'Net Features : audio

Make More Money Off Your Audio Content

Michael Garrity — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:46:00 GMT

Publishers are always looking for new ways to monetize their killer content on the Internet. Some types, like text-based or video content, have pretty simple solutions, but they aren’t always applicable to every kind of publisher.

For instance, those involved in broadcast or audio publishing (e.g. podcasters) have one of the more difficult types of content to monetize; but at the same time, there is a huge market out there for what they offer. In an effort to capitalize on this and provide these publishers with a significantly improved return on investment (ROI), cloud-based streaming services provider StreamGuys has partnered with the AdsWizz digital advertising company to offer a mobile-friendly, multi-platform streaming solution that offers targeted rich media advertising.

The pairing combines AdsWizz’s Digital Advertising Monetization Platform – which enables CDNs, ad networks and online video publishers to insert ads directly into an end-user’s on-demand or live stream based on their interests – with the one-to-many streaming architecture of StreamGuys that lets publishers deliver content (and ads) in multiple formats aimed at a variety of targets; the architecture also eliminates the need for transcoding steps for multi-format streaming that tend to degrade audio and video quality.

Current customers are already leveraging AdsWizz’s Pre-Roll Ad Insertion technology and delivering targeted advertisements to consumers, while using StreamGuys’ streaming architecture to reach more online media players and mobile devices than ever before.

But that’s not all. The partnership will also provide joint customers with a portfolio that will offer a variety of “ad-supported monetization tools,” such as audio and video mid-roll ad insertion technology and companion display banners that can target different subsets of users based on defined criteria, including gender, demographic or active location.

Pay-Per-View Video from DaCast

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:36:00 GMT

Self-service live-streaming platform DaCast has integrated a rather innovative payment system (dubbed Pay-in-Play) which is embedded into the DaCast video and audio player. That’s right – consumers will pay inside the video and audio player directly.

As far as I know this is one of the first fully integrated solutions to offer viewers a way to pay for premium content and for publishers to sell media. It’s like Pay-Per-View for the digital media set.

According to DaCast, based on a month long testing from a pool of beta-testers, conversion rates were increased by 233% - not too bad.

The DaCast Pay-in-Play system is currently available now to DaCast users. Broadcasters already using DaCast’s rich monetization features will see the new Pay-in-Play already integrated into their pay per view streams.

Getty Images and Demand Media Enter Joint Licensing

Pete Prestipino — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:20:00 GMT

Demand Media announced that they will be drawing from Getty Images’ library of rights-managed images, video footage and audio clips for use on their websites including typeF, LIVESTRONG.com and eHow.

Under the agreement, Getty Images will also become Demand Media’s exclusive distributor of stock video, allowing Getty Images to license the videos for specific uses at gettyimages.com.

“Demand Media’s video library provides our customers with access to stock video across hundreds of new topical categories,” said Craig Peters, senior vice president of business development at Getty Images. “Our partnership also allows for Getty Images to reach new customers by distributing our digital assets through Demand Media’s fast growing network of web properties.”

Demand Media has over 200,000 short form videos in its library covering topics like cooking, home renovation and fitness tips.

“Like Getty Images, we strive to create and distribute high quality content to a broad audience,” said Steven Kydd, executive vice president of Demand Media Studios. “Licensing our videos through Getty Images and including their award winning digital assets across our online properties was a natural fit for both of us.”

Listen Up: AudioPal

Pete Prestipino — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:22:00 GMT

If you want to add some quick but custom audio to your website and don't want to spend hours (or dollars) doing so, you might want to check out AudioPal, a great free service developed by OddCast - makers of the SitePal Speaking characters we've all come to know and love (or at least used to).

The web service lets you add/create audio by recording a message by phone, a microphone, and even offers a direct audio upload option. AudiopPal also offers a text to speech option (limited to 600 characters) in a variety of languages and voice types.

Users are able to preview the message and then grab a widget/player to include on your site/page. Audiopal provides the option to play the audio recording on page load but I personally advise against that.

I would expect Oddcast/AudioPal to release a pay version of this service in short order.