Radioplayer’s Dashboard Mission Has Caught Attention Of Some U.S. Broadcasters.

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://www.insideradio.com/free/rad...cle_ea72ae22-2ef2-11eb-b667-4b17c46edc1c.html

I could see dashboard apps being common at some point within this decade though

Ensuring radio has a prominent place in the car dashboard remains a key mission for the industry, and some broadcasters are looking to London where the broadcaster-backed, auto-focused radio platform Radioplayer is based. This week it expanded into three new countries, inking partnerships in France, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Radioplayer is already in Canada and while it isn’t in the U.S., it is an option some companies are considering.

“We know that the U.S. market is crowded, competitive, and complex,” said Radioplayer Managing Director Mike Hill. “However, from our conversations with U.S. broadcasters and radio organizations, we also know that the radio sector is keen to find a way of securing radio in the dashboard, in a way which is complementary to their own digital strategies.”

Radioplayer Car was announced in 2014 as a hybrid radio receiver that can access broadcast FM signals, streaming radio, and digital-only streams and switch between a station’s broadcast signal and stream, depending on which comes in stronger. The app also uses metadata to beam station logos, messages or even content like podcasts to the dashboard receiver. That has attracted support of both commercial and public radio groups in 14 counties so far, primarily in Europe where nearly one million cars are on the road with radios powered by metadata from Radioplayer stations.

 

[wadio]

Sounds like a really good thing.

I don't know about music (SiriusXM has all the music I need) but for News/Talk there's a lot of great content out there, syndicated and local. The only problem is finding out about it, finding it and being able to easily access it. A dashboard aggregator would help solve that problem, at least on the road.

If great local and national shows such as Mark Simone, John & Ken, Dan Mandis, Chris Plante, Buck Sexton, and others could be accessed without having to figure out which app to use, wait for pre-roll spots to end when "changing stations," and being hit with the same block of targeted ads in every break, that would be fantastic. Streaming local ads is a very good thing but there aren't enough different ones as of now. More listeners should solve that problem.

An aggregator for the dashboard, and one for smartphones and computers, would revitalize "radio" by making the user experience much closer to the Golden Days of radio. Radios were ubiquitous and at your fingertips (the equivalent of not needing separate apps.) Post vacuum-tubes, the radio no longer needed to "warm up" and you could punch a preset button to instantly sample stations (the equivalent of no pre-roll ads.) But streaming is better because there's no interference and the stations don't fade in and out as you travel. If station owners would see this as a great opportunity for the industry, not just making a few fast bucks for their own properties, everyone would benefit. AM stations especially.

Imagine if Cable TV and SiriusXM subscribers had to put up with pre-roll ads when changing channels ... they'd revolt! Subscription and ad-supported content should be no different in that regard.

I know, I know, there's Alexa. We don't always want to be barking commands out loud and "she" often has no idea of what people ask her to play.

 

[theman8410]

I embraced streaming almost at its inception, as a new form of DXing. It is really sad that close to 20 years later it is still be treated as "new" technology, especially in vehicles. The screens of my phone and tablet are cluttered with all the apps required to provide a variety of radio stations/internet stations in my listening experience. I mostly listen to SiriusXM for music, but occasionally I enjoy "dialing in" to the local stations for the talk and music offerings of individual markets. I definitely feel your pain when it comes to pre-roll ads.

 

[Kent]

I realize the majority of most stations' audiences use them, but I hate, and I mean HATE, single station apps. Almost all of them have the same dumb interface. Plus, they clutter up my devices, and they don’t integrate with Apple Music.

I know the aggregators can be a pain, but being able to switch easily between multiple stations and being able to keep the personal browsing tabs to a minimum during working hours are essential to me. Not being on an aggregator almost always means I skip you, especially at work. If TuneIn, iHeartRadio, and Radio.com are major pains, maybe Radio Player would be able to get an opening. I know a lot of my friends continue to be unhappy about changes to TuneIn, and they'd love an alternative. Those I know with Android devices have been really hard-pressed to find a replacement for TuneIn.

 

[TheBigA]

I know a lot of my friends continue to be unhappy about changes to TuneIn, and they'd love an alternative. Those I know with Android devices have been really hard-pressed to find a replacement for TuneIn.

The basic problem is there is no money to be made in this business. Anyone who does this has to find a different revenue stream.