Name that tune Wednesday, December 05, 2007
In an effort to remove talk, many radio station play 2-3 songs back to back.
I find this irrating sometimes as I'd like to know who the name of the singer and song. Personally I'm baffled why stations don't use RDS back channels to display this data. Most have xml streams also available online but rarely publicise it.
Well, UBC Media are launching a service that will use this data and allow you to buy the track you just heard from your phone. You have to install an app on your phone and register your credit card with the service. Downloaded tracks can be sent to your phone or PC by the service.
I was interested in the concept when I was shown this by UBC last May, but wonder if the pricing will be a deterrent at £1.25 per track, which is much higher than Amazon and iTunes.
UBC will also have to share the net revenues with the radio stations on whom they piggy back.
The timing for UBC isn't great, with Nokia announcing their "comes with music" service on their handsets. Free in the first year, you can download as much music as you want which is yours to keep. Subs will apply thereafter. Presently only Universal Music's catalogue is available on the service, for which Universal will be getting a min of £60pa per user. When Rob Wells at Universal explained the formula to me a couple of months back, I rather wished I had my old HP financial markets calculator handy! This is a bold move by both firms and is definitely agenda grabbing.
I believe data charges will be levied on top, but as an offering it has certainly caught a number of the mobile operators on the hop and cast some of their music offerings in a poor light.
posted by John Wilson @ 6:30 PM Permanent Link
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