Bauer Media targets ‘superfans’ with ad-free subscription offer

Bauer Media, owner of Scala, Jazz FM, Planet Rock and Kerrang! Radio in the UK has announced a subscription service catering, it says, for music “super fans”, allowing them to listen without ads.

Listeners will also be able to skip songs on live streams. Once a user skips, they will be offered an alternative piece tailored to their tastes, effectively turning listeners into DJs. 

The details

• Bauer’s research identified a group of listeners it calls “super fans” who are especially enthusiastic about their favourite radio brands and music genres. The ad-free service, which, in addition to the song-skipping feature, will give subscribers access to premium material, will cost £3.99 a month.
• The premium plan, which will be available to the four stations’ 2 million listeners, is aimed at helping radio compete with services such as Spotify, increasingly the go-to place for younger music listeners – although older listeners have stayed loyal to traditional radio, keeping its reach fairly constant over the last decade. 
• The move into the subscription model is the first at scale by a traditional radio station operator in Europe. Bauer reaches 55 million listeners in seven countries, with stations including Kiss, Absolute Radio and Magic in the UK.

Key quote

“We are embarking on this to explore how significant of a revenue stream this can be … I think [rival groups] will be fascinated to see how this plays out.” Paul Keenan, Bauer audio president.