streameta.org

Broadcasters and Internet streamers who perform live programs do not currently have a means to cohesively pass playlist data along with the stream.  Automated playback systems can often do this, but switching to a live performance where source material can be any number of formats such as vinyl or CD, this metadata is not immediately available to output channels where listeners can see what is playing.

Streameta.org is dedicated to the discussion and development of an open source software solution to allow for real-time human entry of metadata associated with the live performance. The objective of Streameta will be to get this information from the host and push the data to various channels whch carry that information to the end user.  These paths can include webstream metadata channels, website "current play," RDS encoders for FM, HD radio, mobile apps, or even social networks like Twitter.

 The Streameta project aims to include form entry for handling basic music play info such as album, artist, and track, but also adding additional capability for host name, show title, topic, and co-host or guest fields.  Capturing this data in real-time allows content creators and broadcasters to maximize the channels of output available to the broadcast streams. Streameta aims to deliver the information about the live performance everywhere it needs to be.

Radio has been around since the 19th century.  In the 21st century, radio has new tools that are enhancing the broadcast.  Internet streaming opens up channels of dissemination of the program beyond the transmitter region.  The broadcast has now become data.  As the broadcast becomes digitized, it carries the potential to also present metadata, or data about the data.  Digital audio files will often contain "tags" which is machine readable information about the audio contained within the file.  This information becomes helpful in searching for a particular piece of audio amongst a repository of many pieces and increases the usability of the data.

In the broadcast, the metadata is used to provide information about broadcast to the end listener or viewer.  Radio stations will often show the currently playing song on their website and on RDS enabled radios, a feature quite common on modern radios.  Web streams will carry this information to the end software playing the stream to demark what it is that is currently playing.  It is the metadata that in many cases has replaced the voice break between songs to announce the current play.

When a radio station uses a computer player to contain and play content to the broadcast, often this metadata connection is made automatically by broadcast-specific playback software which uses the tag information direct from the file and pass that information to the end user.  For an automated system or a broadcast which only uses computer playback, this works fine.  If a broadcaster chooses to use traditional means of playback with sources which may not be digital or have metadata, the information to the end user will often remain empty or contain improper information.

The Streameta project aims to intermediate between metadata sources and destination channels allowing the host to maintain these channels of information.  When a live host is actively engaged with the program, they will be able to maintain an active playlist of their performance which will not only drive the metadata channels, but also allow for archiving of the information as well.  This metadata can then be adjusted to not only present a music play, but also be used as an additional channel for broadcast information which may or may not be music related.  The host will be able to present their own name, names of guests or co-hosts for talk programs, subject matter, program titles, ads, or any piece of information that may assist in capturing the attention of a casual passer-by or latecomer to the program.

Once the pertinent information is brought into the Sterameta system, it will be possible to present this information to any number of channels where it will find pertinence and attract more audience.  Streameta aims to bring the technical metadata channels used by radio together with more common channels of dissemination like social networks.  By keeping all of these channels sourced from one common location, branding of the performance or broadcast will be much easier and cohesive.

The information can also be saved and maintained to allow for charting and searching of playlist and topic history.  When a broadcast is presented with multiple hosts, charting history will allow other hosts to see what is hot on the airwaves and even assist in reducing repetition and topic redundancy.

One of the most common tools available to a software developer is the web browser.  An effective means to use a web browser as a information aggregation tool is by means of Content Management Systems or CMS.  Successful CMS systems like Wordpress and Drupal provide an effective means of aggregating information and presenting that info to a larger audience.  The Content Managment serves as an intermediary between humane information and computer code.  CMS software is also an effective means to create modular software.  This allows for customizing a common structure to suit the needs of each particular broadcaster.  The CMS model will also allow for easier modification should the broadcaster require a unique usage.

Content Management Systems are packages of code that typically operate with freely available software platforms.  The code-set will typically require both web server software and a database application.  Many current CMS applications develop their code in a manner which allows modularity for languages and server types.

Working in an open source context will provide easier access to the aggregated metadata.  Ideas about how to use a metadata channel can be as varied as the broadcasts themselves.  By bringing access to all of the various channels together in one place, the open source model will allow the broadcaster to modify the system to suit their needs and even present those solutions to the greater community.  With the scope of Streameta aiming to allow output to any number of channels, an open source approach will allow for sharing of unique solutions for particular pieces of hardware and software used to push the information to the end user.

By developing Streameta as a CMS web application, low level access to output channels will be brought to a high level of access by using commonly available tools. It is possible that Streameta can also be developed in a manner which will allow it to also be used as a module to already existing CMS systems and websites.  This would allow for seamless integration into existing websites and web platforms which already contain some of the pertinent data such as program schedules and user info.

Development of Streameta will be initially targeted towards student radio stations, low-power radio stations, webcasters, and any broadcast sources where budgets are constrained.  Low power, student, and community broadcasters often have a huge reservoir of volunteer talent to produce a large portion of the broadcast with live presence, but often lack the funding to purchase software which is often used to populate the data to modern output channels.  It is often in these environments where great innovation is found and shared amongst peers.

Commercial radio stations inveest in software and media libraries that suit their particular genre of programming.  Their coverage of the broadcast market is widespread enough to enable a market for automation software.  Their needs often include commercial playback and trafficking as well as affidavits for their airtime purchased by advertisers.  These software products are typically proprietary, expensive, and lack any component to allow real-time entry of metadata into their output channels.

Streameta does not aim to replace these types of software, but to instead accept the metadata from the automation software and merge it with the human entry metadata and to serve as a switch between automated and human programming.

The base of the Streameta project will consist of an input form, a data storage method, and an output type.  This model can serve as the foundation to all other desired objectives with Streameta.  A rough model for a potential input form can be seen here.  An initial implementation of the software will allow immediate deployment by interested broadcasters to start the process of introducing talent to the concept of real-time entry.  The intial release of the software should aggregate this data, store it in a database, and provide embedable code to present the aggregated information via a webpage or widget.

This data-set contains enough information to provide the needed information from the host for a current topic and/or play, but also the necessary triggers to initiate a stop-set mid-program, a trigger to switch to a new program, and a method to allow a switch to an automated input stream from an automation system.  This initial data-set will be enough to establish the habits needed with the program hosts to eventually be able to use this information for all of the suggested data channels.

The Streameta project in its simplest form will fill a much needed void in human-driven broadcasts.  While many broadcasters have eliminated human presence behind the mics of their broadcasts, the Internet has provided an increased access to new media.  When broadcasters are able to work with their communities to seek out volunteer talent for on-air broadcast hours, these broadcasters are seeing an increased dedication to their broadcasts that is not seen with automated playback.  The ability to take a request from a listener and discuss "in the moment" topics can have a significant impact on the success of a broadcast.  Streameta seeks to keep pace with this concept by allowing the end consumer access to information about what they are hearing in an on-demand model.

Matt Rockwell is the Chief Engineer and Technical Director for WSUM 91.7FM Student Radio at the University of Wisconsin.  His five-year journey to the creation of the Streameta project is documented here.

Please feel free to add any comments below or to use the contact form to send an e-mail to Matt.