One morning, someone listening to his local radio station morning show being streamed on the web hears:
"Good morning, New York City. It's mighty cold today and don't expect the weather to get any warmer until Monday. Last night I watched this hilarious clip on the web that you have to check out. There will be a link to that clip on our website later today but if you can’t wait to watch it go to h, t, t, p, colon, slash, slash, w, w, w, dot, youtube, dot, com, slash, the word "watch", question mark, v, equal sign, number 4, lowercase p, capital X, lowercase f, capital H, capital L, capital U, lowercase l, capital Z, lowercase f, number 4. To make sure you got it right let’s repeat it..." Wouldn't it be easier for everybody to hear, "I just pushed that clip's link to your web player. Click and enjoy."?

What is certain is the client who purchased a big box ad on that radio station's web player would love having such an incentive for the end users to bring the player up front in order to click on that link.

For years, radio broadcasters have been using systems such as PAD (Program Associated Data) or RDS (Radio Data System) to send extra information along with their audio program feed but these systems have their limits. By way of an example, how would you cram into 64 characters the title for the first song on Shawn Phillips' album Second Contribution, “She Was Waiting For Her Mother At The Station In Torino And You Know I Love You Baby But It's Getting Too Heavy To Laugh”?

Go beyond Now Playing information

Over the internet, streaming associated data is old hat. For example, radio broadcasters are used to displaying the information of the song currently playing in their web players. However, internet streaming opens the door to accessing rich synchronized metadata (data about other data) that can be extended to send more information to the end users. Some specialized streaming service and solution providers can actually offer their clients flexible and customized tools to enable radio show hosts to engage in an instantaneous relationship with their listeners. This translates into a very efficient way to capture and retain their audience's attention on the web.

From various sources...

This extra information can come from diverse places. The live input can be done manually at the station or even remotely by the broadcaster. The data can also be automatically queried from an external data source by the system when an event occurs or on a regular basis. The key element to keep in mind is that integrating it into existing workflow must be seamless. This new communication tool must be easy and fun to use.

...to various destinations

A sports radio station in Albany, NY is streaming live on the web a local team's baseball game. Along with the audio program, they inject in real time statistics of that game to be displayed in that station's web streaming player and, once in a while, listeners are reminded to check out those live numbers on the web player. Meanwhile, sister radio stations in Springfield, MA and Hartford, CT are not broadcasting that game but are able to push the Albany game's highlights to their web players while streaming their own regular audio local programming.
Other examples of rich synchronized metadata a radio broadcaster can push in real time to the web players would be:

• Traffic Reports
• Emergency Warnings
• Weather Reports
• What's On/Coming Up Next
• Contest Results
• Sports Results/Stats
• Upcoming Song(s)
• Artist's Bio
• Related Content
• Link to purchase song/album online
• Link to purchase concert tickets for that artist's upcoming show in a city near you
• URLs
• Free Text : send IM-like text messages or micro blog posts
• Supplement an advertiser's audio message with additional information about the product being advertised. Announcers crave added value and expect a different user experience on the web than on a traditional radio set.
• The possibilities are endless...

Through streaming rich synchronized metadata, radio show hosts can now develop a more intimate relationship with their listeners in real time. A standard radio broadcast becomes a private and exclusive communication channel with every end user demanding a different experience on the web. This is attractive not only to the hosts and listeners but also to advertisers looking to grab the attention of relevant potential customers.

Philippe Patrice is Product Manager Live Streaming at StreamTheWorld