Different Strokes for Different Sites - Page 16

Online radio stations are the most visible (and the most fun) applications of streaming media, and we've been discussing them quite a lot in this column. However, radio stations and other media-oriented businesses are by no means the only organizations that are incorporating streaming media into their Internet strategy.

In fact, almost any organization may find itself considering the benefits of streaming media. Of course, the uses they put it to differ widely, and so should the way in which they incorporate it into their Web site. In a previous article, we pointed out that many aspects of Web site design are dictated by the end purpose of a Web site (or should be), and streaming media is no exception. Let's discuss just a few examples of different goals and different media strategies.

A Radio or TV Station Site

For a broadcaster, streaming media is the raison d'etre of their site, and it should be treated accordingly. Just as an e-commerce site features large and prominent links to their ordering page, an online radio station typically places a link called "Listen Now" or "On the Air" or some such, in an eye-catching position "above the fold." As the Webcast is the star of the show, all aspects of it should be of top quality, from a full-featured and easy-to-use branded player to a high-performance Streaming Media Network (SMN) that offers the user a trouble-free broadcast.

Of course, not all online radio stations have the same goals. Some are existing traditional stations that simply want to extend their geographic reach, and prepare for the eventual obsolescence of AM/FM broadcasting, by putting their existing programming online. Others are expanding their program offerings to include multiple simultaneous streams or "channels."

In either case, many broadcasters offer archived content in addition to their live programming. Archived content can be streamed or, alternatively, offered in the form of downloadable files (usually in MP3 format).

A Record Company Site

For a record company or artist, Webcasting fills a different role than for a broadcaster per se. While a broadcaster exists to broadcast, a record company exists to sell CDs, DVDs or whatever. As we've noted several times in this column, this is a bit of an artificial distinction, which will eventually fade away, but for the moment it's very much alive.

For site owners in this category, Webcasting is not a product, but a tool to help sell a product (CDs, etc.). Indeed, the recording industry tends to see the entire concept of radio and TV as a marketing tool rather than a service in its own right. Record companies aren't selling music by the file yet - they're still shipping little discs of plastic around the world. The music they offer online is in the form of "samples" or "teasers," designed to let you hear enough to want to buy the CD, but not enough to make buying it unnecessary.

Does being able to download music free really cut into potential CD sales? Maybe so, maybe not, but record companies are firmly convinced that it does, and thus they tend to follow two principles in their site design: First, they prefer streaming over downloading, as the former makes it harder for users to save music as a permanent file. Second, they almost never offer the entire contents of any particular CD online. A snippet here, a sneak preview there, is the order of the day. As we've seen, some record companies are more generous than others with their free offerings, but none are giving away the store.

"Theme-based" Web sites were the rage among Web designers a couple of years ago. Alligator Records' site is an example of how cool such a site can be if done properly. The home page is "Blues Street," with a guitar-playing gator or two lounging around, and storefronts leading to the main sections (Record Store, Artists' Entrance, Blues News, etc.). This clickable image map is backed up, as is proper, by text navbars at top and bottom. The site features a Webcast that spotlights Alligator artists. Alligator Radio sports a branded player that really brands. An elaborate animated intro (featuring their hip green gator mascot, of course) distracts the viewer while the audio is buffering.

A Corporate Site

Radio stations and record companies want their sites to be the hippest of the hip, but most non-media corporations want just the opposite. They want to disseminate information efficiently and cheaply, both within the company and to the outside world. Of course, this is just what streaming media excels at, so make no mistake - the staid and respectable corporates are getting geared up for online broadcasting, too. As always when designing for corporate clients, however, taste and discretion are the order of the day.

Major corporations aren't embedding full-motion video commercials in their home pages just yet (and it would be okay if they never do). They are, however, making use of Webcasting for various internal applications. Internal corporate video has been widespread for years, and in almost all of the applications where it's used, big cost savings can be achieved by moving it to the Web.

There are many streaming solutions providers that target the business-oriented market. Some of them occupy pretty specialized niches, for example Online Events, which specializes in investor relations Webcasting, and PR Webcast, which offers Webcasts of press releases and press conferences.

Catch the Next Wave

We've covered the hardware, the software, the legal, financial and philosophical aspects - just about all you need to know to get streaming programming up and running on the Internet. But online A/V is evolving rapidly, and there are plenty of new surprises around the bend. Interestingly, a couple of mainstream business magazines have recently identified streaming media as the "next big thing" in the Internet world. So put every cent in streaming media stocks, and come back next month to catch the Next Wave of the Web!

DIY, or Purchase a Turnkey Solution? - Page 15
Next Wave of the Web