MusicDish At MIDEM: Motorola's iRadio, U.S.A.

Digital/Mobile Solutions & Service Provider/Handset & Hardware Manufacturer
by Anne Freeman,  Motorola describes its iRadio service as "A personalized listening experience on the one device you're never without

Motorola had a huge floor space at "MIDEM, The World Music Market's 40th Edition" that included a hot sports car equipped with the complete iRadio system that enables you to listen to your iRadio programs on your car stereo via Bluetooth technology.

Motorola came with a full contingent of staff, including Sean Bartlett, product

 marketing manager; Jean-Marc Villevieille, senior director engineering; Dave Ulmer, senior director of marketing; Jeff Stinson, senior director business development; Lesean Smith , senior product manager; Brian Tucker, senior engineer; Ben Porter, manager, business development; and Matthew Roth, manager content services.

In the minutes between live taping of iRadio commercials on the MIDEM floor, Senior Director of Marketing Dave Ulmer spoke to me about iRadio.

[MusicDish] Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by MusicDish at MIDEM, Dave. I heard you speak in a panel yesterday where you said that iRadio offers opportunities for independents labels and artists to be heard on iRadio channels. Would you explain that?

Dave Ulmer Sure, I'd be happy to. What I think that we've discovered is that the huge explosion of opportunity on the Internet, which has provided an avenue for independent artists to be heard, can be extended to the mobile phones. That's what we're involved with, bringing content to mobile phones, and iRadio now opens the doors for independents.

[MusicDish] How exactly would independents access that opportunity, Dave?

Dave Ulmer We've created a pretty phenomenal new radio service, which is a subscription service that gives subscribers access to radio channels on their mobile phones S that device that you have with you wherever you go. We began by trying to offer a good selection, and we ended up offering an amazing selection, and we're still growing.

We're at about 435 channels of radio because we open the door to anybody. Anyone who owns music, sings music, performs music ­ independent labels and artists ­ can create their own radio stations and publish them into our system so they will be available to our mobile users on their phones.

[MusicDish] How would I create my own radio station and publish it through iRadio? And how would I promote my radio station? How would you anticipate that I would promote it to my fans or potential fans to make this a reality?

Dave Ulmer A couple of things ­ first of all you go to our website. We have a special one for independents called "Get Heard Network". You would go there and create your station. We give you the details of how that's done, then we'll make it available.

I've always taken the stand pretty firmly that it will be the consumers who decide what gets heard and what gets promoted and what gets played. I'm not going to make that decision. And it's up to the musicians to get the word out that they are available. Get to the streets and spread the news that you're now available on iRadio.

We do have a built in advantage. When something starts to be heard, when people start to listen to it and it gets to be popular, we make it more popular. It will automatically start to raise its visibility and its songs will find their way to more spins on more stations automatically. So, the stuff that deserves to be at the bottom of the barrel is going to stay there. The stuff that makes its way up to the top ­ the cream of the crop ­ will become even more popular.

[MusicDish] That seems like a terrific opportunity for independents. I appreciate your talking to MusicDish at MIDEM today, David.

Dave Ulmer If I may, I'd like to add one more thing here that is often overlooked.

[MusicDish] Certainly.

Dave Ulmer Far too often, for the past decades, radio has been seen as a promotional vehicle only. And I think that we're in the middle of a big shift where musicians will be paid for the enjoyment of their music and radio is not simply for selling a piece of plastic, because those pieces of plastic may someday disappear.

We have created a system, through direct cooperation with all of the rights organizations and the labels and independents, so that every time a song gets played on iRadio, we pay for it. We see to it that musicians gets paid for their work just for listening to it. Now granted, it's not a whole lot, but if it gets listened to enough, it could be the first check that you see for some independents. And, it also promotes the sale of CDs.

[MusicDish] Thank you for pointing that important information out to us, Dave. We songwriters, publishers and artists do appreciate being paid!

Dave Ulmer Thanks for the interview, Anne.

Company: iRadio/Motorola
Type: Digital/Mobile Solutions & Service Provider/Handset & Hardware Manufacturer
Genres: All Musical Styles
Website: www.motorola.com/iradio

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2006 - Republished with Permission