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Showing results for airplay. Search instead for airplays.

airplay

American  
[air-play] / ˈɛərˌpleɪ /

noun

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


airplay British  
/ ˈɛəˌpleɪ /

noun

  1. (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.

See Examples For:

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

Tracks qualify if they meet its criteria for sales, streams and airplay, even if they have been generated by algorithms.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

Though they were getting airplay, the band’s album, which they recorded in 1981, didn’t see daylight because the ill-fated Rock-A-Mod Records, which they recorded the album for, folded before it could be released.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 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 Cory Doctorow

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