Slacker Adds Merchandise Specialist ShockHound To Increase Revenue And Add Consumer Benefit
As people contemplate whether the Internet business model will work, services like Slacker and Pandora are actively working on solutions to garner revenue from sources other than advertising. In the case of Slacker, their $4.99 per month premium service allows users to avoid commercials, have unlimited skipping of songs, have access to content such as ABC news and more. The company is also working will cell carriers to have Slacker pre-loaded onto the phone, which ensures added exposure to the service.
Most of the features that deliver exposure and revenue are part of the apps that Internet radio seems to be favoring as their method to gain exposure to consumers. The ShockHound service delivers consumer benefit as well as the ability for Slacker to get a piece of the revenue. It takes “tagging” a song to a new level. Added features such as this should be something Sirius XM takes a serious look at. These services do not even require new technology such as Satellite radio 2.0 anticipated for launch about a year from now.
Position – Long Sirius XM Radio
So (that’s how Mel starts a sentence when he wants to sound smug and condescending – with the word “so”) . . would you say that a Slacker user clicking Shockhound is the equivalent of a Sirius Buzz user clicking TSS Radio?
It’s ok Mel, just Spencer again . . . go back to sleep
No, I would not say it is the same. In fact I know it is not the same._
The point sirius XM can take from the actions of slaker and Pandora is that there is opportunity beyond what they are doing with the mobile platform.
Sirius XM should be doing something similar. More revenue is a good thing. What we should all be asking is why everyone else comes up with these innovations first, and why Sirius XM is not implementing them.
Internet radio is trying hard to increase revenues to get a stable platform outside of the ad based model.