Mobile Apps at Radio Ink Tech Summit 2010

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Going mobile

source: Wikipedia

MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

• multi-platform support 10x more complicated than desktop

• multiple OS's, 'containers,' transport protocols, audio formats

• hard to get definitive technical advice ("experts" disagree)

Mobile challenges for music services

• Number 1 — compelling content or service : can be a niche

• service model (what users want) vs. business model (what you need) vs. DMCA

• transport protocol : RTSP, RTMP, HTTP--Progr. DL, SHOUTcast, adaptive bitrate (new)

• container format : tells OS how data and metadata are stored (3GP/3GPP, 3G2/3GPP2)

• audio format aka 'payload' : MP3, MPEG (AAC LC, HE-AAC, aacPlus), WMA 

• firewalls : many LANS block common streaming ports and/or protocols; best on port 80

• metadata : DMCA requirement for music -- travel with the file or sync with a stream?

• log analysis and royalty reporting : ASCAP, BMI, SoundExchange all different

• ad insertion and verification : if you are doing a free service

• user accounts, transactions, personal data : database expansion + API integration

• integrated email marketing and social features

• back end technical setup : rationalize and harden as it grows. Goal: 99.999% uptime.

Cost centers for web music services

• salaries

• overhead

• bandwidth

• hosting

• royalties

• customer service

• software development and programming

• software purchases

Native mobile apps

NATIVE APP ADVANTAGES

• simplicity, focus, ease of

use

• full access to hardware: graphics, GPS, accelerometer

• faster operation

• more complete UI toolset

• full screen available

• trending now

• sell via App Store (30%

fee)

NATIVE APP DISADVANTAGES

• separate app for each major platform

• have to keep up with platform changes

• requires user to update their app

• creates version issues over time

• Apple approval x-factor: takes time, limits programming languages, what you can do

with subscription apps

• app ecosystems not equally developed

• turns you into a software developer

Mobile web apps

MOBILE WEB APP DISADVANTAGES

• compatability with different

platforms

• more limited UI operation

• slower screen updates w/o

'prefetching'

• limited to lowest common

denominator delivery format/protocol

• not a magic bullet: impossible to

serve everybody w/one web app

MOBILE WEB APP ADVANTAGES

• run on all mobile platforms

(theoretically…)

• build with standard web tools HTML, CSS, Javascript

• HTML5 browsers will play audio &

video with no plug-ins (2012)

• fast iteration : update app anytime

• sell direct : keep more of the money

'Radio' vs. Online Apps

Levels of interactivity in audio apps

• Launch and listen : Radio Paradise, single channel apps, run in b/g

• Limited interaction : channel-based services, personalized jukeboxes

• Fully interactive, personalized : highly engaged users, willing to pay

• Radio : lack of interactivity is a feature. Dead easy to use.

• Online : moving toward interactive mixed-media formats

• Mobile : screen size and variable user situation limit interactivity

(may be less of an issue for tablets)

Elements of a successful web service

• aggregate : small or large, but something

• add more value : raw content rarely good enough

• "The UI is the brand" (Kurt Hanson) not 100%, but really critical

• optimize the 'user experience' : try for addictive

• engage users : implies user accounts, personalization

• tiers of service, pricing, policies : key to the 'user value calculation'

• responsive customer service : required for paid services

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