This week our road test ranged East and with great success. The main test was an epic road trip down Interstate 95 from New York to Washington DC via New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Below are the results. (...)Internet radio in the car is definitely a reality. Now we just need to let people know!»
Escuta passiva vs escuta activa
Uma das principais consequências daquilo que se antevê como a rádio do futuro é a mudança de paradiugma quanto à audição: aquilo que agora é sobretudo uma escuta passiva (feita em acumulação, ou antes de adormecer, por exemplo) poderá transformar-se numa escuta activa (conceito que precisa de ser desenvolvido), ligada às inumeras solicitações que a internet vai/está a proporcionar: ir à net ver a letra da musica, ouvir um arquivo ou um video, comprar determinado produto, produzir um conteúdo, etc.
Mesmo no carro, onde a escuta será maioritariamente passiva (porque feita em acumulação), as coisas vão mudar, a partir do momento em que os sistemas multimédia instalados de origem podem ser controlados por voz (e já não me refiro à partilha do espaço de consumo disponivel com leitores de mp3).
Neste texto têm vindo a ser defendidas algumas ideias, a partir de uma afirmação: a rádio não muda quando passa para o digital. Do meu ponto de vista, só não muda se considerarmos a escuta passiva, que provavelmente sempre existirá (mas cada vez menos...); a questão essencial é que o digital, seja na versão modesta do DAB ou do HD ou mega, da Internet, muda a essência da rádio, a partir do momento em que torna o ouvinte participante, em que o convida a participar em blogues, em votações, a emitir opinião. E isso não se faz no conforto do sofá ou enquanto se acumla com outra tarefa (a rádio tende, pois, a tornar-se um acto primário de consumo, mudando o paradigma).
Podem acompanhar a troca de opiniões aqui.
«O futuro está na venda de relações»
Como bloquear a publicidade
«There's a new, easy-to-install program called Adblock Plus that could become what the modern day "clicker" is to TV and the seek buttons are to drivers looking to change radio stations seamlessly.
Here's how it is described in Forbes:
"Adblock Plus takes a minute to install and instantly replaces annoying banner ads and intrusive videos with pleasant white space. It is one of the most popular free downloads for Firefox, the rival browser to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Firefox is used by one out of six Web surfers worldwide. Three million people are already using Adblock Plus, and every three months another million join them". (...) But this generation tires of things quickly. They have more control over their media than any previous generation. What other generation could steal music? It couldn't be done from a record store unless you wanted to risk arrest. It's possible today because the Internet allows users to control the delivery system.
What previous generation could have custom "radio stations" in their pockets? This generation can program their iPods without daffy djs and commercials.»
Jerry Del Collianno, Ad Blocking 22/02/08
LastFM a crescer
«CBS' social networking site Last.fm is the fastest-growing online music network in the U.S., according to new stats. Last.fm features a free-on-demand music service, which has seen a 92% increase in the number of unique listeners since it was launched four weeks ago. CBS says the site got a "tremendous boost" after Last.fm received on- air promotional exposure during the Grammy Awards and a Garth Brooks concert on CBS-TV.» CBS owns the fastest-growing online music site. Inside Radio 23 (22?)/02/08
«Eu vejo isto como o futuro da rádio»
«(...) George hosts a weekly one-hour talk program on an Internet-only radio network called Voice America. Since it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve never heard of Voice America and thus never heard George’s show, you’ll want to know that Radio by George deliberately ventures away from sports topics. On Jan. 28, for instance, the Buckeye icon’s topic of conversation was the national touring production of The Vagina Monologues. (...) While Voice America doesn’t compile ratings breakdowns for individual shows, the company says it has more than 5 million unique listeners. And one industry expert says to spare your scoffs about online radio. “I see it as the future of radio,” said Michael Harrison, editor of the talk radio trade magazine Talkers. “It’s not a sideshow; it’s the next show. We’re seeing it emerge right now. I would say it’s growing at a rate that’s faster than can be predicted or measured.”»
fonte: «LOOK WHO’S TALKING», The Other paper, by ERIK JOHNS / february 21, 2008
As audiencias no streaming musical
«Web-based music radio services generated 4.85 billion total listening hours in 2007, a 26% increase over 2006, according to a report from AccuStream iMedia Research.Total listening hours averaged 404.2 million hours per month, compared to a 320.5 million hour average in 2006.
AOL's Shoutcast remained the top platform for Internet music radio, claiming 48% of total listening hours for the year, and was followed by Clear Channel Online, Yahoo Music, AOL Radio Networks and Pandora.
The Internet music radio ad market was worth approximately $92 million in 2007, including $80 million in audio ads -- a 194% increase from 2006 -- and another $12-$15 million generated through video ads placed within radio sites.
AccuStream credited online commitments from terrestrial broadcasters such as Clear Channel and Citadel Broadcasting in part for the improved ad market for the medium, but noted that the top ten radio sites still captured over 90% of total listening hours monthly. »
fonte: «Report: Web Music Radio Listening Up 26% in 2007», Digital Media Wire Mark Hefflinger on February 20, 2008
Podcasting é a nova rádio.
Há falta de pesquisa?
«O horrivel inicio de 2008»
«NEW YORK – February 20, 2008: Reacting to the RAB's report that overall radio revenue declined 6%, Wachovia Securities analyst Marci Ryvicker today issued a report in which she described the result as a "horrible start to the new year" for the industry. In the report, Ryvicker also cut her Q1 forecast for the industry.
Whereas she previously had expected the industry to be flat versus year-ago levels, Ryvicker now predicts that the industry will post a 0.8% revenue decline for 2008.
She said, "We think Street estimates for 2008 are at risk and that most numbers will come down during the next two weeks as companies report Q4 2007 results and provide color on Q1 2008."» 21/02/08 radio INK 'Horrible Start' To 2008
INSIDE RADIO Thursday, February 21, 2008
| Radio's worst January in more than a decade. There's no way to sugarcoat the stark fact that 2008 had a rough start for radio. Revenues fell 6% in January. But non-spot revenues continued to grow, increasing 11% last month. Wachovia analyst Marci Ryvicker says this "horrible start to the year" worries her. After just one month of data, she no longer thinks radio has hit bottom - and is projecting another negative year. |
| Big growth for online radio listening and revenues. Online music radio online logged 4.85 billion total listening hours last year, a 26% increase from 2006. AOL's Shoutcast remains the top destination, followed by Clear Channel Online. AccuStream iMedia Research calculates ad revenues increased 194% to $80 million last year - and that figure could jump to $150 million this year. |
DAB chega à Australia
A rádio vai bem no Canadá
«“Every year, we wonder if this is the year where radio in Canada finally kicks the bucket and performs along the lines of its dreadful old-media brethren,” says Mr. Bayard in a recent note to clients. “And every year, we are surprised by radio’s resilience in the face of ever-increasing competition from alternative sources for information [and] entertainment.”
In fiscal 2007, which ended in August, the radio industry posted growth of 3.9%, according to figures published by the Radio Marketing Bureau. While this growth was restrained in comparison to a 6.5% increase a year earlier, the first four months of fiscal 2008 have so far produced growth of 5.6%,says Mr. Bayard.
Among radio’s strengths, he says, is its cost-effectiveness relative to other media, and the fact that radio rates highest for “the ability to connect with the consumer” who is close to making a purchase.»
fonte: Signals strong for radio industry, Astral and Corus, Posted: February 19, 2008, 9:02 AM by Jonathan Ratner
A rádio de palavra vale 18% nos EUA (mais Spanish e religious)
NEW YORK -- February 19, 2008: The four News/Talk/Information formats -- News, Talk, News/Talk, and Sports -- led the way again in fall 2007, with a 17.9 combined AQH share, according to Arbitron's newest Format Trends Report. That was up from 17.4 in summer '07, which was flat with the spring.
In second place again were the combined AC formats (AC, Hot AC, Modern AC, Rhythmic AC, and Soft AC), with a 15.2 share, a nice bump from 13.9 in the summer and 14 in the spring. The bulk of that listening went to mainstream AC, with an AQH share of 9.0.
Eleven Spanish talk and music formats combined for a 10.9 share, flat with summer and down a tick from spring's 11.0, and in fourth were the Top 40 and Rhythmic formats, combining for a 10.8 in the fall.
The formats in the report, ranked by AQH share:
News/Talk/Information 17.9
AC 15.2
Spanish 10.9
Top 40/Rhythmic 10.8
Urban 9.9
Country 9.0
Rock 7.5
Oldies 5.8
Alternative 3.6
NAC/Smooth Jazz 2.5
Religious 2.5
Adult Hits 2.4
Classical 1.0
Adult Standards 0.9
Remaining formats 0.1
The report is based on 12+ listening, Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m.-midnight. The trends don't include Portable People Meter data from Philadelphia and Houston.»
O fim da industria musical, tal como a conhecemos
«CAMBRIDGE, MA -- February 19, 2008: In the flashily titled report "The End of the Music Industry As We Know It," Forrester Research projects that digital music sales will grow at a compound annual rate of 23 percent over the next five years, reaching $4.8 billion by 2012 -- not enough to make up for lost CD sales, which Forrester projects will fall to $3.8 billion over the same period. Half of all music sales in the U.S. will be digital by 2011, the research firm projects.» (Radio Ink, Report: Digital Music Will Pass CD Sales By 2012, 20/02/08)
Forrester Researches "End of Music Industry As We Know It"
Os hábitos da geração iPod
«Here, then, are six lessons I've learned about what it takes to get the best performance from a sophomore.
1. ELIMINATE AMBIGUITY.Millennials are experts at calculating what it takes to meet expectations. Once locked in, they have a GPS-like approach to navigating toward the goal. I have learned that the flip side of this laser-like focus is a lack of patience for any hint that the rules are being changed midstream.
LESSON: Set clear goals and timelines -- and resist modifying them. Once the syllabus is printed, I never change it.
2. THINK OF TIME AS A 24/7 RESOURCE. College students don't look busy or frantic; they look tired. Millennials regard time as a 24-hour resource. Thanks to time stamping, I know students complete their work closer to 5:00 a.m. than 5:00 p.m. I have come to admire this as an exquisite sense of time management rather than a lack of forward planning.
LESSON: Focus on results, not process. Tell them when it's due, not when to do it.
3. COMBINE WORK WITH PLAY.I suspect Millennials will think of a job less as a place you go from 9 to 5 than as a place where you get to hang out with a great team of friends prior to meeting them later to hang out and continue the conversation somewhere else.
LESSON: Allow Millennials to form their own work teams when possible.
4. MAKE IT WORTHWHILE. Students are sick of busy work and exercises; they long to do something "real" and meaningful. What's more, they are convinced they are ready for it. Whenever possible, I incorporate real-world consulting problems and clients into class assignments. Many students have told me years later that those were among the most meaningful experiences they had in their college careers.
LESSON: Assign the tough problems, not just the ones you think they can handle.
5. HANDLE WITH CARE.They look like adults, talk like adults and (usually) think like adults. So it's easy to forget that emotionally they have more in common with high-schoolers than young professionals. They take everything very seriously. Many Millennials lack the resilience to shrug off setbacks; a misdirected frown or a curt e-mail can send them into a tailspin.
LESSON: Use criticism sparingly, frame feedback positively -- and keep the Kleenex handy.
6. PLAY TO THEIR STRENGTHS. Millennials find technology effortless, the result of growing up in a world where computers, cellphones, iPods, navigation systems and digital recorders are ubiquitous and essential. They exhibit an unusual breadth of experiences and a deep sense of social responsibility. Their perspective is entirely global. In the classroom, I try to leverage these strengths by giving them choices and encouraging them to follow their interests. Student work often astonishes me with its professionalism and creativity.
LESSON: Let their creativity, technology skills and brainpower loose. There's no telling where it will lead. »
fonte: «Get the Best Out of Millennials by Tweaking Habits», AdAge,By Carol Phillips Published: February 11, 2008
«Serviço TMN identifica músicas na rádio»
«A TMN acaba de disponibilizar em Portugal o TrackIDTM, um serviço de identificação, pesquisa e aquisição de música através do telemóvel, disponível apenas nos equipamentos da marca SonyEricsson W880i e W580i. Ainda durante o primeiro semestre de 2008 serão lançados novos modelos desta marca com esta funcionalidade. Através do TrackIDTM, o utilizador pode captar e identificar, a partir de um pequeno trecho, a música que está a ouvir, por exemplo, no rádio ou na discoteca, recebendo no seu telemóvel informação sobre o nome da faixa musical, o álbum a que pertence e o nome do autor, seguidos de uma ligação à loja de música da TMN onde pode comprar essa faixa. Esta loja, assegurada pelo Napster Mobile, disponibiliza cerca de três milhões de faixas musicais.
Em comunicado, a TMN refere que a palavra «inovação é o termo que melhor descreve» esta funcionalidade, que dá aos seus clientes uma «nova vantagem inédita e a possibilidade de se diferenciarem pela impressionante capacidade posta ao seu alcance de, em qualquer lugar, identificarem as músicas que estão a ouvir» em apenas 30 segundos.
O desenvolvimento da TrackIDTM e a sua integração com o serviço Napster Mobile resultou de uma parceria entre a TMN, a SonyEricsson e a Ericsson.» (fonte: Serviço TMN identifica músicas na rádio SOL, 20/02/08)
http://www.xstreamradio.co.uk/
MySpace lança-se na musica via streaming?
«Beware, SpiralFrog and Imeem. A powerful new player is eyeing your ad-supported music turf. MySpace.com is in talks with the four major record labels about starting a free-to-consumer music service, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNET News.com on Monday night. So far MySpace and the labels are just talking, the source said, but PaidContent, the blog that broke the news, reported that the music companies are being offered an equity stake in the News Corp.-backed start-up. A MySpace spokeswoman declined to comment Monday evening. There are conflicting reports about whether the new music service would offer downloads or stream music to PCs. PaidContent reported that it's downloads, but Silicon Alley Insider reported that its sources said the site would stream songs»
fonte: «MySpace's music plan likely to be streaming service», Greg Sandoval, CNET February 18, 2008
«A rádio maltratou os seus ouvintes e anunciantes»
- Our listeners are going away. (...)
- Radio has maltreated its listeners and advertisers. Too much clutter, too many station promos, too little leadership, and too much research. We follow our listeners instead of leading them. We pander to them. (...)
- Consolidation has helped the quality of the radio product…the actual “on air” presentation. It has not helped to expand the range of programming choices available to our audiences. This has been a huge disappointment.
- Consolidation has done harm to one of our most basic and important tenets of commercial radio: the ideal of localism.
A perda de audiências nos EUA
«Radio reaches a large portion of adults on a weekly basis, but time spent listening is at a 27-year low. In September 2002, Duncan’s American Radio reported that the “average persons rating” – the percentage of the U.S. population listening to the radio in any average quarter hour – has experienced a near-17 percent drop in listening over the last 13 years.» Future of Music Coalition, Radio Deregulation: Has It Served Citizens and Musicians?