EURORADIO probe into the Perfect App now online

A EURORADIO quest to find the "perfect media app" concludes that there is no single application currently in existence to serve the needs of every public service media (PSM).

The study, led by the EBUs head of radio Christian Vogg, collected more than 550 different apps throughout Europe for analysis including apps for radio or TV only, mixed radio and TV apps and special apps.

Mr Vogg said a key finding is that the killer application is a myth. However the need to offer audiences easy mobile access to content remains paramount.

"Theres a lot of experimentation taking place out there in regard to the number of apps per organization and the features and functions it offers," said Mr Vogg. "Some focus on content only, others offer additional information on a larger scale. However public service broadcasters need to adjust their apps according to audience needs."

Mr Vogg said a key benefit of the report which is now available online is to discover how other Members determine the kind of apps they ought to develop.

AUDIO DOMINATES

The most popular feature in apps from PSM are audio live streams, mostly provided as MP3 (128 kbps), offered by 90 per cent of organizations surveyed. Video live streams are only provided by 38 per cent. The standard codec used for live video is H.264/MPEG-4. So live audio streaming seems much easier to realize, more cost-efficient and easier to manage than video live streaming. Also from a rights perspective videos are more complicated than radio.

In general, having an app appears to have been the priority for most; and of those that do not have a dedicated mobile website, only 39 per cent plan to create one soon. Others are still deciding whether to launch a mobile or responsive website; citing cost as an issue for responsive design.

MEASUREMENT CHALLENGES

One of the biggest challenges is getting high quality user data. 94 per cent of organizations responding to the survey have a tool to monitor website traffic and 81 per cent have one to monitor their app traffic. The problem is to compare off-air listening figures to live stream via the app and to podcast downloads. There is still the need for a comparable "currency" on audience. This will be a task for the future to develop coherent measuring tools across all platforms. Interactivity is an important feature of apps.

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LINK:	http://www3.ebu.ch/cms/en/sites/ebu/contents/news/2013/12/euroradio-pr...
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