Month: March 2022

Radiodays Europe will hold a Podcast Summit in partnership with Acast and supported by their sister organisation PodcastDay 24.This year they have the full Sunday afternoon dedicated to Podcasting along with sessions running in the main programme.The session is moderated by James Cridland, Editor, Podnews.Programme & Speakers
Developing a new show – Podcasts allow you to try something different: but what’s the best way to plan a new show? How do you get the format right, choose the right hosts, and get the most out of it?  Speaking in this session Julie Shapiro (PRX, USA) & Lory Martinez (Studio Ochenta, France)
 Making podcasts pay – What options are there to earn revenue from podcasting? Does all podcast ads need to sound like radio advertising; and how flexible can they be? The two headliners of this mega session are Rob Greenlee (Libsyn’s Advertisecast, USA) & Daniella Murphy (Acast Creative Director, UK)
 Designing your podcast to be a success – What is the best way to make a successful podcast? This session looks at the data of successful shows. What makes them successful and how can you emulate that success? Bringing the research to this session Tom Webster (VP, Edison Research’s Podcast Consumer Survey, USA) & Rasmus Kidde (Audience Researcher, DR, DK)
 What is next in podcasting – What’s next for podcasting? Which content trends will become bigger? Is it still all about true crime? Will catch-up radio decline as more podcasters produce different-sounding content? Audio drama? Mental Health Podcast? Immersive audio? What does the heads of Podcasting plan for the year to come? With more speakers to come but some awesome speakers in there right now Bryan Barletta (Sounds Profitable, Australia), Jessica Radburn (Head of International podcast content,Wondery, Germany) & Craig Strachan (Head of Podcast Europe and ANZ, Amazon Music, UK)
To register for this Summit  register for a full ticket for Radiodays Europe and during registration  add Podcast Summit.The Podcast Summit is part of the wider programme of Radiodays Europe which includes more sessions focused on Podcasters and Podcasting. […]

Content from BPRThere are a number of issues which periodically drive a shift in listening preference from new music to older music, but the key reason is when too much current pop sounds the same for too long.  When this occurs, people start to default to oldies because of their boredom with Pop.  Oldies become a safe harbour of variety and passion during these times until a new sound or style emerges that piques their interest and passion. Then the cycle starts all over again.  BPR has seen these phenomena develop a number of times over the years in various markets. This time around however several factors have converged to dig a deep hole for new music. Some of these being:
Massive opportunity for music exposure across multiple platforms which accelerates a song reaching its market saturation point.
A music industry business model which is attracted to solo artists that require a fraction of the production and management overhead compared to the overhead involved with a band comprising several people and multiple egos. This diminishes depth of music supply.
Consolidation of music recording and post-production into a small number of dominate studios which narrows creative perspectives.
The tendency to recycle music elements and production techniques from song to song and artist to artist thus massively reducing costs but creating a “sameness” to songs.
Music labels/publishing companies focussing on milking existing artists rather than trying to develop new talent which can be expensive and risky.
TV’s shows like Got Talent and the Voice have provided excellent platforms for new solo talent however they are not conducive to bands or music which is too complex. As much as these shows have done good, they have also further cemented the solo artist paradigm.
It would be good to think that a new sound or artists will emerge and turn the tide back to current pop however are the music companies necessarily equipped to facilitate this?  At present their business model is honed to the current sound regime and they are driven to a great extent by online metrics. The music industry has never been more commoditised, margins can be slim, the creative environment seems introverted. The main-stream music industry appears to be following its tail and at present it looks like a downward spiral.If we assume optimistically that at some point, we will see the emergence of something new that refreshes the momentum of popular music then the question many are asking is what will it be? Over the last 60 years we have exhausted all combinations of notes and chords.  A scientific study published a while back suggested that around 2010 every combination of music’s 12 notes and finite number of chords had been invented and used.  There are no new melodies or riffs, just different combinations or instrumentations of what has been heard before. In the short to medium term expect to hear more remakes or songs that remind you of something you have heard before.I am hopeful that someone or something will emerge that will alter the trajectory of current pop however whichever way you look at it the creation of something “new” is an increasingly difficult task requiring vision, boldness and talent.  As David Bowie once said “Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming” Bowie could.A perspective from Wayne Clouten, BPR […]

The Digital Radio Mondiale Consortium will have a strong presence at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium, to be held from March 21 to 24.The DRM Consortium Chairman will kick off the first ABU DBS day demonstrating why DRM is “smart radio” that enhances lives in the current challenging context (March 21st, Session 1, 1415-1510 MYT). Simon Keens of Ampegon will immediately follow with a presentation on how DRM is energy efficient in both AM and FM offering broadcasting a clear path for cutting the transmissions costs. By using a simple, original DRM efficiency calculator tool, the theoretical part will be completed by a hands-on, fast-paced demonstration that will address documented and personalised cases. (March 21st, Session 2, 1515-1610 MYT)DRM Consortium will follow the two session presentations and will then give a full workshop on “Innovation and Extension of DRM in FM” (March 21st, 1615-1710 MYT). This will include the new and exciting findings following the comprehensive India trial for FM conducted in 2021. One of them is the successful transmission of up to 18 audio and six data services from a single FM transmitter with 600 kHz bandwidth. Receivers will be also addressed during the 60 minutes DRM workshop with details about the conditions for implementation in the cell phones, all completed with a quick world update. This fact-packed workshop will offer participants technically advanced updates with practical and immediate applications. Top DRM Consortium specialists like Yogendra Pal, Honorary Chairman of Indian DRM Chapter and Alexander Zink, DRM Consortium Vice-chairman and representing Fraunhofer IIS, will take up the subjects and answer your questions.“With our fresh workshop and insightful presentations on new developments and updates,” says Ruxandra Obreja, DRM Consortium Chair, “we will demonstrate the continued and enhanced relevance of digital radio and DRM in post-pandemic times and the current challenging media landscape. DRM delivers excellent audio, data, relevant content super-efficiently, ensuring complete and robust coverage for all needs, local but also national and international at affordable costs.”Register for the ABU DBS Symposium here. […]