From the consumer viewpoint, one of the best things about radio is that it just works. You simply turn on a single and simple device, and your favorite stations are right there, delivering the content you want. Unfortunately, the same isn\u2019t necessarily true when it comes to streaming.<\/p>\n
As more of us listen to streams using smartphones, tablets, and computers, the user experience becomes frustratingly inconsistent. It can be difficult to know where to find content that might live on iHeartRadio, TuneIn, radioPup, or a stand-alone app. And then once the content is located, the stream quality can vary widely influenced by a number of factors, many of which are out of the broadcaster\u2019s control.<\/p>\n
It would certainly benefit the radio industry and help secure its future if streaming was as easy as listening to a traditional radio. Across the Atlantic that thought process led to the development of the Radioplayer app \u2013 an online audio player that gives listeners access to live, on-demand, and podcast radio from hundreds of stations \u2013 commercial and non-commercial \u2014 in the United Kingdom. All in one place. But as we know from our experience in the States, the process of bringing different broadcasters with varying priorities together for a common goal is never easy.<\/p>\n
Radioplayer was developed and is maintained by a not-for-profit company backed by the entire British Broadcasting industry, including the BBC. To find out more about this innovative approach to streaming and the unique cooperation that has been established between rivals, we talked to Managing Director Michael Hill.<\/p>\n
JM: Tell us how the concept for the Radioplayer app came about.<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: \u2018Radioplayer\u2019 is a concept that\u2019s much bigger than the app. It\u2019s about working together, to secure radio\u2019s future. About four years ago, online listening appeared to be flat-lining, compared to the growth of video, social media, and other content. So the UK radio industry decided to collaborate on some strategically important stuff. That is, to \u2018agree on technology, compete on content.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n Our research showed that people found radio websites and players inconsistent and difficult to use. So the BBC and commercial radio got together and designed a \u2018best-in-class\u2019 web player. We aimed for \u2013 \u2018it just works\u2019 \u2013 like a radio.<\/em><\/p>\n We launched with 157 UK stations in 2011. Within 18 months, online listening had grown by 40%. We now feature more than 400 stations, and serve 7 million users per month. Our apps are world-leading and incorporate the best radio search experience in the world, a brilliant recommendation engine, and an elegant \u2018series-stacking\u2019 feature for catch-up and podcasts. Both iTunes and Google Play just featured them in their \u2018best new app\u2019 categories.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: It couldn\u2019t have been easy to get public and commercial radio to work together. What was the biggest barrier you faced in making it happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: The toughest challenge was defining where the lines are drawn. Most people agree there are issues best addressed through collaboration and they also agree companies need freedom to act alone, competing on distinctiveness and innovation.<\/em><\/p>\n We were successful with UK Radioplayer because throughout the design process, we applied \u2018just enough\u2019 consistency to solve the \u2018user experience\u2019 problem while leaving space for innovation and distinctiveness. We got the balance right for broadcasters because we are broadcasters ourselves.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: Has the concept moved beyond the UK?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: Some countries \u2014 Belgium, Norway, Finland, and others \u2014 have adopted Radioplayer-style models of their own. And it\u2019s no secret we\u2019re talking to the Canadian radio industry about launching a version of Radioplayer. They see clear benefits to owning their own aggregator rather than becoming increasingly dependent on third parties.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: What do you think would have to take place for U.S. broadcasters to do something similar?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: You\u2019ve already got aggregation models, like iHeart and TuneIn. These go some of the way to solving the \u2018user experience\u2019 problem. But they\u2019ve grown out of a largely commercial need and don\u2019t seem very collaborative or particularly strategic. Sometimes, an industry has to look at the long game as well as the quarterly spreadsheets. Damn, that sounds preachy. Sorry.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: Many broadcasters in the States feel that efforts to promote the stream should take a backseat to promoting over the air radio (a la NextRadio). What\u2019s your reaction to that?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: We shouldn\u2019t be \u2018promoting\u2019 specific distribution methods to listeners at all. They don\u2019t understand, or care. They just want to listen to our great content. That\u2019s not to say we shouldn\u2019t discuss distribution behind closed doors but radio folk tend to obsess about platforms at the expense of content.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: How does monetization of the stream work for commercial broadcasters in the UK?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: For several years, streaming in the UK has been monetized in the same way as broadcast \u2013 counted and sold as listener-hours (we don\u2019t have the same requirement to replace ads in our streams as you do in the U.S.).<\/em><\/p>\n But now, stations are starting to introduce in-stream systems like Triton and AdsWizz, enabling dynamic targeting of audio spots. At the same time our biggest commercial group (Global Radio) has announced it\u2019s leading a new (and collaborative) project to launch a Digital Audio Exchange for ads (DAX for short). Over the next couple of years these two innovations combined will revolutionize how commercial radio is viewed by advertisers.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: The concept of the radio industry speaking in \u201cone voice\u201d goes beyond both streaming and borders. Explain why it matters.<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: There\u2019s one word that explains the importance of radio speaking with \u2018one voice\u2019: cars.<\/em><\/p>\n Auto manufacturers work on such long timescales and across such vast geographical markets that a single country can\u2019t hope to influence them, let alone a single company. Not even a country as large as the U.S. or a company as influential as the BBC. Unless we speak with one voice, we will not be heard clearly and \u2018proper radio\u2019 will start getting left out of new digital dashboards.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: James Cridland, a radio futurologist who consults Radioplayer, once said, \u201cA growing share of a shrinking market may look impressive to investors; but a growing market is ultimately more important to the long-term health of an industry.\u201d How can American broadcasters begin growing the market?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: There are two areas to focus on and these are so obvious and facile that I apologize in advance.<\/em><\/p>\n 1) Content: Clearly still King. \u2018Proper Radio\u2019 done well has far more value to listeners than the sum of its parts. But we\u2019re starting to see that value erode, particularly in the U.S. Others are appropriating the term \u2018radio\u2019 for their own commercial ends, even if they\u2019re just algorithmic streaming services. To fight this, we must amplify what\u2019s distinctive about \u2018proper radio.\u2019<\/em><\/p>\n 2) Distribution: If content is King, distribution is Queen. Having the greatest Breakfast Show on the planet is pointless if no one under 40 can work out how to listen. That\u2019s where industry collaboration becomes crucial. Not just for the obvious (streaming apps), but for developing next-generation radios.<\/em><\/p>\n Streaming is great, but it doesn\u2019t solve all our problems, and it sounds like crap in a moving car (in the UK, anyway). We need to prototype new, smarter radios, and persuade phone and car manufacturers to support a hybrid future.<\/em><\/p>\n JM: What is one suggestion you have for someone with an innovative idea that doesn\u2019t know how to get started?<\/strong><\/p>\n MH: Here are four ideas:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks to Mike Hill for these great responses, and to Mike Stern for writing this post.<\/p>\n\n