There remains a mix of hype and doubt surrounding the launch of Digital Radio from January 2009. Will listeners and advertisers embrace the enhancements that digital will provide or will it be a big yawn and go the way of AM Stereo?
At least one of the enhancements that could prove to be the killer application is CLIQ which allows you to purchase any song you hear on the radio instantly, as you hear it with just one cliq (click) even in your car or on your mobile phone.
It certainly has the potential to give Apple’s runaway success iTunes a run for its money as it provides record companies the shortest possible distance between a listener hearing a song they like and the point of purchase. It could change entirely the business model that currently exists between radio and record companies resulting in a lucrative new income stream for broadcasters.
Commercial Radio Australia has already held talks with the main telcos to introduce DAB+ radio into handsets from 2009.
Here’s how it works…
ACCESS – you open the CLIQ Java application on your phone, or switch on a CLIQ enabled DAB radio and tune to your favourite CLIQ-enabled radio station.
DISPLAY – the current and previously played tracks are displayed on screen as available to buy.
BUY – you can purchase all “click to buy” tracks.
COMPLETION – purchased tracks are then added to your transaction list.
From Launch you will be able to use CLIQ on two platforms; The first, on DAB devices with a back channel: CLIQ works by retrieving live playlist information from your chosen radio station, and then broadcasting it to DAB receivers with integrated GPRS or WiFi This DAB receiver decodes the radio station audio stream and the CLIQ track listing (which identifies the music tracks and prompts purchases).
The second, on mobile phones carrying the CLIQ Java application: CLIQ retrieves the live playlist information from your chosen radio station, and publishes the track listing to the CLIQ Java application (which identifies the music tracks and prompts purchases).
Once you’ve purchased a track you’ll receive an email containing a link to your CLIQ online portal where you can download the track to your music library, load it onto an mp3 player or burn the track onto a CD. To use the CLIQ service you will need to open a CLIQ Pre Pay account which works the same way as pay-as-you-go mobile phone account, it’s just pay as you go music!