Costa Nikols, strategy advisor, M&E at Telos Alliance explains why FAST platforms must no longer accept good enough for audio
By Contributor
Published: December 16, 2024 Updated: December 17, 2024
Costa Nikols, strategy advisor, M&E at Telos Alliance explains why FAST platforms must no longer accept good enough for audio
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
The rise of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) has marked a significant shift in the entertainment landscape. With increasing consumer appetite for free, linear-like streaming experiences, FAST services are becoming a more important element of the household subscription mix, offering an alternative to traditional pay-TV and premium subscription services.
New launches have taken the total number of unique FAST channels to over 4,000 as of April this year, according to 3Vision's FAST Tracker, offering an ever-growing range of original and special interest content. And increasingly, live sports and news are finding their way onto FAST and digital platforms too. While industry eyes are focused on driving value and engagement with more unique live experiences, niche content, or greater personalisation, folks often overlook a crucial element in improving the overall FAST experience: the audio.
Costa Nikols, strategy advisor, M&E at Telos Alliance The simple truth is that clearer dialogue, more balanced sound and improved audio processing are long overdue in the FAST ecosystem. For many content owners and platform operators, audio hasn't been prioritised correctly - and consumers are losing out as a result. Making FAST sound better isn't just a hygiene measure or a nice-to-have; it's a key element in making FAST a preferred consumer choice.
Audio regulations and evolving digital frontiers Traditional linear broadcasting has long-established frameworks for maintaining audio consistency, primarily due to key regulations like the CALM Act in the United States and EBU R128 in Europe, introduced to address loudness inconsistencies - especially between programmes and commercials. Despite the complexity of these standards, broadcasters have streamlined compliance through real-time processing solutions, resulting in improved audience experiences and fewer regulatory infractions.
In contrast, audio processing for streaming and FAST platforms is still developing. While many FAST channels deliver pre-recorded programming that can be adjusted offline to suit evolving audio requirements, live streaming is a different challenge and requires highly advanced real-time processing. As viewers often engage with streaming content on laptops or mobile devices with limited audio capabilities, consistent loudness and clear dialogue are even more complex. These devices typically feature small speakers or rely on consumer earbuds or headsets, which can significantly affect the overall experience if audio quality is not optimised - especially during live events.
The streaming industry has historically lagged in audio regulation, often operating in a Wild West environment where sound quality was secondary to video. However, with the rise of cord-cutting and increased consumption of streaming as a primary content source, platforms have begun adopting internal loudness standards to provide a better viewer experience. Major streaming providers are now aligning closer to broadcast standards, which reflects both a response to consumer demand and an industry-wide shift toward more regulated audio practices.
FAST needs to hear that good enough' won't cut it anymore Several factors make high-quality audio essential for FAST and other digital platforms. First, loudness shifts particularly between programmes and ad breaks are frustrating for viewers, as they lead to frequent adjustments in volume that disrupt the viewing experience. Consumers don't want to have to reach for the TV remote to dial down the volume every time a show cuts for the commercials. Second, audio tailored for television speakers or high-end systems does not translate well to mobile devices; streaming providers must optimise sound specifically for smaller speakers in phones, tablets, and headphones to ensure clarity and enjoyment. Lastly, clear dialogue is crucial across all formats, as many viewers struggle with audio that lacks intelligibility, especially when programmes are downmixed from multichannel sources.
As audiences gradually shift from traditional to digital platforms, people expect audio experiences that are consistently as good as - if not better than - their regular TV option. Streaming subscription costs are rising and for many consumers, the promise of cord-cutting has only led to a more fragmented, expensive entertainment subscription mix which currently averages above 3 services per month, according to Forbes. Premium or free services with just good enough audio that frustrates viewers don't stand a chance if they want to muscle into the mix.
Next-Generation Audio (NGA) is here Next-Generation Audio (NGA) technologies offer exciting new capabilities for both traditional and streaming formats. Technologies like Dolby Atmos provide immersive soundscapes that make content more engaging, while features designed for clearer dialogue or personalised audio adjustments greatly enhance accessibility and comfort. NGA also holds particular value for streaming services, as it allows these platforms to deliver high-quality, customisable audio experiences tailored for a wide range of devices and listening environments. By supporting both immersive experiences and practical features like enhanced dialogue clarity, NGA aligns perfectly with the evolving priorities of today's streaming audience while helping content providers differentiate their proposition.
The good news is that audio regulations will
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
30/08/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has adopted its FY 2025 Regulatory Fees Order that establishes the regulatory fee rates for the broadcast stati...
29/08/2025
Australian Red Cross and SBS launch training to help workplaces in the fight aga...
29/08/2025
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
29/08/2025
L3Harris Technologies has concentrated decades of expertise across the entire enterprise to develop affordable and reliable best-of-breed solutions to rapidly c...
29/08/2025
BURBANK, Calif. The CW Network and the Pac-12 Conference have announced a new media rights deal that will extend their broadcast partnership beginning with the ...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK Gracenote has released a new analysis of its global video dataset showing that the number of FAST channels grew nearly 14% from Q1 2025 and 76% since 2...
29/08/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced a series of improvements to its live sports streaming solution that the company said will improve fan engagement, protec...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES Fox Corp. and YouTube TV last night announced a renewal of the full portfolio of Fox networks, including Fox News Channel, Fox Business...
29/08/2025
Budapest, Hungary, August 2025 - The integration of Microsoft Teams Rooms (MTR) with Lightware's Taurus universal matrix switchers delivers a new level of f...
29/08/2025
Frequency, the engine behind many of the world's best-known streaming television channels, today announced it will launch Studio Live, a next-generation uni...
29/08/2025
In an era when AI and cyber resilience are essential, Scality will mark the 10th anniversary of Scality Day on October 16, 2025 in Paris. This flagship global e...
29/08/2025
Disguise's In-House Creative and Technical Teams Pre-Visualised, Programmed and Delivered Content for the Experience, All Powered by EX 3+
Technology solu...
29/08/2025
Disguise will be demonstrating the latest workflows for TV, film and live events on a number of partner booths at the show
Disguise, the industry-leading tech...
29/08/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Accedo will showcase Accedo Compose, its AI agent-powered modular orchestration layer that assists streaming providers in transitioning client...
29/08/2025
LOS ANGELES Cineverse has announced that it is working with Xperi to bring four of its streaming channels to automobiles for the first time as part of the DTS A...
29/08/2025
DALLAS & ATLANTA Gray Media has announced an agreement with the sports streaming service Victory+ to simulcast 17 Dallas Stars NHL games in 15 television market...
29/08/2025
NEW YORK AND CULVER CITY Comcast NBCUniversal and Amazon have announced new and extended distribution agreements that will expand the content available on their...
29/08/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. RED Digital Cinema will feature its Cine-Broadcast Module supporting live broadcast workflows during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Ams...
29/08/2025
29 Aug 2025
Kyivstar Rings Opening Bell at Nasdaq Marking Landmark Listing and ...
29/08/2025
More than half of all NFL games live on Sky for the first timeFriday 29 August 2025
Sky Sports has announced a new three-year deal with the NFL, extending its ...
29/08/2025
Back to All News
RIV4LRIES: The Trailer of the New Series With Samuele Carrino ...
29/08/2025
Get ready for an inspiring and emotional insight into the world of competitive Irish dancing with My Story: Tomi Champion of the World airing on RT 2 this monda...
29/08/2025
RT has today announced that David McCullagh is to be the new presenter of RT Radio 1's flagship Today programme, which airs every weekday at 10am, replaci...
28/08/2025
By Kristin Feeley, Director, Documentary Film & Artist Programs
If you want to tell untold stories, if you want to give voice to the voiceless, you've got ...
28/08/2025
Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, Sundance Institute-supported Amer...
28/08/2025
Corridos have been a cornerstone of M sica Mexicana for generations, telling stories rooted in everyday life. Now, a new chapter is taking shape: motivational c...
28/08/2025
Los corridos han sido un pilar de la M sica Mexicana durante generaciones, contando historias enraizadas en la vida cotidiana. Ahora, un nuevo cap tulo est tom...
28/08/2025
Earlier this month, we promised our Verano Forever party would bring the heat, a...
28/08/2025
L3Harris will provide the Polish F-16V fleet with the Viper Shield electronic warfare system as part of an upgrade program....
28/08/2025
Bilbao, August 26, 2025 - AgileTV, an international television and video technol...
28/08/2025
Ken Wilkinson is an Emmy Awards nominated New York audio engineer who specialises in production sound mixing for film, commercial, episodic and documentary work...
28/08/2025
NEW YORK FuboTV today announced that it will launch Fubo Sports, a skinny bundle that focuses on sports with a subscription price of $56 monthly....
28/08/2025
NEVADA City, Calif. At IBC2025, Sept. 12-15 at the RAI Amsterdam, Telestream will debut its new Global Ingest strategy, introducing a next-generation ingest arc...
28/08/2025
Dr. Rhoda Bernard Releases Groundbreaking Debut Book on Accessible Arts Educatio...
28/08/2025
TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing, and real-time visualization, has named Oliver Gappa as Sales Di...
28/08/2025
AI-based voice enhancement will be among a series of innovations making their IBC 2025 debut on the DHD stand B46 in Hall 8 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Cent...
28/08/2025
Telef nica Servicios Audiovisuales (TSA), the leading system integrator and service provider in the media sector in Spain, with the support of Appear, the globa...
28/08/2025
To fully immerse sailing fans in the world's biggest offshore yacht race, production company, Optical Media turned to LiveU's On-site Production solutio...
28/08/2025
Working with Calrec on its most recent overhaul, radio and television broadcaster, WNED has migrated to a fully IP infrastructure with multiple Type R consoles,...
28/08/2025
Cleeng, the Subscriber Retention Management (SRM ) inventor, has unveiled Cleeng Pro, the first-ever direct-to-consumer (D2C) subscription management platform t...
28/08/2025
Zixi, the industry leader in live broadcast-quality video over IP, today announced that French media distribution platform OKAST has selected Zixi to enable rel...
28/08/2025
Solution offers a streamlined, speaker-free architecture to optimize integration with premium external loudspeakers and advanced loudness metering
Nixer Pro Au...
28/08/2025
Cinegy, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, has announced a strategic partnership with Vision One Touch Film Production Services L.L...
28/08/2025
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, will debut its new Global Ingest strategy at IBC2025, introducing a next-generation ingest architect...
28/08/2025
Tier 1 operator selects Broadpeak to power high-performance, unified CDN solution across Norway, Sweden and Finland
Broadpeak, a leader in streaming and moneti...
28/08/2025
Leading video software provider, Synamedia, today announced that 24 Frames Digital, one of India's leading live event streaming service providers, has chose...
28/08/2025
Meet VisualOn at IBC2025: See What's Next in AI-Powered Video Streaming Join VisualOn at IBC2025 and discover how our AI-driven Optimizer and advanced media...
Costa Nikols, strategy advisor, M&E at Telos Alliance explains why FAST platforms must no longer accept good enough for audio
