Today’s (6.24.16) news brief from the RAIN newsletter has an article about what’s called “the discovery wars”. That’s the competition between Spotify, Slacker, SoundCloud, Pandora, as they try to hook more listening. The biggest draw for listening is new music. Quoting Edison research, over 50% of the population is interested in “keeping up to date” with new music. For the 12-24 demo, it’s 80%. Since everything ever recorded is now available to anyone all the time, NEW music is certainly a Thing. These new-delivery systems trying to replace broadcast radio are facing the age-old music radio program director’s conundrum is: Which new music? Which new songs?
These guys will work their algorithms this way and that but it is great to learn that Slacker has stumbled into the missing element is: The Disc Jockey. A live person playing the songs and saying things about them. Music boxes, playlists, “curated” lists are all the same things; electronic jukeboxes, some (Spotify) better than others (SoundCloud). People, listeners crave human communication. A voice, a friend, a guy/gal with common interests (the music), happily talking about that music. Saying: “Here’s a new one that I really like.” Now that Slacker’s done it, I expect others of today’s IT/Media honcho class will get to it, as well.
