Last night, SoundCtrl was at 7Digital’s event “The Future of Music API’s, Apps… and Drinks” in NYC.
The event came on the heels of 7Digital’s announcement last week that their DMCA-compliant radio services have now been made available to US partners. This allows startups who are trying to launch their own unique, customizable radio streaming services to tap into 7Digital’s vast library of music (over 25 million tracks), avoiding the typical barriers of entry that usually come with trying to obtain licenses from the major labels and publishers.
As North American President Vickie Nauman commented on the 7digital blog: “The terrestrial radio market has always done a great job of making it easy to enjoy programmed music and we want to encourage and support the traditional, terrestrial radio market to move into digital, as well as offering application developers the best possible solution.”
Last night’s event, which took place in partnership with Digital DUMBO, gave 7Digital an opportunity to walk through the possibilities and opportunities present in Internet/Digital Radio development. As Kyle Pierce (Business Development Manager) broke it down across all types of listeners – even his mom – there are vast opportunities to connect with consumers and recapture that moment that once existed for radio, a moment that incapsulated & cultivated discovery, trust and loyalty.
But as one obstinant attendee questioned from a revenue standpoint, do people really want to pay for radio? And what motivation do advertisers have to come in and fund platforms for a free-loving consumer base? Is it a lost cause for advertisers to target a group of people so accustomed to not spending a dime on the services they want?
A fair question. One that demoing partners Turntable.FM & Piki, Sourcetone & doubleTwist will certainly be trying to answer as they figure out how to monetize their platforms.
7Digital is betting that the relationship between radio and consumers is still a powerful one, and will only grow stronger the more developers find ways to maximize personalization, discovery and ease of access. If you’re a startup looking for a music library to fuel your service, definitely check out 7Digital’s new developer site where you can learn more about their catalogue, API, and becoming an affiliate.
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