Jump2Go said its “Go Commerce” service is now available to enable Apple’s radio tagging feature for stations using HD Radio.
We reported the iTunes tagging feature on the new Polk I-Sonic HD Radio and JBL iHD radios last week. The technology also works for RDS.
Jump2Go Founder/CTO Allen Hartle told Radio World that with its proprietary technology, the company is the sole provider of the behind-the-scenes service that synchronizes a staion’s programming with the iTunes unique song identifiers that make RDS and HD Radio “tagging” possible. This is in addition to iTunes-based e-commerce fulfillment on station Web sites.
The tagging service for Apple iTunes and HD Radio begins with a station’s automation system, using BE’s The Radio Experience software relaying on-air events to the Jump2Go data center for “tagging.” The Jump2Go service assigns the unique iTunes identifier to each song and then the tag data is inserted into the IBOC bitstream. (For RDS tagging, songs get two identifying numbers, one for iTunes and another Jump2Go number that the company could use for other MP3 player song services such as the Microsoft Zune in the future, Hartle said.)
Listeners are able to buy the song that is playing on the station by pressing a “buy” button in a station’s customized Go Commerce enabled store, which resides within the station’s Web site.
The Go Commerce tagging system was tested in August in Seattle on Entercom’s KNDD(FM) and in San Francisco at Entercom’s KBWF(FM), and Cumulus-owned KFOG(FM).
We reported on Clear Channel’s use of the tagging technology last week; it’s using its own automation software to accomplish the tagging. The Jump2Go service will be used by other radio groups.
