RedTech: How did the idea of creating MusikDatak, a music search algorithm for radio stations, come about?
Sam Zniber: Working for many national groups that own multiple brands, I saw that, for budgetary reasons, they were relying less on research and more on benchmarking with competitors. This resulted in the stations not differentiating themselves and not paying attention to many of their listeners, particularly the early adopters or trendsetters. MusikDatak detects hits and verifies the information. It also organizes and prioritizes the popular tracks based on how much a specific audience in a specific location is listening.
RedTech: What are the key performance indicators when measuring a hit’s success?
Marino Hernandez: A very popular song can get millions of views, likes, downloads, etc., but these numbers alone can’t measure the success of the hit. There are several types of KPIs stations should use to gauge success. We combine all these parameters to get a complete overview of the content’s popularity.
RedTech: How can radio broadcasters benefit from music platform data?
Hernandez: It allows them to gain access to valuable data to help them make better playlist decisions. This includes data about their audience, including the type of music they listen to, how much they listen to, where they listen, and how long they listen.
The stations can use this data in a variety of ways to serve their target audience better.
RedTech: Is music data from music platforms the key to better music radio programming?
Zniber: Studies show that people still prefer radio to other forms of music discovery. Radio is still king in terms of engagement, and that business model is not going to change overnight. The radio industry continues to change rapidly, and with streaming services like Deezer and Spotify, it’s important for stations to make the right programming decisions to be sure they are giving their audience what they want.
RedTech: What is the methodology behind MusikDatak?
Hernandez: MusicDatak creates a formula for each client, so the methodology is unique to each radio station. The calculation depends on the strategic target, broadcast area, music format and other information stations added to their profile in the system’s dashboard. This information is combined with human input, such as curation and recommendations, and then validated by music programmers.
RedTech: What advice do you have for your clients about the current state of radio?
Zniber: There are so many ways to get content to listeners; radio is growing. But there is still work to be done to reach younger generations who are less used to FM and more used to digital. Radio stations need to offer their programs from many different angles: streaming, replay, podcasts and, above all, improve the user experience with smoother and easier to access listening players, especially on mobiles.