March 15, 2016
Monthly Online Radio Listening

Edison Research: Internet Radio Weekly Listeners Hit 50% of U.S. Population

The Infinite Dial report from Edison Research and Triton Digital found that monthly Internet radio listeners passed the 50% threshold of the 12-and-older U.S. population for the first time in 2015. Just one year later, the 2016 edition reveals that weekly Internet radio listenership is also at 50%. That means 88% of people who listen to Internet radio have made it a weekly habit.
February 29, 2016
Siri User-Initiated Voice Interaction

Prompted Response is a Different Kind of Voice Interaction

There is a voice assistant arms race going on between Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook. This is all about mobile. Each company recognizes that the mobile user experience often makes touch and type interaction inconvenient. Voice is simply a more efficient way to interact with a smart device – at least when it works.
September 2, 2015

The Future of Mobile – an Interview with Dan Hodges of Consumers in Motion

Dan Hodges is CEO and founder of Consumers in Motion Group, an agency focused on mobile strategy. Earlier in his career, Dan served in senior executive roles at Verve Mobile, Nokia, Mediavest and the Associated Press.
August 26, 2015
Audio Has Been Mobile Through the Years

Why Audio is the Quintessential Mobile Media

Mobile devices have changed how and when consumers interact with digital media. The rapid proliferation of smartphones in particular has both created new consumption habits for digital media and diverted consumer attention away from traditional media. But there are really two definitions of mobile media.
April 14, 2015
Locked Screen While Listening to NPR One

Creating a Great Content Interaction Experience on Mobile

Recently, I made a presentation at the Internet radio industry’s premier event, RAIN Summit. My message was simple. A great mobile user experience requires two components: a great content consumption experience and a great content interaction experience.
December 10, 2014

Mobile Marketer: “Audio is emerging as the mobile ad unit of choice.”

As the year comes to a close, marketers are starting to plan their advertising strategies for 2015. A Mobile Marketing article addressed this task directly and suggests that audio ads on Internet Radio will be an increasingly powerful tool. In particular, the article highlights sponsored content as a popular and effective audio ad format. Some other strategies suggested by Mobile Marketer include...
December 4, 2014

Simple and Reliable User Experience on Mobile

In October, I commented on voice recognition in Connected Cars and an AAA Foundation study concerned with distracted driving. Last week, the Wall Street Journal had a different take on the situation. It wasn’t about safety issues with voice commands in the Connected Car -- it was about consumer complaints.
September 10, 2014
Earbud and Headphone Proliferation

Internet Radio Advertising Hits an Inflection Point

Two weeks ago a press release announcing the results of a STRATA Survey buried the lead. While its headline indicated a 45% jump in Ad Agency interest in digital video, the interest in “streaming/online radio saw a 53% increase.” There is no doubt that interest in video advertising is growing, but we can also see that Internet Radio is emerging from the novelty stage. It is becoming an important tool for reaching consumers.
August 14, 2014
Getting Consumers to Speak Your Brand Name

Consumers Say your Brand Message to Engage

We've had many inbound requests from audio publishers, advertisers and agencies lately at XAPP, so we can tell the idea of interactive audio advertising driven by voice engagement has inspired many people’s creative thinking. That creativity has also led to requests for new features. One of the simplest and most interesting is the ability to designate custom phrases.