Looking for a specific word, phrase, or theme? Use our powerful site search to find that special song that you can't quite place.
M: Mixtape Theology
Have you read the first book published by NRTBooks? The folks at Mixtape Theology released their first-ever book, Mixtape Theology. The book is a devotional to 90s CCM, highlighting many hit songs from the area. You can order the book here.
N: NewReleaseToday
What else could be at N? NewReleaseToday is the most extensive website for all your favorite things. You can find album reviews, news, and editorials. We definitely know about this one, trust us. ;)
O: Overcomer
Mandisa's sudden death in April 2024 shocked the Christian music world and we're dedicating this letter to the artist that has encouraged millions to get up and overcome whatever circumstances they are facing. The RIAA-certified Gold hit single has amassed 44 million plays on Spotify, alongside the official music video that has seen 55M views to date. It won a GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Song in 2014.
P: Passion Conference
Founded by Louie Giglio in 1997, Passion Conferences capture many young adults aged 18 to 25 for three days of worship and God's word. This gathers many speakers, musical acts, and everyone in between. Have you ever been to Passion?
Q: Questioning
More and more Christian artists are becoming outspoken for their faith in the growing culture wars, and for an industry that has been seriously reluctant to ask questions that might be deemed too controversial, it's a breath of fresh air to find other artists speaking their minds, and standing firm in their faith. John Cooper of Skillet is crushing it on his Cooper Stuff Podcast, Sean Feucht consistently fights the culture wars head on through his X channel and live events, and rapper Ruslan has rebranded as a serious conservative voice through his Bless God Studios on YouTube.
R: Radio
Dispite all the changing ways that we are consuming music, the Christian format at radio isn't going away any time soon. The number of contemporary Christian stations is up 2.5% versus a year ago, while religious talk and teaching formatted-stations have grown 1.6% year-to-year according to the Inside Radio database. The format continues to have the highest Net Promoter Score by double digits--which measures how willing a listening audience is to share and talk about the station--than any other mainstream format including Pop, Rock, and Country. (Stats: Jacobs Media)
S: Stadium Tours
More and more Christian artists are banding together and booking big city stadium tours, and it's changing the way we are all experiencing live Christian music. Anne Wilson, for KING & COUNTRY, MercyMe, Casting Crowns, TobyMac, Lauren Daigle, Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Elevation Worship, and more have all announced 2024 stadium tours... and they are bringing lots of artist friends (and big stage production) with them! We're excited to see Christian music beginning to bust out of the neighborhood church.
T: The We Love Christian Music Awards
Every year, NewReleaseToday hosts a fan-voted award show to showcase many Christian artists and songs. Past hosts have included Rhett Walker, Branan Murphy, and Peabod. If you want to find out more, click here.
U: Unity
Collaborations are not new in Christian music and we continue to see beautiful reflections of artists coming together across all genres. The We Love Christian Music Awards celebrated last year's COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR after giving out the UNITY award to Alveda King (and introduced by former President Trump) in 2022, and Mandisa's father spoke of Unity heavily at her memorial service.
V: VeggieTales
VeggieTales, created by Big Idea Entertainment, is the leading producer of children's and family programming. Bob The Tomato and Larry The Cucumber lead this animated TV program. There have been numerous episodes that are family-friendly and fun for the entire household.
W: Winter Jam
The most prominent Christian music tour every single year is Winter Jam. Starting in 1995, tour founders Newsong headline multiple acts across the country in the winter for a concert tour unlike any other. If you haven't been to a show yet, you definitely need to check it off your list and go.
X: (E)Xtreme Tour
According to their site, The Extreme Tour has been "for almost 30 years now, in hundreds of communities scattered throughout over 20 countries; our team members and partners have been on a mission to use our gifts, skills, and abilities to bring Love, Hope, Unity, and vital resources to people in need." You can check out more about this tour here.
Y: YeeHaw
Christian music shares a city hub with Country Music and the lines continue to be blurred between the two camps in 2024. Artists like Anne Wilson, Ben Fuller, Zach Williams, Crowder, Mac Powell, and more are exploring their music through Country styles.
Z: Zone
As we end this A-Z list, we're going to look into the future of NewReleaseToday. Zones are coming. NRT 3.0 is in development and soon, you'll be able to personalize your NRT experience based on various zones that will be specific to all the sub-genres of Christian music. Like Christian Rock? Be part of the Rock Zone so see tailored news, releases, and more from the artists in that genre. Like Gospel and Worship? Subscribe to both those zones to get a combined feed highlighting the two genres. Zones are going to change the way you use NRT and we can wait to launch this by early 2025.
Assembled from the four corners of North America and many other corners in between, the NRTeam comprises staffers whose energy is equally dispersed towards loving and writing about the music they love.
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