In Part 1, we talked about all the weird and lame reasons why many stations still aren’t streaming. I’ll bet the majority of you who read this blog smugly read that post, comfortable in the knowledge that your station has been streaming for years.
Well, I’m here to tell you that many broadcast radio streams aren’t ready for prime time. Recently, a programmer we worked with invited me to check out his station during a special feature his station was presenting. It was one of the worst streaming experiences I’ve ever had because the stream would run for a couple of minutes, and start buffering. Or I’d have to refresh and even sign back in. It was not a user-friendly experience, and I started thinking about all of the accessible, quality streams his station competes against.
If you don’t believe me, do what we do here at Jacobs Media, and check out your station’s stream on a great pair of speakers. Is it steady and reliable?
Does it fade in and out, or start "buffering" every so often? Does it sound like a tinny, phased-out signal?
Just like how good programmers "drive their signal" by jumping in a car and driving around the market looking for "picket fencing" and nulls, do the same with your own stream. You may be surprised by what you hear, and if that’s the case, consider the consumer experience. Even if you love a station, you’re not going to put up with a stream that comes and goes or is of rotten quality.
When you consider that more and more consumers are listening to digital streams on great speaker systems or on Bose headphones, ask yourself whether your stream is ready for prime time.
Streaming your station is now the equivalent of having a high school diploma. It’s mandatory, but it’s not going to get you anywhere. Having a quality player, an easy-to-access experience, and a quality, reliable stream are the necessary next steps in the process. Just test drive your own stream for a couple hours, and tell me I’m wrong.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Great post, Fred. The other thing that has made me crazy, since the first Radio Station started streaming is the hoops that many sites force you to jump through to listen to the stream. Some stations almost HIDE the fact that they have a stream for you to listen to. It should be the first thing you see and it should be a one click task to start listening.