Four Important Things for Online Radios Have to Do to Attract Users

Fragmented to FM Warfare

There were many war of words occurred between several online radios. Problems are surrounded products off the shelf caused by brush list scene or content copyright litigation. There are 4 top online radios here in Chinese markets who live in peace with each other before. They are Qingting FM, Kaola FM, Lizhi FM and Ximalaya FM, those who are fighting for users.

As for users, they pay for radio contents in low price on their spare time. It’s convenient for them to do other things such as walking, driving when they listen to radios. By the way, users can get contents with lower traffic compared to video contents.

From the angle of industry, mobile internet got through the tools’ period. The basic tools satisfied users’ needs, which means content would be more important in future.

There are four important things for online radio markets.

The first thing is commercialization.

The traditional broadcastings now focused on in-car markets, with good profit condition. But the audio ads would be more complexity, profitability of online radios are to be test. In one hand, radio’s ads inventory lesser than video ads. In the other hand, radio ads have no choice but to do brand ads because of that it cannot realize clicking directly. Therefore, online radios need multi-commercialization methods to realize profitability, which makes user number mean nothing without the accurate commercial model. 

The second thing is making content.

Online radios have to pay the biggest attention to content-making after the basic functions established, since their initiate purpose is to make content APP. Many Video APP, literature APP and Reading App are on their way, becoming bigger, more comprehensive with product characteristics and high quality. Whatever methods they choose, self-built, PGC, UGC or purchasing are need more cost spending. That is the main reason of IP war this year. Many online radio platforms adopted the model of PGC adding UGC, making same contents on different platforms.

The third thing is positioning setting.

There is a big gap in content-making between different user groups and different listening settings. For example, white-collar group people more need business information of finance and economics. University students more want to some heart-warming stories while Mums take more care of parents-child performances. Therefore, the accurate setting for online radios is so important a thing.

Last but not least thing is competing technologies.

It looks there is no relationship between online radios and technologies, but the reality is that these online radio platforms have high requirements on technology.

1. Audio dealing-with technology
Audio recording, broadcasting and listening technologies are included. These technologies have the direct relationship with performance qualities and listening experiences of audiences.

2. Interactive broadcasting technology
Traditional broadcastings have interactive setting part such as phone interaction. Online radios have the opportunity to do a better job on interaction, since interaction is the advantage of internet. Internet of Vehicles or even combined with social communication are online radio’s future.

3. Individualization recommended technology
Users get contents through request program or recommended interests program, rather than frequency modulation. Therefore, online radios can recommend users the channels, wemedia and contents what users are need through big data technology, which is important to all content platforms.

Audio is very important a content form, while radio market has a huge growth prospects and commercial potential. Now, online radios are fighting for users’ ears. The online radios future up to the four things mentioned above.