Web radio research is moving forward
Web radio stations are springing up like mushrooms. Their operators also want to market them - but this requires reliable figures. Where does research into web radios stand? Werbewoche asked: Net-Metrix is about to implement a research module.
Web radio stations are springing up like mushrooms. Their operators also want to market them - but this requires reliable figures. Where does research into web radios stand? Werbewoche asked: Net-Metrix is about to implement a research module. The research company Mediapulse, which uses Radiocontrol to survey the use of conventional radio stations, is not active in web radio. The ball is in the court of the internet research organization Net-Metrix. At present, however, the Net-Metrix-Audit study can only record when a web radio station was clicked on - the length of use remains unknown. This is to be remedied: Net-Metrix is in the process of developing its own module for web radios, as Mirco Marrone, Senior Product Manager Net-Metrix-Audit, explains. It should be ready for launch in 2008 and tests are currently underway with various stations. The module requires web radio broadcasters to tag their offerings so that they can be measured.
However, the new module has not yet solved all the problems: it can only measure those web radios that run either via the Realplayer or Microsoft's Media Player. Streaming services such as YouTube are not included. Internet television that runs via one of the two players mentioned can also be measured by the new module from Net-Metrix.
According to Marrone, the data is primarily intended for the internal analyses of web radio providers. Which metrics could be used as binding categories in the advertising market still needs to be discussed. "This is a topic that we want to discuss with our User Commission," says the person responsible for Net-Metrix-Audit. So it could still be a while before a valid standard for measuring streaming content is established. "The measurement of web radio is very complex," says Marrone.
In order to compensate for some of the shortcomings of the planned new module, the Net-Metrix-Tracking study, which is structured as a panel, could be used in a further step. It could provide further information on usage habits.
The Net-Metrix-Tracking study is in the hands of Markus Jufer. "The possibilities of integrating streaming data with the values from radio and TV research are currently being examined as part of a merger project. In this respect, web radio research is also linked to Mediapulse," explains Jufer.
We are also in contact with research companies abroad, says Mirco Marrone. Like the Swiss organizations, they are also faced with the question of how the diverse multimedia possibilities can be turned into hard figures.
Carole Scheidegger
However, the new module has not yet solved all the problems: it can only measure those web radios that run either via the Realplayer or Microsoft's Media Player. Streaming services such as YouTube are not included. Internet television that runs via one of the two players mentioned can also be measured by the new module from Net-Metrix.
According to Marrone, the data is primarily intended for the internal analyses of web radio providers. Which metrics could be used as binding categories in the advertising market still needs to be discussed. "This is a topic that we want to discuss with our User Commission," says the person responsible for Net-Metrix-Audit. So it could still be a while before a valid standard for measuring streaming content is established. "The measurement of web radio is very complex," says Marrone.
In order to compensate for some of the shortcomings of the planned new module, the Net-Metrix-Tracking study, which is structured as a panel, could be used in a further step. It could provide further information on usage habits.
The Net-Metrix-Tracking study is in the hands of Markus Jufer. "The possibilities of integrating streaming data with the values from radio and TV research are currently being examined as part of a merger project. In this respect, web radio research is also linked to Mediapulse," explains Jufer.
We are also in contact with research companies abroad, says Mirco Marrone. Like the Swiss organizations, they are also faced with the question of how the diverse multimedia possibilities can be turned into hard figures.
Carole Scheidegger
