airplay

American

[air-pley] / ˈɛərˌpleɪ /

noun

the act or an instance of broadcasting recorded material over radio or television.

airplay British

/ ˈɛəˌpleɪ /

noun

(of recorded music) radio exposure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of airplay

First recorded in 1965–70; air ¹ + play

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With more than 10 million combined sales and dominant airplay, “Hey Ya!” was one of the most ubiquitous songs of the decade.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

Chris Rea's most famous hit was Driving Home For Christmas - written in 1978, released as a single in 1988 and still receiving substantial radio airplay every December since then.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

The album accrued seven Grammy nominations and shot the band into rock stardom with long-lasting singles and heavy MTV airplay.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

While speaking to Fox, Willis noted that the track had seen a significant spike in airplay in recent weeks.

From Salon • Dec. 5, 2024

It's good enough for divvying up the royalties paid by musical rights societies for radio airplay and live performance.

From Ebooks: Neither E, Nor Books by Doctorow, Cory

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023