Abacast 'Hammer' Technology Enables Song Skipping in Live Radio

A provider of digital radio streaming and monetization software and services, Abacast today introduced a revolutionary, long sought-after feature – song skipping with live radio stations. This patent-pending song skipping technology is codenamed "Hammer" and allows listeners to skip songs they don't want to hear while listening to live online radio stations.

When a listener chooses to skip a song currently being played, another song from the station's playlist will be played instead; it will play immediately and in its entirety for that listener. Hammer's individualized buffering and insertion capabilities will then ensure that the rest of the stream — including songs, DJ banter and commercials — isn't disrupted and is played seamlessly.

"If someone wants to skip a song when listening to live radio, up until now they would simply switch to a different station," said Jim Kott, senior vice president of Products and Marketing at Abacast, in a statement. "Abacast's live stream song skipping technology lengthens listening times and should grow audiences on stations that utilize it. Abacast plans to release detailed metrics regarding average listening time and audience growth shortly after the skip feature is released in Q2 2013."

This live stream song skipping technology works alongside other Abacast patent-pending technology, namely Cloud Insertion and Personalized Live Radio.

Abacast went on to point out that because the listener is engaged with the player when choosing to skip songs, Hammer could lead to unique advertising opportunities.

Last November, the company was allowed a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) that pertains to ad and song insertion in online radio streams, which may ultimately lead to the "unique advertising capabilities" referred to by Abacast.

Back in October, the company released a new multistation mobile app that provides radio broadcasters with additional ways to drive listener engagement with their stations' mobile brands. In other words, broadcasters could offer users a single app for multiple stations, rather than releasing one app for each individual station.