The NPR API: powering "radio" in a multiplatform world

Michael Yoch Director, Product Development, NPR myoch@npr.org @mjyoch

•  NPR = National Public Radio

•  2nd largest radio group in America

•  Combination of public and private funding

•  268 independent NPR member organizations

•  764 stations  •  NPR programming available on 146 other stations  •  Total:  910 stations, 92% US population  #Broadcast audience: ~ 35 million weekly listeners

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Who is NPR?

NPR is both a producer and distributor

NPR makes: •  Radio programming

•  Digital-only content: articles, blogs, audio, video, slideshows

•  Live events

NPR distributes: •  Radio programming from NPR stations and

independent producers

•  Digital-only content from NPR stations

•  Live events from stations

1. Ubiquitous broadband 2. Proliferation of internet connected devices (capable of audio) Major disruption / shift radio usage patterns

Big changes are coming

Europe = top mobile broadband penetration

Internet radio is everywhere

Source: Triton Digital, 4/28/2011 | http://bit.ly/jc6JA0

Pandora: ~60% of internet streaming

Source: Target Spot, 2011 | http://bit.ly/kJMSA1

Usage patterns

Mobile audience connects with the brand

Percentage of the digital audience that also listens to NPR on the radio:

•  Android app 83%

•  iPhone app 81%

•  Mobile Web 79%

•  iPad app 65%

•  NPR.org 22%

By 2020: •  22 billion internet connected devices

•  6 billion mobile phones

•  2.5 billion televisions

•  1.1 billion cars

The Internet of Things

Source: Read Write Web, August, 2010 | http://rww.to/d51hno

API = application programming interface Simple definition: An easy system / interface for retrieving data from an organized container.

What is an API?

flexible content + technology(API) + product strategy

=

broad footprint

API allows nimble development

COPE (create once publish everywhere) •  COPE drives all other architectural decisions Build content management tools, not web publishing tools: •  Separate data/content from display/presentation •  Make sure all content is modular and portable

(flexible) Pick a smart building block: •  Story is the Atom for NPR •  Stories contain assets (text, audio, video, images) •  Stories belong to lists •  Break things down to the smallest possible parts

API guiding principles

Content flow through the system

CMS API Presentation Layers

Content (flexible): •  audio

o  streams o  on demand

•  text •  photo galleries •  video •  rights / permissions •  metadata (about stations, streams, audio, etc.) !from NPR, stations, other public media sources

What goes into the API?

“From Washington DC! this is NPR”

Oops!

Flexible content: audio

Flexible content: images

Flexible content: images

From many sources to many destinations

Who benefits from the API?

NPR •  It powers everything we publish •  Easier development •  NPR audience benefits

Stations •  NPR content on station sites •  Stations better serve their audiences

Partners •  Creates new opportunities (easy / low cost

implementation) •  Easier to build on existing relationships

Public •  Engages the community

•  NPR.org •  2 iPhone apps •  1 iPad app •  1 Android app •  mobile web site •  newsletters •  Chrome web app •  Sony connected TV widget •  Google TV (coming) •  RSS •  NPR station sites and mobile products •  A variety of open source / public development projects

The API makes possible!.

Lifecycle of an NPR story

Lifecycle of an NPR story

Lifecycle of an NPR story

Lifecycle: NPR Music iPhone app

NPR Music iPhone app story page

NPR News for iPhone music category

Lifecycle of an NPR story

API is an investment that pays off (PVs)

Elections spike

1-year anniversary of API

API growth

Listening (million hours / month)

2.75 3

2

Source: Omniture and Splunk, April 2011

Digital vs. broadcast audience

iPad app: page views per visit

Source: Omniture and Splunk, April 2011

iPhone news app: page views per visit

Source: Omniture and Splunk, April 2011

iPhone music app: page views per visit

Source: Omniture and Splunk, April 2011

What does “radio” look like in the future?

"In the multi-device, multi-connection world,

product strategists need more than a good

product with a connection to win customer loyalty

-- they need to create a digital customer

relationship and deliver that in a continuously

connected experience across many devices."

Source: Thomas Husson, Forrester Mobile Analyst, April 2011 | http://bit.ly/l6oEY0

Tablet effect on other device usage

Ask users

Ask users

Ask users

Use cases

Design for patterns, not platforms

Connected cars

Live streaming to mobile

Live streaming to mobile

Infinite personalized radio?

Danke! Michael Yoch myoch@npr.org @mjyoch NPR: http://www.npr.org NPR Music: http://www.npr.org/music NPR Berlin: http://www.nprberlin.de/ NPR API: http://www.npr.org/api