• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Stream measurement

It appears that the measurement devices are picking up streams, albeit small figures. Simple question. Is radio corporate radio finally going to take streaming seriously?
This surprisingly shows that most stations that stream still get the majority of their audience through conventional radio. WINS, for example, is a 4.3 whilst it's streaming counterpart is a 1.1. WNEW is a 3.6 in the January shares, whilst their streaming was 0.3 during the holiday slot. At least the streaming has risen consistently.

I must admit though, I have become fond of being able to stream out of market stations like KGOR Omaha, WINS New York, and WTWW Lebanon (shortwave). Your question asked if corporate radio will take streaming seriously. What in the world does that mean? Audacy and iHeart really has each station's website built around streaming. In fact, I was nicely able to rewind WBBM on their website to hear the top-of-the-hour ID. Is that not caring? Even on junkier stations, their streams work just fine for the most part. Those who do need to fix their streams are rather rare.

The truth of the matter has to be that the car radio is the single most consistent way to receive your favorite station whilst on the go. If you're at home, fine, play the Alexa, but when you're driving, how much easier is it for a one-touch switch to your favorite preset as opposed to setting up Bluetooth, and then going to the website and finding the stream?
 
BTW, 1010 WINS has got an awesome stream. I can even backtrack to my favorite show. For example, If I wanted to share the Morning show with you, then all I would have to do is scroll through the guide, click on the show, and share the link like this: https://go.audacy.com/FzicT8VmTnb
 
The truth of the matter has to be that the car radio is the single most consistent way to receive your favorite station whilst on the go. If you're at home, fine, play the Alexa, but when you're driving, how much easier is it for a one-touch switch to your favorite preset as opposed to setting up Bluetooth, and then going to the website and finding the stream?
Here in Australia, I work in radio and I'm sitting in my office at work. As I'm reading this statement, an ad for Volvo cars comes on, pushing streaming connectivity.
 
It appears that the measurement devices are picking up streams, albeit small figures. Simple question. Is radio corporate radio finally going to take streaming seriously?
Stations have the option in the ratings to display their streaming numbers separately as Audacy and Cox do or combine them in one number like everyone else does.
 
Stations have the option in the ratings to display their streaming numbers separately as Audacy and Cox do or combine them in one number like everyone else does.
Generally, stations that do not run the same commercial content in their stopsets can not qualify for single line reporting of OTA and streamed content. Of course, we know that Nielsen can't check every station for compliance so there may be many violations of this rule.

The intent of combining Nielsen results is to show advertisers how may people will hear their ads. But if the commercial breaks are segregated, any station that claims single line reporting is committing fraud.
 
Here in Australia, I work in radio and I'm sitting in my office at work. As I'm reading this statement, an ad for Volvo cars comes on, pushing streaming connectivity.
That is nice. But it is for a 2022 car. I don't know the data down under, but in the US the average car is 12 years old and that means that most do not have that kind of easy connectivity.
 
Stations have the option in the ratings to display their streaming numbers separately as Audacy and Cox do or combine them in one number like everyone else does.
That definitely would explain why we haven't seen these before.
an ad for Volvo cars comes on, pushing streaming connectivity.
Interesting. Perhaps as time marches forward, cars will have automatic streaming capability that will be included in the monthly cost of the vehicle?
(But for now, streaming is harder than radio. I mean, it is easy to set up, just not as easy as pushing the preset button! One of these days, though, I accept that might change. Then our discussion can evolve to show how vehicles have changed, but right now, most people own vehicles from 2016 or earlier.)
 
That is nice. But it is for a 2022 car. I don't know the data down under, but in the US the average car is 12 years old and that means that most do not have that kind of easy connectivity.
That's what I thought too.
 
That definitely would explain why we haven't seen these before.

Interesting. Perhaps as time marches forward, cars will have automatic streaming capability that will be included in the monthly cost of the vehicle?
(But for now, streaming is harder than radio. I mean, it is easy to set up, just not as easy as pushing the preset button! One of these days, though, I accept that might change. Then our discussion can evolve to show how vehicles have changed, but right now, most people own vehicles from 2016 or earlier.)
Streaming on a smart speaker is easier than tuning a radio. All you have to do is tell Alexa to play a station.
 
Streaming on a smart speaker is easier than tuning a radio. All you have to do is tell Alexa to play a station.
However, using Alexa requires an annual subscription fee to Amazon Prime and any custom service requires the music service fee. Most people have no trouble turning on a radio and, similarly, most people have a single preferred station... so very little work involved.

But I agree that a huge percentage of people find a single purpose radio a waste of space when Alexa will play music, answer questions, give recipes, run your alarm and show the time and even order things for the home.
 
However, using Alexa requires an annual subscription fee to Amazon Prime and any custom service requires the music service fee.

Incorrect. All you need to use a device with Alexa is a regular Amazon account which is free. It can stream any of the free music services like TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Audacy, ad-supported Spotify, etc.
 
Incorrect. All you need to use a device with Alexa is a regular Amazon account which is free. It can stream any of the free music services like TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Audacy, ad-supported Spotify, etc.
How then does Amazon monetize Alexa? It can't be purely advertising because the profit margin is slim to nonexistent. I've had an Amazon account for years and years. I've never ordered anything from Amazon itself, preferring to patronize third-party sellers through Amazon for legacy media like books and CDs. Why would Amazon offer me free access to a streaming device when I make them no money as it is?
 
Why would Amazon offer me free access to a streaming device when I make them no money as it is?

Note that Alexa only gets you the free streaming services. Amazon is hoping to convince you to subscribe to their unlimited music service, which costs $9.95 a month. Apple does the same thing.
 
Is radio corporate radio finally going to take streaming seriously?

What do you mean? It's obviously a priority at iHeart and Audacy. The continual problem is monetizing it. The way to fix that is to come to a resolution with RIAA about a broadcast royalty that includes a discount for streaming. That's where the logjam is.
 
Incorrect. All you need to use a device with Alexa is a regular Amazon account which is free. It can stream any of the free music services like TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Audacy, ad-supported Spotify, etc.
Yes, but that does not get you customizable streams and individual songs.

If I ask for a favorite song, it tells me I have to subscribe. I can ask for the genre the song is from, and may never hear the one I want and will get a lot of strange segues and secondary songs.

And you can get those "Free Music Services" on nearly any connected device, including your phone with it s 1/16" high fidelity speakers.
 
How then does Amazon monetize Alexa? It can't be purely advertising because the profit margin is slim to nonexistent. I've had an Amazon account for years and years. I've never ordered anything from Amazon itself, preferring to patronize third-party sellers through Amazon for legacy media like books and CDs. Why would Amazon offer me free access to a streaming device when I make them no money as it is?
Maybe they monetize the data somehow?
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom