Audio streaming on the up and up…

Internet radio and audio streaming provide so many advantages to music fans, you’ve got to ask yourself why on earth would a person tune into something with an old-school dial again?

Firstly, there’s a definite lack of yabbering on internet radio. Due to its focus on streamed music, it means less crap talk and more quality music.

Secondly, there is less advertising on online radio – with some stations and streaming services doing away with commercials completely. This means less white noise for the listener and more of what they tuned in to listen to in the first place.

Thirdly, listeners gets to call the shots – virtually selecting their playlists. Gone are the times when we were subjected to some ol’ pony-tailed, rock-loving codger’s taste in music (thankfully, because we can only take so much Noiseworks) and in their place an era where software cleverly picks up on our usage algorithms and predicts what best to play for us.

Of all positive aspects of the online audio streaming, though, ultimately it’s about the sheer breadth of music available for us to listen – and introduce ourselves – to. With streaming services such as Pandora, Spotify and Radionomy, fans of any given genre are introduced to new artists quicker and more efficiently than ever before. If you dig Perth band, Pond, for example, you’ll likely be recommended bands that have influenced the guys (egs: the Beatles; the Polyphonic Spree), artists connected to them (Tame Impala) and even unsigned local acts that fit into a similar genre.

These positive factors, as well as the fact that online audio streaming is cost-effective to both suppliers and consumers, have seen the medium double in popularity within a year.

In July, 2014, Pandora Australia and New Zealand achieved a milestone of two million registered listeners, effectively doubling its listener base in less than 12 months.

“It’s clear that radio is evolving,” said Managing Director of Pandora ANZ, Jane Huxley. “This evolution is being propelled by consumers and technology.

“We know and celebrate the fact that every individual has their own unique relationship with music. Our business is based on getting to know our listeners likes and dislikes so that we can continue to spin track after track of music we know they will love.”

In the US, audio streaming services have superseded analogue radio as a preferred source of music-listening. According to the ‘Share of Ear Report’, a twice-yearly tracking study that evaluates all forms of audio, more people now enjoy tailored music streamed through mobile phones and computers than they do traditional radio. The study reveals Americans aged 13-17 spend an average of 64 minutes listening to streamed audio, compared to 53 minutes of traditional AM/FM (including traditional stations’ online streams).

And Edison Research is serious stuff. The company conducts surveys for an array of big businesses including Google, Sony, Time Warner and Yahoo.  Antonino Tati 

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