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BY PAUL MALONEY
A new software application called SongCatcher claims it will make it possible to legally acquire copies of your favorite songs for free.

It basically works like this: your PC, hooked up to a digital tuner, "records" music onto your hard drive. Using a digital recognition system (like the BDS technology the record industry uses to track airplay in major markets) to identify songs, the system can sort what it's recorded into a playlist. You can filter out songs you don't want, or avoid specific artists altogether.

Now, since there's no file-sharing involved -- and recording from the radio for personal use is legal in the U.S. (when I was a kid, they'd have had to pry that cassette recorder out of my cold, dead hand!) -- it's all legit. And, as opposed to file sharing, there's no long download process -- the retrieval of song and artist information by the program is a much quicker operation. The software (at least the beta version that's out now) is free.

The downside of course -- and you may remember this from your days as a radio-song mix tape producer -- is that what you hear on the radio is what you'll hear whenever you play the song back. There (hopefully) won't be as much in the way of RF noise or record pops as in the old days; but if the loquacious DJ "talks up the ramp," it's now part of your song.

You're also looking at about a 1.5 GB commitment for 24 hours of music. Plus, you'll need a digital tuner and an available USB port.

Look for us to run this through the RAIN test labs soon. Also, read another article on this topic in The Boston Globe here.



From the MeasureCast press release: "MeasureCast, Inc. announced today it has formed a strategic alliance with MediaAmerica Inc., the largest independent (non-broadcaster-owned) network radio advertising representative firm. MeasureCast now has forged alliances with the nation’s largest media rep firms to promote the streaming media industry, and to boost advertiser confidence in the medium.

“'It is in the streaming industry’s best interest to motivate the skeptics,' said Michelle Jennings, Chief Operating Officer, MediaAmerica Interactive. 'We have to team up to educate advertisers about streaming ad opportunities, and about the data available to help them make educated ad placement decisions.'"

MeasureCast provides the streaming media industry with next-day audience size and demographic reports. Last week, the company formed a similar alliance with KatzInteractive and Interep.

Likewise, Interep and Katz, who together have formed a partnership called RadioExchange (read about that in RAIN here), have agreed to use Arbitron Webcast Ratings and its ongoing Internet studies to promote streaming media to advertisers and their agencies.

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BY PAUL MALONEY
MusicMatch, Inc. has brought radio programming veteran David Bean aboard as VP/Programming. Bean will primarily be responsible for overseeing the programming of the company's new MusicMatch Radio, a project of which he was a part even before his new appointment.

Similar to the LaunchCast or EchoNetworks systems in that the music stream can become more and more customized through feedback from the user, MusicMatch says its new Internet radio application is the first to combine "personalization and professional radio programming techniques."
Bean will head up a team of other experienced radio programmers and consultants.

'Most Internet radio stations either sound like a shuffling of CDs from the 1980s or are simply terrestrial stations rebroadcasting their content online,' says Bean. 'By blending our music personalization technology with the science of broadcast radio programming, we're able to take Internet radio to the next level.'

To form the programming team, Bean has brought on fellow radio programming vet Harry Nelson; SFX Multimedia Group Executive VP of publishing Gerry Cagle; Rusty Walker Programming Consultants VP Scott Husky; and John Lannert, with expertise in Latin music from his work for Billboard and the Grammy Awards.

Watch for a review of MusicMatch Radio, coming soon in RAIN...



From the NetRadio press release: "NetRadio today announced third quarter revenues of $456,000, an increase of 22 percent from $374,000 in the third quarter of 1999, but down 26 percent sequentially from the second quarter of this year.

"Net loss for the third quarter...was $4,384,000, or 44 cents per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $4,217,000, or 71 cents per diluted share in the same period last year.

"Monthly average unique guests for the quarter were 2.1 million, a 110 percent increase from 1.0 million for the same period last year, but a 22 percent sequential decrease from 2.7 million for the previous quarter ended June 30, 2000. Average time spent listening continued at just over 1.5 hours per daily visit. The company said the quarter-to-quarter decrease in monthly average unique guests was due to the summer season impact on its primarily in-office listener base...

"Eric H. Paulson, chairman of the board, president and CEO said, '...a large factor was the continuing slowness of advertisers to recognize streaming audio and video as more productive, economical and measurable means to reach their target audiences...As we enter the fourth quarter, we have implemented strict headcount and cost controls to conserve our cash.'"

The press release is here.

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From the company release: "RealNetworks today announced record results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2000. Net revenues for the third quarter were $67.1 million, an increase of 92% from $34.9 million in the third quarter of 1999. The Company reported pro forma net earnings for the third quarter of $7.6 million, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to pro forma net earnings of $4.9 million, or $0.03 per diluted share in the third quarter of 1999. Financial results for the third quarter of 2000 reflect the Company's first quarter of full taxation.

"For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2000, net revenues were $183.3 million, an increase of 109% from net revenues of $87.8 million for the comparable period in 1999. Pro forma net earnings for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2000, were $27.0 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, compared to pro forma net earnings of $3.9 million, or $0.02 per diluted share for the same period in 1999.

"Including noncash goodwill and acquisition-related charges, net loss was $30.8 million, or ($0.20) per share for the quarter, and $76.8 million, or ($0.50) per share, for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2000..."

Read the release here.

November 5-7	NAB European Radio Conference, Berlin
November 12-14	Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) "Broadcasting 2000: On-air / On-line," Calgary
Nov. 28-Dec. 1	Radio Ink Internet Conference, Santa Clara, CA, featuring a brand-new national study on Internet radio usage presented by Eric Rhoads & Kurt Hanson
February 1-4, 2001	RAB 2001. Details coming soon.