Webcast

The desire of every Internet communicator today is to have more streaming media. According to Arbitron, a media research organization, streaming media are those who receive streamed content from webcasts. They listen to webcasts to replace or supplement broadcast broadcasts.

At present, 35% of Internet users worldwide are streaming media, that is, 54 million people. Although this group is still only a small part of all Internet users, they are elite. These people are usually considered the upper classes of the online market. Most of them are young people and early middle-aged professionals, with 66, An average household income of $ 000. With the expansion of broadband technology, the number of this population is steadily increasing. According to data released by the Jupiter Media Metrix in November 2000, the number of households with broadband access has tripled in the past year.

In the above data sheet, there is a crowd waiting to receive a webcast. The reason is as follows: First, webcast supports sound, text, and video. However, online broadcasting is better than broadcasting, and the greatest quality of communication lies in its support for unlimited channel selection. A single web radio station can simultaneously broadcast a variety of different kinds of music, such as jazz, rock, opera, and indoor music. So why are webcasts commercially available? Because broadcasters can play video ads on the same site without interrupting the music they listen to.

First, the actual attractiveness The number of Internet radio stations is growing rapidly. BRS Media () is an e-commerce company that specializes in the development and marketing of Internet radio. According to the company’s report, there are currently 4,270 online webcasting sites, compared to 56 in 1996. Pure website, but also some of the network part of the traditional AM/FM radio station.

As with traditional broadcasting, there are limitations to webcasting, but this limitation is very different from traditional broadcasting and limitations. Webcasts do not have a range of transmission, as long as they are accessible via the Internet. However, the quality of listening to webcasts is limited by the user's bandwidth, and the number of listeners at any one time is limited by the bandwidth of the server. Most traditional broadcast listeners listen to the broadcast in mobile mode, basically listening during the driving process. In order to achieve this, Internet radio must first achieve wireless Internet access. Although there are already many solutions in this area, they all require the installation of new hardware. It will inevitably take a lot of time to install, not just change the software. Of course, in the coming years, people will Your own car is equipped with an internet radio.

However, online broadcasting did not shake the foundation of traditional broadcasting. Eighty-four percent of advertisers surveyed by Arbitron admitted that the remaining services relative to the Internet and traditional broadcast network advertising will show strong competitiveness in the coming years. According to Forrester Research, project advertising revenue will reach US$2.2 billion by 2004, and current Internet radio sites like NetRadio() are still losing a lot, even though they are trying to get hold of major advertisers. NetRadio reported that its loss in the third quarter of 2000 was 3.96% higher than the same period of last year.

Attracting advertisements should be said to be only one reason for setting up a network broadcasting station. In fact, network broadcasting will attract many users to pay attention to one site. Therefore, providing network broadcasting can be an ideal means for a site to maintain user's attention. NetRadio claims that the site visitors spend an average of 1.5 hours a day, while Jupiter Media's survey shows that the average daily time of adult users is only 24 minutes. From this point of view, network broadcasting is indeed a good thing for site operators.

Second, a variety of new channels but the traditional network radio station is not the only site to fight for the attention of streamies. Websound(), based in Vermont Brattleboro, is a major supplier of webcast content, and audio components developed by the company have been used on the Eddie Bauer() site and the Pottery Barn() site. Bacardi() and the National Football League() have also set up webcasting content. This will not only attract users' attention, but also extend their browsing time and bring more repeat customers. Just like Websound CEO Billy Straus said, with the development of the Internet in the past 12 months, people’s interest in webcasts has grown, and sites have also found some valuable and attractive content to enhance their own.

Gary Chan, global manager of online marketing and e-commerce at Dewar`s Radio, believes Webcasting is a powerful market channel for branding. The original purpose of Dewar`s broadcasting was to advocate using some of the leading technologies and to convince people that they are a technology-leading site. John Dewar & Sons has a long history of operating marginal advertising media. In the early 20 years, the company was the first company to establish a large billboard in the center of London, and it was also the first company to develop television commercials. The march into webcasting is the latest move in Dewar's successful marketing plan.

Chou believes that the impact of Dewar Broadcasting is unprecedented. According to its network trend report, Webcasting is one of Dewar.com’s most visited five feature modules. Dewar received a lot of letters from the audience. They showed a strong interest in Dewar's webcast and hoped Dewar would email them when the song changed.

Dewar's print ads, coupled with its online content, combine to create a strong branding effect. Chou said that Web broadcasting is a very good tool for Dewar, and Dewar’s current advertisers are realizing their dreams through the full range of services provided by Dewar. Chou also stated that Dewar has already completed the infrastructure of Webcasting and will continue to improve and enrich its Webcast content.

Third, set up your own play track If you want to get close to webcasting, you can easily understand this environment. Live365() allows the user to become "Ejs" and set up his own personal radio station (ie, a real channel on Live365, which has now opened 20,400 such channels). Live365 provides users with downloadable free software and advice. The system even allows Ejs to play copyright-protected MP3s. In the Live 365 Ejs playback track, copyrighted tracks are marked with ASCAP's license.

But this is just a beginning. As Websound's Straus sees, some big well-known companies have set off a wave of webcasts, and some small sites will follow. But the key to determining the success of these participating sites is their business and decision-making, whether they can hold users. Of course, there is still a bandwidth issue for webcasting, but the future will no longer be a problem.

In terms of copyright, some companies such as Dewar obtained music works authorization through ASCAP. While others use the services provided by Websound, the company has pre-acquisition of musical works. Undoubtedly, with the development of webcasting, authorized providers of music content will make it easier for Internet users to use these musical works as in music monopoly, restaurants, and bars.