Pure Digital is the company that kick-started digital audio broadcasting (DAB) in the UK. Its Evoke-1S may be the best selling digital radio in the world, but the company hasn't rested on that success and recently produced two 'connected' radios for its new 'Flow' range. These new models pack internet radio, DAB, FM and the ability to stream music from your computer into one device.
TechRadar caught up with Pure Digital's Marketing Director, Colin Crawford, this month to discuss the transition from DAB to internet radio, the continued criticisms of DAB (from both the tech community and audiophiles alike) and to find out a little more about what Pure Digital has in store for radio fans in 2009 and beyond.
TechRadar: We're keen to know more about how you feel the transition from DAB to internet radio is happening right now. How do you see this evolving in the future?
Colin Crawford: One of the reasons we waited so long before we brought what we call our 'connected radios' [the Evoke Flow and Avanti Flow] to market was because what we wanted to do was to really integrate broadcast radio and internet radio.
We aren't really particularly interested in 'internet only' radios – radios which are only there for streaming – because we see that as a relatively niche [use] (and relatively niche for the foreseeable future). We still believe that the majority of people will listen to pretty much the same stations they do now. This belief is borne out by statistics that we've obtained from other technology providers and manufacturers, which show that the most popular stations for streaming are still the good old-fashioned broadcast stations.
And, knowing that from a broadcast perspective it costs money to stream to individual users, our aim is to come up with a device that's a cracking broadcast radio (so, if I want to listen to Radio 2 or 3, Capital or Absolute I can do that on DAB or FM), but also one that lets me use internet connectivity in a number of ways on top of that.
Firstly, for niche content, so my children who are big basketball fans are able to find American basketball stations. Also, my daughter loves heavy metal, so if there are no broadcast heavy metal stations, she'll find those [online]. Those are relatively niche requirements, if you like.
We'll also use it for 'listen-again' content – so for me as a listener it's effectively a means of unchaining myself from the PC. I don't like to listen to radio on the PC: it's the wrong place, the wrong environment, the wrong time. I want to be able to listen to something I've missed on the BBC while I'm in the kitchen. I can now do that up to a week after broadcast on an Evoke Flow or an Avanti Flow. Perfect!
There's podcasts as well, of course – but again, that's niche content. That's 'long-tail' listening stuff and this is all making up a small minority of overall listening time. So, we still believe that the majority of listening will still be happening on DAB for the foreseeable future.
Why do you call it 'connected radio' and not 'internet radio'?
This is the other big issue for us. We call it 'connected radio' because it's not just a one-way channel (or stream) that's been opened. It is potentially a two-way flow of information. That's the stuff [we're] working on right now – making use of that back channel to allow the customer to talk back and have a dialogue with the radio station in new ways.
The possibilities for this are almost endless (scarily so, in fact!) and we have a development plan for at least the next five years – every time we talk about that we end up adding more ideas to the already huge list of possibilities of things you could do with a connected radio.
The first one that we're going to be coming through with early this year, which we've spoken about before, is giving listeners the ability to buy a track that they're listening to on the radio. If you like a track, a button will appear on the radio that says 'buy now'. To see this you'll [need to] already have a small value account set up on The Pure Lounge, which is our online portal – then you hit the 'buy now' button and you've bought the track. Job done!
You don't have to write the name of the track down and then go to iTunes or anything. It's instant. It's then stored on The Lounge, so you can play it on the radio whenever you like – and it will also be emailed to you as a high-quality MP3 file. The codec we use in The Lounge will probably not be MP3, simply because we will want to reduce bandwidth. But that will make very little difference – the gist of it is that you've got access to your music wherever you are: via The Lounge, your connected radio, or you have it on your PC as well.
Your comments (1) Click to add a new comment
dpomic
January 22nd 2009
1. FM will remain the primary radio system for the world for quite a while. DAB radios have and will continue to include FM. Internet radios have and will continue to include FM. FM and Internet are global standards. They operate across device platforms—PC/Mac, mobile, tabletop/portable/personal, and automotive. DAB does not and will not.
In the UK, DAB will be limited to perhaps 300 BBC and Commercial DAB station. The other 100 Commercial stations, more than 100 (increasing to 200) Community stations, more than 100 Student and Hospital stations, perhaps 100 Pirate stations, and several hundred short-term event stations will continue on FM. Almost all are also online, the missing are moving to there, and some are dropping their terrestrial broadcasts (for decreased regulation online).
Internet radio complements all terrestrial broadcast systems—FM, AM, DAB, and HD. Internet radio allows easy, reliable access—location shift—for listening from anywhere to anywhere (near and far). And, time shift—for listening later, on-demand. Internet radio is the direct, two-way communication link between listeners, stations, and others. In the UK there are several hundred more Internet Only stations (including BBC News and World Service foreign languages).
Internet radio also connects around the world—to and from—additionally more than 10,000 stations, 20,000 shows and podcasts, and 2,000,000 episodes. And, Internet radio delivers the personal track list services.
RAJARS ~2% Internet listening is only live broadcasts of their subscribers—about 300 BBC and Commercial stations. RAJAR has estimated additional Internet listening (Listen Again, Podcasts, and Personalised Online Services) at more than Live Internet listening. RAJARs ~11% DAB platform listening is listening on DAB radios: http://www.rajar.co.uk/docs/about/RAJAR_diary_example_page.pdf. Since (almost all) DAB radios include FM, some of that DAB platform listening is FM broadcasts. Considering the lack of DAB-only programming, DAB reception problems, and DAB sound quality deficiencies, FM listening on DAB radios may be more than DAB listening on DAB radios!
DAB doesn’t add anything positive for listeners. It is too little too late.
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