Tech Tools for Radio Streamers
by Craig Johnston
 |
| The SRSWowcast Internet Radio Audio Processor From SRS Labs |
The Internet offers almost limitless opportunities
to present listeners with enhanced information and entertainment.
One broadcaster recently described the possibility of Internet radio
as "turbo-charged" radio.
Radio online offers some exciting opportunities to
enhance listeners’ experience by supplying pictures, graphics
and text while music or commercials are playing.
Internet studies find that the addition of visual
information to an Internet radio experience is important.
"Anything that can help make the process more
compelling for the consumer and makes Webcasting distinct from other
choices will help," said Arbitron’s Vice President of
Webcast Services Bill Rose.
"That’s exactly what song title, artist
album and the interactive element provide the user."
Familiar names
RCS, known to radio for its Selector music scheduling
system, markets RCS RadioShow, a product that adds title and artist
information to a station’s Web site and facilitates ad replacement.
RadioShow also features a "buy it now"
option, to allow the listener to buy the CD of the song currently
playing.
"Stations needed a way to put more than just
pictures of the DJs on their Web sites," said Tom Zarecki,
who handles RCS marketing and public relations. "We developed
a product that stations could use to look unique and have a player
presence on their Internet sites."
Flinn Broadcasting Corp.’s WMPS(FM) in Memphis,
Tenn., uses RCS RadioShow to add visual information to its audio
stream.
"It does its job," said Station Engineer
Alan Smith. "We use it to add song title and artist information."
The station also presents the previous 12 songs played.
RCS RadioShow helped WMPS to create its alternative-formatted
Internet site and player to reflect a "pig" theme used
by the station.
RCS offers a version of RadioShow for a station that
is not streaming buts want to give "now playing" on-air
information on its Web site.
RadioShow pricing varies depending on the options
and levels of service a radio broadcaster or Webcaster chooses.
Insertion
Even before the American Federation of Television
and Radio Artists action late year turned Net radio upside down,
the ability to target ads to individual Internet radio listeners
has been the brass ring of streaming radio.
Now that radio commercials that feature AFTRA talent
and are streamed online mean triple rates for performer fees, ad-replacement
technology has gone from an option to a necessity for some managers.
There are two types of ad-insertion systems: server-side
and client-side. In the former, the ad is replaced in the stream
before it is sent to the listener. In a client-side system, the
ads are sent to the listener’s computer prior to the break
and inserted at the appropriate time by the listener’s PC.
HiWire’s ad-insertion technology is a client-side
system, which incorporates a customized player that listeners download.
Through an opt-in data-collection system, HiWire collects basic
information about listeners, including location, so that targeted
ads can be sent to selected listeners during breaks.
The ad-replacement service is available to stations
through a revenue-sharing program. HiWire maintains an ad sales
staff to sell replacement inventory.
Fast work
In June 2001, HiWire signed an agreement with Clear
Channel Worldwide to handle ad-replacement for Clear Channel’s
radio properties in the top 50 U.S. markets. Brian Parsons, Clear
Channel Radio Interactive’s director of technology, said the
task was daunting.
"HiWire has been quick in fulfilling our needs
and ramping up our stations. This wasn’t an easy challenge.
Their performance in keeping pace with our crunched timeline has
been impressive and puts us on track with our revenue goals for
the first part of 2002."
Web audio, like terrestrial radio, benefits from
audio manipulation. Processing of streamed audio produces louder,
clearer and more consistent audio and can reduce the bits necessary
to stream, resulting in lower bandwidth expenses.
Octiv Inc. offers two models of audio processing
software: the OctiMax StreamSolo, with one-input, one-output capability,
and the OctiMax StreamPro, which offers one-input/four-outputs.
Octiv says many stations prefer the StreamPro version
so they can process and send audio for high- and low-bitrate audio
to both the Real and WindowsMedia encoders.
After processing, Octiv’s virtual audio cable
routing system directs the audio signal to the appropriate encoder.
HiWire uses the Octiv system. Interfacing between
the Octiv system and its ad-insertion system is key, said HiWire’s
President and CEO Steve Goldberg.
"Managing the complexities of audio ad replacement
and delivery – for example, stream quality and volume consistency
and terrestrial spot lengths – is critical. Octiv has been
a strong partner in this regard," Goldberg said.
The OctiMax StreamPro is priced at $1,099, the StreamSolo
at $599.
Wow
SRSWowcast Technologies markets the Wowcaster Internet
Radio Audio Processor. It incorporates audio enhancement technologies
from SRS Labs to improve the quality of compressed mono or stereo
audio streamed over the Internet.
"I like it," said Steve Wolf, owner and
operator of Internet-only radio station WOLF(FM) in Nashville, Tenn.
"I like what it does to the sound. It enhances it and boost
the highs."
Wolf has done some testing of the Wowcaster and finds
it similar to a parametric equalizer.
"It does improve the sound quality," Wolf
said.
Where the SRS Labs’ Wowcaster can be used to
reduce the bitrate necessary to stream at a given level of quality,
Wolf has chosen to go the sound enhancement route instead.
"My purpose is to enhance the sound at the bitrate
we’re using," he said.
The rack-mounted Wowcaster sells for $995 and is
available in software format for $1,195.
What tools have helped your station take
better advantage of the Internet? Tell us via e-mail to radioworld@imaspub.com.
|
