Apple Inc. is working with radio broadcasters to add a tag to songs sent over the airwaves so that a consumer can push a button on specially equipped radios for later purchase of the song via the iTunes online store.
The tagging system will work with a digital radio format known as HD Radio, and will require radios that have a special “tag” button that the listener can push to note a favorite song. Radio manufacturers JBL and Polk have announced plans to offer HD radios with the tag button this holiday season.
“ITunes tagging takes music discovery on the radio to the next level,” says Greg Joswiak, vice president of iPod product marketing at Apple, No. 15 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide. “When a song plays on your HD Radio that you like, a simple push of a button will tag it and later give you the chance to preview, purchase and enjoy it with iTunes and your iPod.”
The system requires an HR Radio with a built-in iPod docking station. When the user puts the iPod into the docking station and syncs up with iTunes any songs that have been tagged will appear in a list. The user can then preview or buy the songs from iTunes.
Several major broadcasters will implement iTunes tagging, initially across hundreds of stations, says Bob Struble, CEO of iBiquity Digital, the developer of the HD Radio system for broadcasting analog and digital signals in tandem. The first broadcaster to announce its participation was Clear Channel Communications, which operates 1,200 U.S. radio stations, of which more than 400 broadcast HD Radio signals.
“With substantial gains in online and on-demand programming already under our belt, there should now be no doubt of radio’s ability to constantly evolve and embrace new technology,” says John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “The iPod is not a competitor to radio—it is a collaborator in connecting with consumers on a continual basis.”
HD Radio adoption in the U.S. has been disappointing, according to media research firm Bridge Ratings, which recently lowered its estimate of the number of HD Radio users in the U.S. to under 400,000 by year end and under 1 million by early 2009. The research firm reported last month the number of consumers very interested in obtaining an HD Radio dropped to 7% from 9% in January, as many consumers say they see no benefit from the technology.
But iBiquity’s Struble says he is pleased with the adoption to date and expects it will pick up now that less expensive HD Radios are available at major retailers. “Last year, the cheapest set was $299 and it was available at no national retailers,” he says. “Now you can buy sub-$200 sets in Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City and Radio Shack. Like many other transitional technologies, you need more products at the right price points distributed in the right places.”
The HD in HD Radio originally stood for hybrid-digital; HD Radio is now a trademark of iBiquity. The name often causes confusion with HDTV, an acronym in which the first two letters stand for high definition.
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