The radio and music industries have embraced MusicPoint’s digital technology to deliver 1,100 new songs and 22,000 audio transfers to radio stations in its first 12 months of operation.
MusicPoint this week showed the advantage of digital delivery of music, taking Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian’s single to #1 most added on radio.
In a tempestuous year for the digital delivery of music, MusicPoint has demonstrated significant advantages of the technology to the music industry.
MusicPoint, majority owned by Destra Corporation Limited, is an internet-based service for the
immediate, secure and automated transfer of audio files and artist information direct from record
companies to radio stations. It was launched in December 2002.
MusicPoint’s Director, Keith Williams, told radioinfo:
“The adoption of MusicPoint by the record companies and radio in our first year has been phenomenal. We
are committed and excited about more features and continued growth in year two.”
Major record companies BMG Australia, EMI Music, Festival Mushroom Records, Universal Music and Warner
Music, along with independents such as ABC Music, Roadrunner, Shock and Transistor Music, have adopted
MusicPoint as their preferred method of delivering music to radio. It supersedes CD mail-outs that were
costly, labour-intensive, and subject to delays, loss, piracy and embargo concerns.
Equally, radio stations have welcomed MusicPoint as the ideal means of evaluating and receiving music for
airplay. Over 300 stations now use MusicPoint in Australia, including the ABC, Austereo, DMG and RG Capital
networks.
An added benefit to radio is the seamless and direct integration of MusicPoint with RCS Selector®,
the scheduling software used by over 85 percent of radio stations to manage their playlists.
Dave Cameron,
Music Director of Sydney station 2DAY-FM said: “MusicPoint is by far the most useful tool this year for our
music meetings. Being able to access record company product instantly and get it on-air immediately is now
crucial for our CHR format.”
In its first 12 months, 1,100 new songs have been made available on MusicPoint from record companies, and
users have transferred songs 22,104 times.
As an example of its growing importance to the industry,
MusicPoint was critical in delivering the Australian Idol winner’s single to radio. BMG Australia’s Director of
National Promotions, Nicole Hart explains that Guy Sebastian’s single ‘Angels Bought Me Here’ was uploaded “as
soon as he was announced the winner, allowing radio immediate access to a single they would have had to wait days for under normal delivery circumstances.” As a consequence, the track was #1 most added song at radio last week, and debuted at #1 on the single chart on Monday.
“BMG is totally committed to the
competitive advantage and immediacy that MusicPoint offers to all radio stations.”
MusicPoint is a joint venture between RCS Australia Pty Ltd and Wired Entertainment Pty Ltd. The
technology was developed in Australia and will be distributed worldwide by RCS Inc, the world’s leading
supplier of software to the radio industry. In 2004 MusicPoint will be expanded to include music videos.