Groups, Shazam Collaborate on Audio Measurement

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, July 21, 2016

iHeartmedia, Cumulus, Entercom, Cox Media and Sun Broadcast Group ink a strategic alliance with Shazam for an audio audience measurement solution in the U.S. that will deliver market- and station-level audience metrics across all radio formats. The new measurement solution for broadcast and digital audio utilizes audio recognition technology and information from specific geographic markets. It will leverage information collected from millions of devices to produce cross-platform audience metrics that the industry.

"We welcome this kind of innovation in the audio sector, particularly as more and more advertisers are turning to audio solutions to reach the hundreds of millions of audio consumers monthly," said Horizon Media President/CEO Bill Koenigsberg. "A solution that better measures audio is good for us, for our clients and for their brands."

"Shazam delivers unparalleled audio insights that will enable stable measurement across both digital and broadcast radio, making this an extremely exciting initiative for both iHeartMedia and the audio industry," added iHeartMedia President of Research and Insights Radha Subramanyam. "The richness of our data, combined with Shazam's measurement capabilities, will enable much deeper insights than traditional audio measurement does, and we believe it's a necessary and valuable addition to the evolving multi-platform audio measurement marketplace."

"Shazam's audio insights can be an empowering measurement tool for Cumulus Media, as well as the audio industry," said Cumulus Media Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard. "Clients are demanding more insights and targeting capabilities from media companies, and radio needs to offer what has become basic table stakes. Shazam can help us deliver on these expectations."

"We are pleased to be working with Shazam and the industry in support of an alternative audience measurement tool that will provide more robust information on the hundreds of millions of local radio listeners," said Entercom President/CEO David Field. "With this type of innovation, we believe media strategists and planners will be prompted to re-think their media mix models to give radio its fair share of the media buy."

"We like what we see going on with Shazam," commented Cox Media Group President Bill Hoffman. "Listeners have more contact with their brand of choice than ever before. We continue to get excited about Audience Measurement that keeps up with the rapid advances of technology to accurately account for who and what makes up our audience."

In a statement, Nielsen Audio said, "We welcome new approaches to the marketplace, and as the global leader in audience measurement, we remain laser-focused on delivering innovative and superior quality audited processes and methods to the radio industry. Nielsen has the only representative measurement of radio listening. Year over year, Nielsen invests millions of dollars in our products and services, ensuring that our measurement and panels continue to meet the currency-quality standards the industry demands. Nielsen remains committed to our audio technology and we are always investigating new technologies and trends that will allow us to deliver high quality radio ratings and insights."