Built In Radio On iPod?

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
I never thought it made any sense. The whole reason for the player is to chose and listen to what one wants, not what is programmed over a radio station. In the UK Digital radio is "over the air" and not via subscription satellite as in the U.S.



Quote:



Radio's future 'in iPod's hands'

By Macworld UK staff



New research suggests the iPod - rather than the Internet, 3G or media fragmentation - will have the greatest impact on the future of radio.



The research, undertaken by The Knowledge Agency found interest in the iPod among 18-30 year-olds to be "phenomenal".



According to the Knowledge Agency: "Two consumer trends have contributed to the popularity of MP3 players and the growth of music downloading, and both present the radio industry with a knock-on effect. The first is the shift towards personalization. The second is a growing demand from younger consumers to have greater control over their media.



"As a result, 18 to 30 year-old radio listeners now want content that is more personalised and more directly relevant to their own tastes and needs."



"Given the choice between hearing your favourite tracks in tip-top quality whenever you want on an iPod or hoping they'll crop up next on a radio station's playlist, who wouldn't prefer Apple's latest must-have toy?" asks the Guardian's Meg Carter.



"But while MP3 players pose an obvious threat to radio, they present opportunities, too, which the radio industry must now tackle," she add





The Knowledge Agency director Mark Ellis said: "One of radio's main perceived strengths is its spontaneity - the fact the listener doesn't know what the next track will be. But the iPod can even emulate that with shuffle technology."



The research showed that radio is valued for its role as an information source; its ability to enhance or change a listener's mood; and its role in introducing new music. New digital radio features such as pause, rewind and record functions were also valued.



But there is a lack of understanding of what digital radio offers. According to The Knowledge Agency few of those surveyed had digital radios and understanding of digital radio's potential beyond better audio quality was limited. Ellis added: "While the digital radio market is dominated by large box sets, there's a clear disconnect between what the market is offering and what younger listeners want: a radio that's small, light, integrated and easier to use."



"The digital radio industry lacks a single piece of hardware with the sex appeal of an iPod," he added.



GWR digital content manager Nick Piggott (Classic FM and local radio stations) said: "If radio doesn't rise to the challenge of new technologies which are reinventing consumers' approach to media we'll lose a whole generation of listeners.



"There's no reason technically why we couldn't do music downloading straight to a portable digital music device via DAB, leading to the attractive proposition of a single brand being able to deliver a radio station and sell the music it plays. The missing link, however, is the availability of appropriate receivers, which we hope will be on the market some time next year."



If it is to compete with iPod, radio must emulate MP3's strengths and capitalize on its weaknesses. It is a challenge, but a necessity, too, concludes the report.



Comments

  • Reply 1 of 4
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    digital (free) radio exists in the states as well. It's just not very widespread yet. I know KFOG in SF has a digital broadcast
  • Reply 2 of 4
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,440member
    Radio is dead...again.





    People are fed up with Clear Channel playlists. Fed up with too many commercials. Fed up with low quality.



    If I want radio on my iPod I'll record the radio using Hijack Pro or some other tool and upload later. Time is too precious to be wasting on AM/FM nowadays.
  • Reply 3 of 4
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by hmurchison

    Radio is dead...again.





    People are fed up with Clear Channel playlists. Fed up with too many commercials. Fed up with low quality.



    If I want radio on my iPod I'll record the radio using Hijack Pro or some other tool and upload later. Time is too precious to be wasting on AM/FM nowadays.




    there are several stations i would pick any day over my iPod. Simply because i dont hear what I already have and its a wider mix. But I am against FM in the iPod. If I wanted it, id just get one of those inline FM modules for the headphones
  • Reply 4 of 4
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,440member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by applenut

    there are several stations i would pick any day over my iPod. Simply because i dont hear what I already have and its a wider mix. But I am against FM in the iPod. If I wanted it, id just get one of those inline FM modules for the headphones



    Inline FM modules would be nice. I'm against adding another layer of complexity to the iPod. The iPod is a platform, if Apple tosses everything in what is the incentive for 3rd parties?



    I have no interest in FM. I'll likely get XMRadio where I can listen on the road or at home and know who is playing. How many times have you heard a song and though "I like this song" yet the dumbass DJ failed to mention who it was. Music on the radio is just filler between the next commercial for radio promotion.
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