Internet radio streaming

Internet Radio – The Next Big Thing: Exaget Week in Review

February 20, 2015

Exaget Week in review

Internet radio has entered its first teenage years. 2015 has marked its thirteenth year, and internet radio has already come a long way for something that’s still relatively young and fresh. Whilst other radio platforms, such as DAB or the sage analogue, are struggling in keeping up with the hip competition that is online music streaming, internet radio is not only keeping up with the game, but come another thirteen years, could very well surpass it.

So this week, we are dedicating our Week in Review to Internet Radio. Happy Birthday chum!

 

Dutch go digital, apart from when it comes to radio

It looks like it’s not just the UK that’s being rather obstinate and slow to jump on the DAB world domination band-wagon. According to Dutch broadcaster Nos, the government’s multi-million euro campaign to get people to make the DAB radio switch is failing. Experts in the Netherlands’ radio industry say that switching off FM in 2017 is a fairy tale, and that it will take at least another ten years before people are ready. But it’s not FM that’s DAB’s threat. It’s internet radio. Sales of internet radios are much more popular, and more consumers have switched from FM to internet radio both at home and in their cars. Is the UK to soon see a familiar pattern?

 

Recruiting from radio: Apple hires Zane Lowe from BBC

Legendary BBC Radio 1 presenter Zane Lowe is making news waves as it emerged this week that he’s now set on joining Apple after over a decade of BBC radio broadcasting. His exact role is as yet unknown, but nevertheless the news are enough to make one stroke one’s chin and ponder, ‘What is this going to mean for internet radio?’ Apple is very much a tech company first and foremost, and much like Pandora depends on algorithms to ‘interact’ with its listeners. But now this tech-driven online music platform is reaching deep into broadcast radio and acquiring the presence of a real-life human being – the trusted host. Apple being Apple, of course it’s going to be the first to set a new trend; and Apple being Apple, of course other companies are going to attempt to follow in its footsteps.

 

Five things internet radio should steal from broadcast

With Zane Lowe’s announcement that he’s to join Apple soon, it looks like the worlds of music streaming and broadcast radio are converging – and of course, who better to start this trend that Apple. Real life human presenters, who reach out to the audience and create a living relationship with them through the mutual love of music, is a big factor that internet radio is missing, and one that makes it, in contrast to analogue and DAB radio, rather soulless. But it’s not just the human touch that internet radio can take from its bigger broadcast brother. This great insight looks at five other things that internet radio can steal from broadcast, including local programming, music and artist familiarity (which, in its bid to become a source of new undiscovered music, internet radio is overlooking), and audience building and ad selling through recurrents.

 

Internet radio is young, but it has all the potential and all the signs of becoming the next big thing.

 

If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, or would like to know what our integrating technology can do for you, contact our Partnership Account Manager Matthew Layton – matthew.layton@exaget.com or +447533517396

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact the CEO of Exaget, Shankar Meembat –shankar.meembat@exaget.com or +447411130680

The Importance of Content: Exaget Week in Review

January 29, 2015

Exaget Week in review

In last week’s Week in Review we looked at the growth and acquisition of some well-known and emerging music streaming services as this market becomes increasingly competitive.

This week we’re looking at the various ways in which brands and companies use their content across a variety of platforms to reach new audiences while keeping their current ones happy.

 

BBC to test ‘experimental’ digital technology and content

The BBC has launched an online platform, BBC Taster, which will allow them to develop and test ideas for digital content and technology, which audiences will be able to watch and rate; such as interactive, short-form or social content, online features, as well as digital technology from BBC Future Media. The BBC hopes that this platform will enable them to respond to changing media habits as well as better serve its audience from gained feedback.

 

Umano offers streaming narrations of the web’s written work

Quite simply, Umano reads the internet for you, so that you don’t have to. The company supplies audio narrations of written web content, and currently has access to articles from several outlets, such as Forbes, Digital Trends, and VentureBeat. Umano’s PR have stated all narrations have links back to the original written posts, which will drive new traffic to the original publishers. Available as a free app for iOS and Android, the programme has already seen millions of downloads and streams, according to their PR. It’s good to see illiteracy levels being kept down….

 

Rdio launches in new countries & partners with Digicel

Rdio continues its empirical expansion into 24 new countries and territories across the Caribbean, Central America and Asia Pacific, as well as partnering with mobile phone network Digicel. 30 minutes of free Rdio internet radio listening will be offered to Digicel prepaid customers per day. A pay structure is, however, to be developed and launched in due time. These moves come following Rdio’s recent launch in India, where last year they acquired music streaming service Dhingana. Rdio CEO Anthony Bay had previously hinted at expansion plans: ‘Our ultimate goal is to be everywhere.’

 

Twitter tries to up its game with native video

Twitter is set to take on the likes of Facebook and YouTube in the world of native video content. Video is both a crucial and an important form of content for Twitter, as it drives engagement and generates more revenue than other forms of media. By launching its own video platform, users will be encouraged to upload their videos directly to Twitter rather than post links to clips on Facebook or YouTube, or any other video platform.

 

If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, or would like to know what our integrating technology can do for you, contact our Partnership Account Manager Matthew Layton – matthew.layton@exaget.com or +447533517396

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact the CEO of Exaget, Shankar Meembat –shankar.meembat@exaget.com or +447411130680

NPR One – The blueprint for mobile radio apps?

January 21, 2015

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Statistically, online radio listening is increasing year-on-year, with the biggest percentage of listeners falling in the 12-24 years of age bracket; and it’s the same story for music streaming services. As both audio platforms try to boost their listener percentage, they must look at what makes them different from their competitors. But online radio looks like it might have an advantage…

 

BURSTING AT THE SEAMS

There is no denying that the online music streaming industry is over-saturated. Just off the top of your head you would probably be able to name Spotify, Pandora, Deezer, SoundCloud and Grooveshark. And that’s just the big international players – imagine how many more, local, music streaming services there are the world over. Just last week it was announced that Tesco’s ex-music streaming service, Blinkbox Music, is to be sold to Guvera, yet another such service, hailing from Australia. French service Deezer acquired US based Muve Music to expand their music streaming footprint in America. And yet again this week we have been informed of two – yes, two – more music streaming services that we should keep our ears peeled for – Boomio and Nusiki, who both lay claims to providing users with services that are different, and better, than their competitors.

 

‘IF INSTAGRAM AND SPOTIFY HAD A KID’

Brian Hewitt, co-founder of Chicago-based Nusiki, has described this new app as ‘if Instagram and Spotify had a kid’. The secret, it seems, in launching these new apps, is in implementing small features which other apps have overlooked and making a big fuss over that. Spotify shares music too publicly? Ok, we’ll make our sharing system more controlled, as in the case of Nusiki. After all, it’s the little things that make the difference, a phrase that seems to carry a lot of weight in the world of music streaming.

Boomio’s mantra seems to be ‘sharing is caring’ as users pick a song to listen to and share, and at the end are prompted to either re-share in order to hear the next song or buy the track on iTunes. Sharing can be done to an individual, a group, or a social network.

But at the end of the day, music streaming services are limited in what they can offer to the listener when compared to the content of radio. Radio stations are of course already available on mobile phones, but they often lack that element of personalisation that such services as Spotify and Pandora offer. But what if there was an app that brought to you relevant news and stories, in bite sized chunks, from your local radio station as well as internationally, with the curation aspect of music streaming services?

Larry Rosin, president of Edison Research, has recently talked about one such app – NPR One. Dubbed ‘Public radio made personal’, it is available only in the US, although users worldwide can still download it and listen in. The app itself has many great qualities, but it’s not just good; it could well be a blue-print for future radio apps with which to take the online audio platform by storm.

 

‘PANDORA-ITISATION OF CONTENT’

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The advantages of radio are numerous and well-known. One of the oldest social mediums, it still continues to have a large relevance in people’s day-to-day lives. What NPR One does so well is offer their listeners efficiency. Up-to-date relevant news and stories, in under 5 or 10 minutes. Like the music streaming services, you can skip stories, flag your favourite, and share. But it also reminds the listener that there is a local public radio station as part of its programme, and one that needs financial support. Through this scheme the app inspires a wholesome community feel; radio really does bring people together.

Of course, NPR One only deals with news and stories; there is no music, no presenter tete-a-tete, no real-time traffic and weather updates. But all of these typical radio features could be merged with NPR One’s principal concept to create great personalised radio apps, which would have a better value to listeners than all the current numerous music streaming services which fundamentally all do the same thing, albeit in differently packaged ways.

And it’s not just broadcasters and listeners who would benefit from such apps; advertisers too could cash in by the implementation of personalised user-targeted ads.

The moral of the story? NPR One have a great mission and concept. Taken on a global scale and implemented by other radio apps, mobile radio would certainly offer much more than music streaming services – the varied content of radio, with the curated personalisation of music streaming, and adverts tailored to both listener and broadcaster. We all know that radio as a medium is still going strong, with audience figures constantly on the up, and it’s refreshing to see that younger listeners haven’t been completely sucked in by the world of streaming – at least, not in the UK. 

 

If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, or would like to know what our integrating technology can do for you, contact our Partnership Account Manager Matthew Layton – matthew.layton@exaget.com or +447533517396

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact the CEO of Exaget, Shankar Meembat –shankar.meembat@exaget.com or +447411130680

 

The Tide Turns for Music Streaming: Exaget Week in Review

January 15, 2015

Exaget Week in review

In our last Week in Review, we took a look into our crystal ball to see what new ventures may be coming out of the woodwork this year – including the futuristic concept of smart glasses.

This week, however, we turn our attention back to something that is already a big, popular, and sought-after phenomena – music streaming services. With Tesco last week announcing its sale of Blinkbox, the streaming services scene is about to become even more competitive as two new rivals are set to emerge this year:  

 

Tesco close to selling Blinkbox Music

Last week, one of Britain’s largest retailers sold their video streaming service, Blinkbox Movies, to telecoms business TalkTalk in a bid to reel in cash spend – and profit loss. This week they are set to sell Blinkbox Music, their music streaming service, to Australian company Guvera, who are already big in Asia and partnered with Lenovo. Guvera will use this acquisition as a means to get their foot into the UK and European market. Under their management, Blinkbox Music will undergo a face transplant in the form of new branding.

 

Deezer acquires Muve Music

We bring our attention back to European players – more specifically, to French music streaming service Deezer. They already launched in the US in September 2014 following a partnership with Sonos, but now, with the acquisition of Muve Music, they are set to expand their presence in the US – which is also home to perhaps their biggest rival, Pandora. What will make Deezer different? Access to an impressive 35 million tracks, and a tantalising price of $6 per month, compared to the $10 that most other services charge. Will this launch them into a big player on the scale of Pandora? Watch this space…

 

Why mobile is key to Spotify’s future growth

Swedish music streaming behemoth Spotify is this week celebrating 15m paid subscribers and 60m active users; and more than half of these users are streaming via their mobile devices. Statistics show that 42% stream on smartphones, and 10% on tablets. Their free streaming on mobile through their shuffle feature increased their amount of mobile listeners dramatically; but now their goal is to transfer these listeners into paid subscribers. But with Apple to automatically install Beats Music on their iPhones, it will be interesting to monitor how this will affect Spotify’s iOS users.

 

Radio still beats digital for music discovery

Despite the influx of music streaming services vying for your attention, ears, and wallets, the days of the radio are still going strong. The latest statistics from Nielsen have shown that 51% of music consumers in the US find new songs through the radio – that’s an impressive 243 million. The figures include all platforms of radio; car radios, AM/FM sets, and online radio. They also show that listening in the car is the most common way of enjoying music; and that Disney’s Frozen soundtrack is the number one listened to. It looks like there’s no letting go of it…..see what we did there?

 

If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, or would like to know what our integrating technology can do for you, contact our Partnership Account Manager Matthew Layton – matthew.layton@exaget.com or +447533517396

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact the CEO of Exaget, Shankar Meembat –shankar.meembat@exaget.com or +447411130680

Take a stroll through Middle-earth – Exaget Week in Review

January 8, 2015

Exaget Week in review

 

Welcome to our first Week in Review of 2015! We hope you’ve had a relaxing break and the year has started off well. As you may remember, in our last Week in Review we took a sneak peak at what’s set to be trending this year – including the ubiquitous ‘programmatic advertising’!

This week we’re continuing to look at what’s set to be trending, including wearables for consumers and businesses alike to keep an eye out for (no pun intended), as well as two new business developments that may turn our recreational audio and video habits on their heads. 

 

Twitter to be new Youtube

The little blue bird of Twitter is squaring up to take on video behemoth YouTube this year as they prepare to release a new video service on their platform. Such a move could prove pivotal to maintaining their relevance amongst users and their investors happy following a fall of their share price, which they are still struggling to recover.

 

Why you should look out for smart glasses in 2015

Smartwatches hit the consumer market in 2014 in the form of Android Wear, and are set to boom into greater popularity with the upcoming release of Apple’s Apple Watch range. But the market for wearable tech could be a very lucrative one, with BK Yoon, CEO and President of Samsung, stating that wearables would be as important as smartphones. And with Intel investing up to $25 million in internet-connected eyewear maker Vuzix, smart glasses are set to be the next big trend to look out for. One range will even allow you to take a stroll through the Shire with none other than Gandalf himself.

 

2015 Prediction – ‘Cars will have radios’

A thought leader in the connected-car space has this week made a thought-provoking statement that cars in 2015 will have radios. Mind = Blown. With so many of us relying on internet-connected devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets et al.), there is a risk that car radios will be ripped out of dashboards and replaced by – internet modems? Self-driving technology? A directory of streaming companies? No, that would be too silly, best to just stick to a driver’s best friend, the tried-and-tested car radio. Any chance we could bring back the cassette player though? Some of us have still kept our Spice Girls memorabilia…

 

If you are interested in becoming a broadcasting partner, or would like to know what our integrating technology can do for you, contact our Partnership Account Manager Matthew Layton – matthew.layton@exaget.com or +447533517396

If you are interested in advertising opportunities, please contact the CEO of Exaget, Shankar Meembat –shankar.meembat@exaget.com or +447411130680

Exaget Week in Review: Internet radio streaming

September 5, 2013

Exaget, Digital radio advertising, Internet radio streaming, Mobile advertising Magnus Shaw in his latest blog talks about the current situation of internet only radio stations and the reasons behind their failure in acquiring larger audiences. Lack of scale, revenue and a prohibitive royalty cost structure to name but a few.

On the flip side music streamers such as Pandora, Spotify and Rdio have the scale and the revenue but they also have a high cost structure. Laura Sydell asks, ‘Can streaming services make money?’. ‘Pandora” has to pay 64% of its revenue as royalty and Spotify pays 70% of its revenue as licensing fees. The more we listen the more they pay but also the more ads they can target at us for ad revenue.

And there is the need to be reinvesting in the product and audience growth. This level of initial and on going investment is a big barrier to entry for many would be investors.

Drew Larner, the CEO of Rdio, thinks there’s a lot of money to be made. “With real scale, ” he says, “We will absolutely be profitable….wildly profitable.”

Moving on to a more technical note. Jonathan Milne, General Manage, Europe at Celtra, explains why the digital advertising ecosystem needs to re-tool and skill-up if we are to deliver a slick and interactive user experience.

Here’s this week’s round up:

Why internet radio has failed to make a big noise?

Internet-only broadcasting is certainly accessible. Almost anybody can be up and running via the internet in a few minutes. Great, right? Well, only up to a point – read the full article here

Can Streaming Services Make Money?

“It costs us essentially around $20 in licensing fees for every thousand hours that we play in music,” he says. “That means that we have to make $21 in revenue for every 1,000 hours to make a dollar.” – read the full article here

The imperative for HTML5 mobile & tablet advertising

With time spent on mobile and tablet devices due to surpass time spent with desktop devices during this year, it is vital for the digital advertising ecosystem to re-tool and skill-up for HTML5 advertising. The time to act is now – read full article here

If you found this week’s update interesting feel free join our mailing list or donate a share, like or tweet. Subscribe to our newsletter to get your update into your mailbox. If you are a broadcaster, or advertiser and are interested in learning how targeted audio advertising can work for you get in touch.
Exaget Team
@Exaget

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