06/12/2010: Please feel free to grab a glass of supermarket Chardonnay, a handful of ham and cheese sandwiches, and take a look around.

We are very proud to offer a fine selection of opening shows from the likes of Phill Jupitus and Phil Wilding, who bring their Perfect 10 brand of sass to Playdio with a game of "Radio Ping Pong". Phill and Phil are well experienced in launching radio services, having produced and presented the inaugural show on the BBC's 6 Music network back in 2002.

Other BBC stalwarts, Mark Webster (5 live) and Peter Curran (Loose Ends, Radio 4), have also contributed shows. Peter's show is "music radio" in the traditional sense, with a fine eclectic mix of music and chat, while Mark makes full use of Playdio's possibilities with his "Soul of David Bowie" program. This is the first in a series which will discuss the black music roots of iconic pop and rock artists. We have a number of similar shows in development, including music documentaries and travelogues. I believe Playdio is absolutely perfect for this format.

Talc have also fully embraced the medium with their irreverent humor and home made jingles. In their own words "welcome to the soft steamy world of two idiots taking you through a few of their favourite tunes whilst chattering inane drivel at each other". Not to be missed..... really.

Talc's last album was released on the Wah Wah 45 record label, and label boss Dom Servini's own Playdio show treads the line connecting artists from across the globe, whose work is linked to his label's soulful imprint.

We also have contributions from the internet radio and the podcasting communities. Jon Very and Barry Guffy have been webcasting their Carriage Clock show on Space Invader Radio for the past 2 years, where they have developed a loyal following while Martin Devaughan, was one of the very earliest UK podcasters, and contributes his Bitesize Bonus show.

We hope these early shows will entertain listeners, inspire broadcasters, and illustrate how Playdio can provide a platform for truly creative programming.

05/20/2010: Occasionally, the solution to a problem addresses issues and provides features you weren't even considering. That's what we've found with Playdio.

The problem we were addressing was how to create podcast-type content with fully licensed music. There have been a number of initiatives in the podcasting community over the past few years trying to tackle this very issue including attempts at blanket podcast agreements, or very specific one off waivers.  These solutions are very limiting and cumbersome, and in the case of blanket licensing agreements they are also unfair to artists, as the distribution of licensing income usually relies on download and repertoire estimates.

Of course, regardless of the licensing mechanism, the overriding issue for a podcaster or programme maker is this: how do you compensate a licence holder for exploiting their work if the medium you are working in doesn't even provide the programme maker with an earning mechanism?

By hosting radio shows in a streaming music environment, we immediately solve the primary issues of licensing and earning. All the music is fully licenced AND there is an earning mechanism for the show's producer. Bingo!

However, the real beauty is the monetisation method.. The adverts and subscriptions are completely remote from the program itself.  This "indirectness" frees the programme maker to create the radio show he or she wants, without ever having to consider the whims or motives of a sponsor.  It is one of the few examples of an advertising funded model where advertising pays the piper, but doesn't call the tune.

The other, almost incidental feature, is the control the consumer has over the show, and the additional richness of the listening experience. Listeners to a Playdio show can accurately navigate forward and back through the playlist, but perhaps more importantly, they can move "sideways", navigating through an artist's complete catalogue, adding tracks to their own playlist, and buying MP3s direct from the client as they go. Playdio shows are an ideal avenue into music discovery.

Playdio, as an idea, isn't revolutionary. It's simple... almost obvious.  We certainly wouldn't claim to have invented anything.  In fact, the best we can say about Playdio is that we've dreamt up a novel chassis to sit on some very clever wheels. We plan to open the showroom in early June.

Stay tuned...

05/24/2010: What is a Playdio Show?

See our Introduction to Playdio here.


Will Playdio shows replace Podcasts?

Podcasts currently have the advantage of being relatively easy to distribute. They are not limited to any service's user-base, so you don't need an account with anyone to subscribe to a podcast. However, the two main problems with podcasts are that [1] you can't easily include music, as there isn't a licensing framework, and [2] there is no natural monetisation mechanism for the podcast creator. Playdio addresses these key issues, and as streaming music services become more ubiquitous, this "ease of distribution" advantage will become more marginal.

05/19/2010: A Playdio show is similar to a recorded radio show or podcast, except that it uses a streaming digital music service as its broadcast platform. Radio shows are typically a selection of music, separated by spoken word (chat, banter and interviews).

So, to create a Playdio show, a show's producer follows these steps:
Spotify and Playdio