Study Shows iPod A Radio Killer

As Reported in RAIN: The RadIo And Internet Newsletter

From MacWorld (UK): “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.’..

“‘While MP3 players pose an obvious threat to radio, they present opportunities, too, which the radio industry must now tackle,’ (the Guardian’s Meg Carter says)…

“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…

“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.’..

“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.”
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