Tether

Futuri and ReelWorld Announce Strategic Partnership and Launch the Future of Standout Interactive Programming: Tether

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Creative by ReelWorld, Connection by Futuri: Leaders in technology and creative innovation join forces to enable turnkey creation of standout programming moments.

Cleveland, Ohio, and Seattle, Washington, May 20, 2020 — Futuri, the leading provider of cloud-based audience engagement software, and ReelWorld, the radio industry’s leading jingle, imaging, and sonic branding company, today announced a strategic partnership that includes the launch of the new interactive programming platform Tether, designed to help programming teams create truly standout, engaging on-air moments with minimal drain on resources. 

The Tether system marries Futuri’s powerful interactive programming technology — the evolution of its groundbreaking LDR and #engage products — with ReelWorld’s world-class creative audio production. Key Tether features include: 

  • Listener Voting Sessions: Designed to create anticipation and excitement, and keep listeners tuned in, Tether helps programmers quickly build listener voting battles, takeovers, and more that boost audience involvement while programmers maintain total control. 

 

  • Turnkey Production: Each week stations receive new creative audio features from ReelWorld that include setups, recaps, and payoffs – all produced with their own station VO – that take the hard work out of bringing listener voting sessions to life.

 

  • The Power to Customize: Tether’s simple yet powerful audio editor lets stations quickly customize the content further or create their own features in seconds. Tether even lets stations upload their own audio for total creative freedom.

 

  • Song Alerts and Playlist Social Integration: Automatic integration with social platforms and all major playout systems means stations can achieve maximum reach with minimal effort while keeping listeners connected. Data on all interactions, including music preferences, is available to all station users. 

 

  • Social Video: Each Tether audio feature is accompanied by a supporting video piece for station socials and websites to keep station programming top of mind even when listeners aren’t tuned in. 

The strategic partnership between Futuri and ReelWorld was born from the like-minded companies identifying the need for broadcasters to differentiate their programming with solutions that marry standout creative with ROI-driven audience engagement technology, and are simple for stations to execute. Prep+, ReelWorld’s all-inclusive show prep system, joined the Futuri portfolio in late 2019, and Tether is the partnership’s first collaborative endeavor. 

“Tether is designed to make it easy to create meaningful connections with listeners and differentiate your station. Our goal in combining ReelWorld’s world-class audio production with Futuri’s innovative technology is to help our partner stations quickly create standout moments that deeply engage their audience on-air, online, and on socials. There are no better partners in this endeavor than Mike Thomas and ReelWorld, who are the best in their field, bar none,” said Futuri Media CEO Daniel Anstandig.

ReelWorld CEO Mike Thomas adds, “We’ve been big fans of Daniel and Futuri for years. They know the tech, research and listener engagement side of radio better than anybody else out there, just like ReelWorld knows a thing or two about making amazing jingles, imaging and sonic branding. With Tether, we were able to focus on our core strengths and join together to build a product that gives stations the best of both companies.”

Tether with ReelWorld audio is currently available for CHR, Country, Classic Rock, and Classic Hits formats, with more formats to be announced soon. Tether’s core audience engagement features are available for all formats.

For more information on Tether, visit futurimedia.com/tether.

About Futuri Media

Futuri is the leading provider of cloud-based audience engagement software for the enterprise. Brands rely on Futuri solutions to make their content more relevant, accessible, engaging, and results driven. Founded in 2009,  Futuri holds 11 published or pending patents in 151 countries. Named to the Inc. 5000 List of America’s fastest-growing private companies for six consecutive years, Futuri is the only audience engagement platform that includes solutions for sales, marketing, and content teams. For more information, visit futurimedia.com 

About ReelWorld

ReelWorld is the radio industry’s leading jingle, imaging and sonic branding company. Trusted by thousands of stations globally and heard by millions of listeners daily, ReelWorld has been creating innovative audio that keeps station brands relevant, on-trend and in the minds of their listeners for more than 25 years.

ReelWorld content airs on the world’s most influential radio stations, including:

New York:         Z100, WLTW, CBS-FM, WWPR, WNYL       

Los Angeles:     KIIS, KOST, KBIG, KYSR, KFI

Chicago:            WKSC, WBBM, WLIT           

Toronto:             CHUM, CHFI, CKIS       

UK:                     BBC (Radio 1, Radio Scotland, Local Radio), Heart, KISS      

Sydney:             2DayFM, KIIS, Triple M

 With teams in Seattle, WA and MediaCityUK, ReelWorld provides unparalleled levels of client service and proudly supports those who #makegreatradio.

3 ways radio brands can build audience and revenue with podcasting

3 Ways Radio Brands Can Build Audience and Revenue with Podcasting 

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We all know the stats: audio consumption has never been higher, and that makes it even more critical for radio brands to have a strong podcasting strategy. The popularity of podcasts, both original podcasts and your time-shifted key content being made available on-demand, continues to grow—particularly as listeners and creators find themselves stuck at home in quarantine. Using podcasts and audiograms are an excellent way for radio brands to recycle their brand across multiple platforms (especially social) to build brand audience and loyalty, and keep your fans engaged 24/7.

But as we also all know, efforts that don’t drive real audience and revenue growth can sometimes turn a high priority into a nice to have. Fortunately, Futuri Media has a suite of tools that make it easy to podcast with purpose. 

1. Schedule or Work from ANYWHERE.

The entire world is adjusting to our new need for more work-at-home (and in some cases, broadcast-from-home) options, which can be challenging for radio stations that are used to creating and scheduling all of their content in-studio.

But, thanks to Futuri’s POST, your station can have a single system solution to manage and publish original podcasts from wherever you want. If you’re struggling with bandwidth or staffing reductions, POST will save you time, it’s work-at-home-friendly, and it gives you the flexibility your station needs right now. POST lets you easily publish and schedule publishing content without neglecting your advertisers or leaving your distribution channels asleep at the wheel. 

Speaking of being asleep, publishing content around the clock to stay top of mind with your audience doesn’t mean you actually have to work around the clock. Especially if you find yourself performing as the one-man-content-creation-band with your stations, be sure to lean on the POST Episode Scheduler function, which can help you manage the flow and content delivery to your social platforms. POST also makes it simple to create a video file of your podcast or export it to your station website, RSS feed, social accounts, or wherever else you need it. 

Keep publishing that content consistently and you’re in a great position to take advantage of the growth in audio consumption driven by adults working from home. Here’s an overview from Futuri’s TopLine, which uses data-rich insights to help sales professionals articulate the unique value of their audience to advertisers. 

 

  

2. Become the Next Great At-Home Content Creator.

One of the most exciting aspects of the current podcast boom is how many content-creation opportunities it opens up BEYOND the actual podcast itself.

Think of the creators who are killing it right now when it comes to connecting with their fans. They’re creating original podcasts, videos, and even whole shows from the comfort of their own home. Creating a plan that pairs POST, with its video creation capabilities, with live platforms like Instagram Live allows your entire team to do the exact same thing.

And we’re not just talking about publishing videos of your talent recording their shows. Does your team have talents that could inspire content to engage audiences that are working from home and/or sheltering in place? Maybe they’re amazing at cooking or know everything about wine, the golden age of a sports team with an upcoming anniversary, or music? (Speaking of which, a recent Futuri / University of Florida study of country radio listeners who have listened to a podcast in the last month named music as their favorite podcast topic genre [more on that here]. For most stations, chances are your team really knows how to talk about music!)

POST gives you the tools you need to create original podcast series or videos—right from home—and allows you to share your knowledge with others, grow YOUR brand, tie it back to your radio station, and create new revenue streams for both you and your station brands. 

This is a great time to be thinking through branded content that’s a programming fit and a home run for advertisers as well. That wine expert on staff? How about a podcast series done in conjunction with a local wine shop? Have a fitness junkie who’s adjusting to not being able to hit the gym? Why not develop a series around working out at home with a local gym doing virtual training sessions? These are excellent ways to grow your brand’s audience while capitalizing on growing audio ad spending. Here’s another overview from TopLine that breaks that down.

 

 

3. Engage and Educate Your Audience.

One of the great things about POST’s content tools is that they’re easy for anyone to use. In minutes, you can create a simple podcast or video designed to get your audio on platforms like YouTube, or you can spend a little more time using its advanced tools to create visually engaging, content-rich videos for your socials and website.

So why not take advantage of those robust tools for the good of your workforce and your community during the pandemic?

You can maximize the productivity of your newly remote employees by providing them with content creation tools that allow them to publish daily video and audio content on your website, social channels, Spotify, or wherever else you want to engage your audience. (And they don’t even need to put on pants!)

Or, if you’re looking to help your community during the COVID-19 crisis, your station can utilize POST to create free online classes in partnership with local schools or universities. You can help educate your listeners with on-demand content, grow enrollment in nearby educational programs, and even use these opportunities to generate revenue at the station level.

It’s good for you, good for your staff, and good for your audience. That’s win-win-win!

Radio stations are adjusting to the world’s “new normal” just like everyone else. Thankfully, with tools like POST and the rest of Futuri Media’s software solutions, you can create better, more engaging content from the comfort of your own home in a way that makes sense for your listeners and your revenue growth.

You can learn more about POST and everything Futuri can do for your station HERE.

 

major research study at crs 2020

Futuri Media and the University of Florida Present Major Research Study at CRS 2020.

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The final day of CRS 2020 featured the presentation Defending Your Audience Share: Exclusive Research Findings, the results of a major study conducted by Futuri Media and the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. 

The study was conducted in January 2020 and surveyed nearly 1,400 people who named country as their favorite music format out of a list of seven options. It also broke out those who listen to AM/FM country radio (both terrestrial and streaming), and those who listen to country music but not via AM/FM country radio. 

Presented by Daniel Anstandig, Futuri Media’s CEO, and Rob Harder, Director of Programming / Brand Manager for the University of Florida radio properties, the study aimed to answer three questions facing country radio today: 

  • How do we defend our country audience and revenue share? 
  • How should we extend our country content onto new platforms? 
  • How will we transcend our challenges as the country competition landscape changes?

Key findings from the study can be found at futurimedia.com/CRS2020. Among the findings: 

  • 76% of AM/FM country listeners would prefer more video content from their favorite country radio station. 
  • Country radio listeners are tuning in to nearly the same amount of AM/FM radio as in the past, but 23% plan to listen to more country radio streaming in the next three months.
  • Women 18-34 who listen to broadcast radio tend to be more active on social media than streaming listeners. Throughout the study, data shows that country stations should have a social strategy that targets country fans, especially younger females, with sticky and recyclable content. 
  • Country listeners who have listened to a podcast in the last month name music as their favorite podcast topic genre. This number is 30%; the next highest topic genre is news/politics at 11%. Country radio station are great at talking about music; this presents an excellent time-shifted and original podcast content opportunity. 
  • Quality station-specific mobile apps present a major engagement opportunity. Younger listeners are more likely to install them, and they’re an opportunity for more connected car listening. Of AM/FM country radio listener respondents, 44% have their favorite station’s mobile app installed on their mobile device, a number that jumps to 48% when looking at the 18-34 demo. And 26% of country fans listen to country music via a connected car platform and are highly likely to listen to country music connecting their mobile device to their vehicle.

For more key findings, including many related to driving revenue, visit futurimedia.com/CRS2020.

Free Webinar: 5 things you need to know to set yourself Up for Sales Success in 2020

Free Webinar: The Five Things You Need to Know to Set Yourself Up for Sales Success in 2020

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On Thursday, October 3, spend 30 minutes getting valuable guidance on the 2020 sales landscape.

Free webinar.
The Five Things You Need to Know to Set Yourself Up for Sales Success in 2020
Thursday, October 3.
Sessions at 10.30a and 1.30p ET.

Many experts are predicting a recession and we know a wild political ride is ahead. This tight 30-minute webinar, presented by Futuri Media Engagement and Insights Specialist Jim Tarantine and TopLine Partner Success Manager AJ Vaughan, includes insights from Futuri’s team of analysts and forward-looking data from our TopLine sales intelligence system to help ensure that 2020 is prosperous for you.

Register for the Thursday, October 3, at 10.30a ET webinar.

Register for the Thursday, October 3, at 1.30p ET webinar.

how radio can cash in on booming digital ad spending

How Radio Can Cash in On Booming Digital Ad Spending

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With brands spending at record rates on mobile, digital audio, and digital video, radio stations can showcase their best products and add new offerings to grow revenue.

Here’s some good news for radio broadcasters: The digital ad market is surging and now is the time for local stations to cash in. Local radio companies have invested heavily in digital audio, mobile and digital video, positioning them to grab a larger share of digital ad dollars. Consumers are shifting their media time to mobile devices and that’s good for radio’s digital products.

Just how much money are we talking about?

  • U.S. marketers spent $28.4 billion on digital advertising in Q1 2019, up 18% from Q1 2018, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers. 
  • The strong quarterly growth comes after a banner year in 2018, when digital ad sales jumped 22% to $104.7 billion, compared to 2017 levels. 
  • Mobile advertising spending doubled last year to $70 billion, compared to 2017 levels. 

As more consumers turn to their smartphones for entertainment, digital audio and video streaming are booming, and advertisers want to reach these audiences.  

  • Thanks to red-hot podcasting and digital streaming, brands are doubling-down on digital audio, spending $2.3 billion last year, up 23% from 2017’s $1.7 billion. 
  • Digital video is similarly growing at a breakneck pace, with ad spend up 37% in 2018 to $16.3 billion, compared to 2017.  

So what are the takeaways for broadcasters? Here are a few suggestions

Keep your mobile apps fresh

The best radio station mobile apps feature live streams, on-demand content, podcasts, and user-favorite features like contests. These are all key components to creating a positive mobile experience for your users. Make sure your mobile app is easy to use and continually revisit to explore new features and integrations. And don’t forget that with the growth of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SDL, mobile apps compatible with these technologies are your ticket into the connected car in a meaningful way.

Podcasts, podcasts, podcasts

Your listeners and your advertising partners can’t get enough of podcasts, so focus on developing more original on-demand audio and make your broadcast content available for on-demand, time-shifted listening. Offer advertisers opportunities in your on-demand audio including exclusive sponsorship and even branded podcasts. 

Develop mobile ad opportunities

For local advertisers, offer mobile ad opportunities that go beyond banner ads. You can create branded content, including video and podcasts, and you can also offer sponsorships for popular sections of the app, such as weather or traffic. Lastly, make sure that your live stream quality is as strong as your over-the-air broadcasts to ensure users have a positive listening experience. Pre-roll, midroll, and post-roll video ads give local businesses a chance to get into digital video. Also, be sure to present podcast ad opportunities, these are a major growth area for digital audio.

Dig into digital video

Both users and marketers are clamoring for more digital video. Radio stations can shoot video in studio or in the community. Local events, sports and concerts all offer opportunities for video. There’s even opportunities to create video to accompany original podcasts. Local businesses can buy pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll video as standalone or in conjunction with audio spots. Radio can also produce branded video content for local advertisers, leveraging both their production and sales capabilities.

So how do you tackle all this to-do list? Futuri Media can help. 

  • Top-quality mobile apps: With Futuri Mobile, we can design mobile apps with custom features to showcase your best content and create an immersive mobile experience. Our apps are highly customizable; choose from one of three starting points and create a station app that has any of literally hundreds of customizations. 
  • Get into the video business — without derailing other parts of your business: To help time-strapped hosts and producers with content, we’ve added TopicPulse Instant Video. Subscribers can access dozens of videos daily, based on the day’s hottest topics that they easily can customize with their station branding and even their own PPM-encoded audio. Distribute these on your mobile, web, and social channels. And our POST podcasting system makes it incredibly simple to turn your audio into a video with a licensed image and a dynamic waveform designed to drive engagement. It’s a great way to take advantage of YouTube and other video sharing platforms for your audio content.

***

 

By embracing mobile, digital audio, and digital video, your station can participate in the fast-growing digital and mobile ad boom, as well as bring more innovative and exclusive content to your audience. That’s a win-win for everyone. 

Today's Podcast Listener: 2019 National Survey Report

Major New Podcast Study Reveals Listener Habits, Trust in Hosts

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National study also contains insights on implications for radio

Las Vegas, Nevada, April 9, 2019 – Most podcast users are millennial males, listen weekly, and engage with podcasts at home, according to a major new study by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC) and Futuri Media, a leading audience engagement and sales intelligence technology firm.

Results were presented at the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB Show on April 9 as part of a panel discussion titled “Radio’s New Analytics: Understanding Listeners, Delivering Results.”

The study, which included a national survey and in-depth interviews, was conducted in February 2019 with 2,000 regular podcast users who listened to podcasts in the past six months, and 18 participants who gave in-depth interviews on their habits. The study did not define podcasting vs. other types of on-demand audio, and respondents self-identified as podcast listeners. The study results suggest that consumers now consider several types of on-demand audio to be podcasts.

While the study was not limited to those who use terrestrial radio, the sample was large enough that it delivered several insights on the radio format preferences of those who also listen to podcasts regularly.

The study found that nearly three-quarters of users have been listening to podcasts for less than three years and, on average, listen to 4 podcasts per week for either 30 or 60 minutes. Users listen to podcasts on multiple platforms, but YouTube is far and away the dominant platform (70%), followed by Spotify (34%), iTunes/Apple Podcasts app (33%), Pandora (30%), and Google Play music app (23%).

Not surprisingly, nearly 80% of survey respondents listen to podcasts on their mobile devices. What is somewhat surprising is that the users listen to podcast most frequently at home (3.9 on a 5-point frequency scale), followed by in vehicles (2.8/5).

Politics and Government podcasts are the most popular, with 15% listing it as their favorite genre. Music was next (11%) followed by interviews/conversations, comedy, sports and recreation and non-fiction storytelling, cited by 8 – 9% of respondents.

Listeners trust their podcast hosts highly, prefer host-read ads, and look for creative, informative, humorous, and integrated podcast experiences. They want to listen to hosts who are authentic, feel like a friend, and share the users’ passions and beliefs.

The study also found that among radio listeners who listen to podcasts regularly, 25-34 is the top age cell with both spoken word and music formats, with spoken word format attracting a more male audience (73% vs. 27% female), and music formats having a more even, but female-leaning split (51% female to 49% male). The top five favorite radio formats for regularly podcast listeners surveyed were Classic Rock (11%), Hip-Hop/Rap (10.9%), Country (10.4%), News/Talk (9.7%), and Alternative Rock (6.6%)

The study, which was supported by Futuri Media and their POST podcasting system, was designed and executed by UFCJC Telecommunication Professor and Director of Media Consumer Research Sylvia Chan-Olmsted with the help of doctoral student Ms. Rang Wang on the survey and undergraduate students in a capstone class who helped conduct the interviews. More insights from the study can be found at http://bit.ly/2019podcaststudy.

The Profound need for time-shifted audio for the radio business

New Study Shows Radio Can Significantly Benefit from Time-Shifting Content

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The study concluded that there is a profound appetite for time-shifted radio content among radio listeners – notably, highly monetizable and younger audiences – and that opportunities are currently untapped as awareness of the availability of time-shifted radio content among listeners remains low.

A new study conducted by Futuri Media and Nielsen, “The Profound Need for Time-Shifted Radio Content for the Radio Business,” finds that time-shifting content, which revolutionized the TV industry years ago, now offers major opportunities for the radio industry, with high consumer interest, but low consumer awareness.

As noted in a piece in Inside Radio, “Conducted by Nielsen and Futuri Media, the study finds that half of respondents say they will listen to time-shifted audio while a high percentage are willing to share audio content they access on social media channels with their friends.” More key takeaways from the extensive study, which had a sample comprised of 602 individuals that listened to radio content for at least one hour over the past week. include:

  • More than half of radio listeners 18+ would listen to short audio clips on social media. Among that group, nearly 8 in 10 would listen to time-shifted clips of radio station content.
  • Younger audiences and heavy radio users, leaning male, are the sweet spot for time-shifted radio content.
  • Station websites and mobile apps matter as much as social media.
  • Listeners who are interested in time-shifted radio content want to interact with your station.
  • P1s engage with time-shifted radio content even when not listening.
  • Radio has yet to actualize its potential in the time-shifted space.

The study also found that stations using Futuri’s podcasting, on-demand, and digital audio management system, POST, to produce time-shifted radio content see higher ratings and revenue than non-users. A Nielsen analysis of minute-level PPM data compared against POST server logs shows that AM/FM outlets who produce time-shifted radio content using POST get 3x more time-shifted listening on average within 24 hours of the original broadcast than stations not using POST. This number goes up to 8.4x higher time-shifted minutes for listeners aged 18-49 and 5.4x for the 25-54 range.

A complete white paper on the study, which includes more key takeaways, insights developed from the survey data, and tips on developing a strong time-shifting strategy, is available for free download at futurimedia.com/timeshiftedaudio.

Scott Lindy

Scott Lindy joins Futuri Media’s Partner Success team

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Longtime radio programmer brings his talents to Futuri

Veteran programmer Scott Lindy has joined the Partner Success team at Futuri Media. In his new role, Lindy will work with Futuri’s radio partners to devise station-specific strategies for using the company’s audience engagement technology, like POST, TopicPulse, and #engage, to drive ratings and revenue growth.

Lindy, most recently Program Director at Cumulus Media’s country WKHX Kicks 101.5 Atlanta and Cumulus corporate Program Director, adds his more than 30 years programming experience to Futuri’s Partner Success team. In addition to Cumulus, he’s held programming positions at companies including iHeartMedia and SiriusXM Radio, and he’s served on the boards of directors for several industry organizations, including the Country Music Association and Country Radio Broadcasters.

“I’ve been a fan of Daniel Anstandig since the day we met,” said Lindy of the Futuri Media CEO. “I’m so excited to join the talented team and invigorating culture he’s built here, and to help our partners best use Futuri’s truly innovative technology solutions to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace.”

Person driving car

As In-Car Entertainment Options Grow, Radio Keeps Pace

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With robust digital offerings, radio can maintain its place as the no. 1 in-car media

Radio enjoys the enviable position as the most popular in-car media, but the car is quickly emerging as the new battleground for audio. As more vehicles with advanced entertainment systems and WiFi connectivity hit the road, drivers can tune into online radio or apps for their audio, and that’s giving radio new competition.  

According to Edison Research’s latest Infinite Dial report, 56% of drivers named AM/FM radio as their top in-vehicle entertainment choice, but that slipped from 63% just two years ago. At the same time, digital audio increased its share from 8% in 2016 to 12% in 2018 and podcasts inched up from just 1% to 3%.  

At the upcoming 2018 Radio Show in Orlando, Edison Research will share new data on in-car listening, which is sure to garner plenty of attention. Radio currently enjoys a strong position and is often the only time many consumers are using the radio. Among overall respondents, 54% say they only listen to AM/FM radio in the car and 62% of 13 to 34 years old say the car is the only place they tune in to radio.

As more cars feature advanced and integrated technology, broadcasters need to be ready with their digital products. Streaming audio services, including Pandora, iHeart Radio and Spotify, are pre-loaded in some car systems, and a growing number of new vehicles also feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which allow in-dash screens to mimics a smartphone screen so drivers can easily access any apps, including audio apps. By 2025, the Radio Advertising Bureau predicts all new cars rolling off production lines will be connected to the Internet, giving drivers access to an unprecedented number of entertainment options.  

But, here’s the good news for radio: Local broadcasters are well-positioned to embrace new in-car technology and, potentially, to grow their in-car audience. Along with traditional AM/FM listening, radio stations can offer drivers high-quality live streaming audio and on-demand content, including podcasts, and deliver it all through the latest in-dash systems. If a driver has a radio app on their phone, it appears on CarPlay or Android Auto. Drivers with cars that feature Alexa voice-technology can even use that to access their favorite radio station skills.

To stay ahead, radio stations need to make sure their digital products are cutting-edge, including high-quality live streams that offer a seamless listening experience, intuitive apps, a strong lineup of podcasts, and easy-to-use Alexa skills. After all, these are the key ingredients to any positive digital audio experience and the car is no exception.

At Futuri Media, a global leader in SaaS technology for broadcasters and media companies, our solutions make it simple to create, distribute and share content across digital platforms — including the car — and to produce and integrate ads for digitals channels. Our audience engagement suite features:

Futuri Streaming offering the finest-quality streaming audio to your mobile app and web player through our reliable technology solution with 24/7, VIP support.

Futuri Mobile: an interactive audience experience featuring more than 50 customizable features, including contests, push notifications, audio and video streaming, podcasts and more.

Our custom-built Alexa skills can deliver your content, promotions, and sponsor messaging to Alexa-powered smart speakers.

The upcoming 2018 Radio Show, will feature more insights about this latest Edison research study on in-car audio data.  Join broadcasters on Sept. 25-28 at the Hilton Bonnet Creek and the Waldorf-Astoria in Orlando, FL, and hear Edison’s Larry Rosin share the latest findings on in-car audio data from Share of Ear, Infinite Dial, and NPR.

Futuri Media is a proud sponsor and contributor of the 2018 Radio Show. To schedule time at the show and learn more about our audience engagement technologies and how it can help brace your brand for the future, contact Futuri Media here.

 

Podcast Reach Blog

How Podcasting Can Reach an Audience of 100 million

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To boost engagement, broadcasters and digital publishers need to educate consumers

The biggest hurdle to growing podcasting may be helping consumers understand exactly what a podcast is and how to find it.

New data from Edison Research notes that 64% of Americans, of 180 million people, say they’ve heard of podcasts, up from just 22% in 2006, but only 17%, or 48 million, have ever listened. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.

“The number of people who actually listened to a podcast in the last week is significantly smaller than those who are familiar with the term,” Edison said. “The key…is understanding why those people familiar with the term ‘podcasting’ have never listened.”

With producers and podcasters’ help, Edison estimates that podcasting can attract 100-million listeners, a critical threshold to be considered mainstream media.

What are the biggest obstacles to growth? The answer is surprisingly simple: Many Americans don’t understand how to find and stream podcasts, while others have misconceptions, like thinking podcasting will eat up a user’s data plan.  Among those who don’t listen to podcasts, 37% said they don’t really understand what podcasting is, while 48% said they weren’t sure how to listen; while 65% say there are so many podcasts, they don’t even know where to begin.

With high-quality and engaging shows for every niche and interest imaginable, the podcast industry is booming. More advertisers are signing on to the medium and local broadcasters are upping their podcast game, launching new shows and adapting on-air content for podcasting.

To grow the audience, local broadcasters can spread the word, offering tips on where to find podcasts and how to stream, and regularly promoting their podcasts. Use on-air promo time to discuss podcasts and post regularly on popular social media channels. On-air talent can promote their podcasts or talk about their own favorites, then remind listeners how to find their own unique content. Providing the early podcast education is critically important and here’s why: in the recent Edison study, most Americans don’t know that 80% of smartphones are preloaded with a podcast listening app such as Apple Podcast.

At Futuri Media, a global provider of SaaS technology for broadcasters and digital publishers,  our platforms make it quick and easy to create on-demand content for podcasting, and to share that content across all media channels.

Our POST system makes it virtually effortless to produce podcasts for both Android and iOS devices.

“POST is extremely flexible for editing and including OTA or original content,” said Sophie Fry, Futuri’s SVP, Sales. “With POST, we can help broadcasters create, edit, craft, and distribute whatever programming content and advertiser sponsorship platforms the station desires.”

POST provides:

  • In-studio, touch-screen system so hosts and producers to quickly and easily capture audio and convert it into podcasts.
  • Ad-insertion, allowing stations to deliver custom messaging inside podcasts.
  • Easy distribution to multiple digital channels, including Facebook, Instagram, station websites, and more – with fully licensed images available to attach to podcast content to make it even more discoverable.

For high-quality streaming, Futuri Streaming, provides the best-in-class streaming experience available on the market today. And, with our custom-built Alexa skills, we can incorporate your podcasts for playback on any Alexa-enabled device.

Want to learn more about how we can help grow your podcast production and sales? Contact your Futuri Media partner or reach us here.

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Futuri is the leading provider of cloud-based audience engagement software for the enterprise. Brands rely on Futuri to make their content more relevant, accessible, engaging, and results-driven. Founded in 2009, Futuri holds 11 published or pending patents in 151 countries. Named to the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for six consecutive years, Futuri is the only audience engagement platform that includes solutions for sales, marketing, and content teams.