hammer

Last month in RAIN (here) we reported Federated Media stations were participating in the beta release of a new Abacast technology designed to enable "song skipping" on live radio streams. The technology, called "Hammer," streams another song from the station's playlist when a listener hits the "skip" button during a live broadcast. Abacast says "individualized buffering and insertion functionality" will allow subsequent programming (music, ads, breaks, etc.) pick up seamlessly.

Abacast SVP/Products and Marketing Jim Kott penned a guest column for RadioInfo.com to explain the system further.

Apparently, the system can be "dayparted," meaning a station might want to allow listeners to skip music only during certain segments of the day. Specific songs can be made "non-skippable." And, naturally, "skips" will be tracked and recorded. To minimize royalties, Kott says the system will limit skips, either per-session or per-hour.

Read more from Kott on Abacast's "Hammer" in RadioInfo here.

Broadcaster Federated Media is participating in the beta release of a new Abacast technology designed to enable "song skipping" on live radio streams.

Internet-only webcasters that offer a personalized stream to a single listener can easily offer song skipping. Now, Abacast says their new technology enables the same function with live content (many listeners hearing the same content simultaneously). With the new Abacast system (codenamed "Hammer"), when a listener clicks the "skip" on a song playing "live," they're immediately streamed a different song from the station's playlist. The song is played in its entirety, and Abacast says, "Hammer’s individualized buffering and insertion functionality ensures that the rest of the stream, including songs, DJ’s, and commercials, is played seamlessly and in its entirety as well."

Abacast plans to release detailed metrics regarding average listening time and audience growth shortly after the skip feature is released in Q2 2013.