Gerd Leonhard's Blog on The Future of Music, Media & Entertainment

The next-gen Radio / Radio2.0 is like Google Reader – waiting for the Universal Music Feed Reader

It just occurred to me that I see the Future of Radio every single day, already, and it’s called Google Reader. I add new feeds to my Reader every day, I share my feeds and opml files with others, I freely export and import, I browse online, I browse offline –I am now in complete control of my news and I pay with my attention; not with Cash (but guess what... I think I would even do that, too!)

Replace text feeds with music and you have a preferred Future for Radio. Imagine being able to add a radio program to your selection of feeds, and it would be available online or offline (and yes - in the car, too!) Imaging every radio station having an output feed, every listener having a music feed reader, 200 clever feedburner-like apps serving a Billion people.

You could bookmark what you like, tag it, star it, as you see fit. Select from any content provider, or have them select for you, or have others share your selections. Select from any grades of narrowcasting to any shade of broadcasting. Aggregate it in a reader that works on any platform: mobile, phone, TV, Digital Radio, the Computer… or your music-wristwatch or your MP3 sunglasses.

I think Google has been sued over their 'use' of news feeds in the Google Reader. Google has been sued over Google Print. Google has been sued over Youtube. Google always gets sued, and whenever they do you can bet that they are on the way to forming the future! Someone out there will launch TheUniversalMusicFeedReader (TUMFR) and free music from the slavery of the COPY PARADIGM. Right?

The content owners?  Just like with Google Reader, a refusal to participate is futile. All content is already being made available by millions networked computers, and any refusal to  ‘not-permit’ just leads to a re-routing-around-the-damage --- the network always heals itself. It's time to realize that the surest way to have your brand diminished is to not participate! You would not only lose your audience (since you are forcing them to come to your sites as well as to The Univeral Reader) you are also forced to police how much of your content ends up on TUMFR anyway – but using AJAX and other web2.0 tools anyone could pull the content directly onto their machines without having to even be touched by TUMFR, therefore leaving you zero recourse. Participate or be left by the side of the road.

The Death of Pandora and the Rebirth of Webcasting | Voices | Michael Robertson | AllThingsD

Good explanation of the webcasting royalty debacle, by Michael Robertson. The Death of Pandora and the Rebirth of Webcasting | Voices | Michael Robertson | AllThingsD.

Bridge Ratings: Terrestrial Radio's Run Through the New Media Gaunlet

Good stats and intel here, as usual
What's New At Bridge Ratings.

Pandora To Shut Out Non-U.S. Users Thursday Evening - another example of ancient music laws killing a good service - or how to encourage startups to care about any rights!

I just commented on this at Techcrunch (see link below). Pandora, my absolute favorite user-generated programs web radio, will cut off ALL of it's non US listeners because of licensing restrictions.  You may guess who is behind this: yes, the music rights licensing organizations - that would be my guess. This really sucks.

Here we have yet another example of how out-moded licensing traditions and related laws kill something that really has value, that has been painstakingly built over the past few years, and that is helping everyone to sell more music online!  I think that if the music industry does not start solving these ancient licensing problems ASAP they shouldn't be surprised why everyone is serving their music needs via totally unlicensed sources that never ever go nearly as far as Pandora has to become legal. I mean, come on, how many years have you guys had to give a license to Pandora??? Maybe the European Commission should start thinking about FINES for PROs (Performing Rights Organizations) for not making reasonable licensing deals available? How about a penalty for 'hampering the growth of new business' or for sitting on your rear doing nothing while everyone else is busting their butts trying to reinvent the music business?

It almost seems like, today, a company that tries to do the right thing from the start gets punished at every turn while those that don't even bother with getting any of the rights, period (no... not listing examples here;) are the ones that a) get funded with 10s of millions of dollars   b) sell their company for hundreds of millions of dollars, and get to do as they please while the music industry is mutely standing by (since they never bother to check out the new stuff until someone alerts them, not asking for a license would be the safe way to start, right...?) With their outdated licensing structures and seriously backwards business processes most of the music industry is, imho, actually encouraging people to completely ignore the rules if they want to get anywhere, anytime soon. Just like DRM is actually promoting piracy (by punishing legally minded users and giving them less value for more money), these webcasting regulations are forcing companies into non-compliance due to the lack of reasonable options. 

If this isn't bizarre, I don't know what is!  Here is my call to action for the music rights organizations around the world, the PPL / GVL, BUMA, GEMA, STIM, SESAC and SOCAN: get moving to license Pandora within 30 days - you've already had 2 years to do it!
Techcrunch: Pandora To Shut Out Non-U.S. Users Thursday Evening.

New Bridge Ratings data:The Impact of Wireless Internet (on Music)

Good stuff as usual What's New At Bridge Ratings.

"30 million Americans using wireless Internet access will grow to nearly 45 million by the end of 2007. What affect, if any, will the increased use of this technology have on consumers of traditional AM and FM radio.

Bridge Ratings recently concluded an extensive research project on the behavior and use of current Wi-Fi and WiMax wireless Internet users and intent of use by those not currently accessing the Internet with this technology. The national sample of 2200 persons 15+ includes listeners to AM/FM radio, satellite radio, Internet radio and MP3 players.

Of the estimated 30 million users of wireless access technology in the U.S., 75% or 23 million have wireless accessed Internet radio. In fact, 48% of those accessing the Internet via wireless technology seek out Internet radio. The number of Internet radio listeners accessing wirelessly will grow to 77 million by 2010 as wireless technology penetrates the average U.S. lifestyle...."

What's New At Bridge Ratings

Always some good stats from bridgeratings
What's New At Bridge Ratings.

The new semi-annual study from Bridge Ratings & Research indicates the number of monthly Internet radio* listeners nationwide has jumped 26% over last year and has increased to 72 million monthly listeners from 45 million at the end of 2005..

In 2005, weekly Internet radio listening was at 15% of the U.S. population 12 and over. This new study shows that as of January 2007 that figure increased 26% to 19% of all persons 12 and older. This translates to 57 million listening to Internet Radio on a weekly basis. See latest digital projections.

New pdf on "The Future of Radio is now available on my presentation site

click here to go GerdPresents.com
Latest presentation was at BBC Radio1 (London)

Nokia Visual Radio Makes Indian Debut (GigaOm)

GigaOM :  Mobile Visual Radio Makes Indian Debut.  My favorite quote:

“This is a classic case of convergence of telecom, radio and music. The key here would be to provide our listeners with quality content,” said Pankaj Mathur, country manager, HP India Sales.

My comment: Nokia has now been pushing Visual Radio for 2+ years or so, and as far as I know there are trials in Finland, London, the U.S., and Singapore (I think ;) - I have seen it and I think it has real potential to usher radio into radio2.0 -- which is the TWO-WAY, digtal radio service. Digital Radio must be 2-way, must encourage conversation, engage the user.

Of course, with any change there is upheaval - I can imagine that Nokia Visual Radio will indeed create a lot of turmoil in the footchain, such as: who will run which ads? Who will charge what for which part of the service?  Can ads run 'with' the music, on the handset, or will that be deemed synchronization by the music publishers? and many more.  Let's see how they will tackle this - but the idea rocks, imho.

[print version] Google rides the radio waves | CNET News.com

[print version] Google rides the radio waves | CNET News.com.

Google rides the radio waves

By Elinor Mills
http://news.com.com/Google rides the radio waves/2100-1024_3-6099025.html

Google enters the radio business - told you this was coming. Big change for Radio! Advertisers will command new metrics soon.

Current.org | NPR Blueprint for Growth, July 2006

Current.org | NPR Blueprint for Growth, July 2006.

"NPR launched the next phase of public radio’s New Realities process last week, releasing an ambitious plan to strengthen ties with listeners and foster better collaboration within the system.

In its 12-page Blueprint for Growth, released to general managers July 12, NPR said it will work with stations and other system partners to develop a “News Network of the Future,” a web-based music service and an infrastructure to support distribution of digital content. The network will also lead efforts to raise major gifts to support these ventures.

But the blueprint goes further by asking stakeholders in public radio to reconsider their relationships with their audiences and each other. Members of the public radio community must shift their focus from competing with each other to uniting against competition from other media, the blueprint says...."

Great stuff - finally, some real momentum at NPR. Watch my video on the "Future of Radio" here

Download their 'Blueprint for Growth' here