主播大秀 launches its first full voice service for smart speakers
The 主播大秀 today launched its first full voice app for voice-controlled smart speakers, an Amazon Alexa skill for Echo devices, with other smart speakers coming in future.
Today we’re making sure audiences can find what they love from the 主播大秀 on any device they use through a single, easy-to-use service. But there’s potential to do more and we’re just scratching the surface.
It brings the 主播大秀’s full range of live radio stations - including all local, national and international radio - to Echo and Alexa users for the first time, as well as the 主播大秀’s full range of podcasts.
The 主播大秀 runs 10 national, 6 UK nations and 40 local radio stations, offering distinctive, high quality music and speech programming to everyone across the UK. 主播大秀 World Service provides 24-hour radio programmes across the globe in English plus services in 27 other languages. The 主播大秀 is also the second-largest podcast producer in the world - 240 million podcasts were downloaded last year, with The Archers, Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review and Woman’s Hour among the most popular.
Through a single voice service, the 主播大秀 can provide easy access to all of its live radio and on-demand podcast content across the 主播大秀. The 主播大秀 will also launch brand new voice experiences exclusively for smart speakers through the service in future.
To use the skill, audiences simply need to ask for the 主播大秀 Radio station or podcast they want. They’ll be taken straight to the live show or the latest episode of podcast, where they’ll also be able to ask for 'Previous' episodes in the full back-catalogue. And users can 'Play', 'Pause' and 'Resume' everything they’re listening to.
Matthew Postgate, Chief Technology and Product Officer, 主播大秀, says: “Smart speakers are an exciting new way of interacting with audio content. They’re a natural fit for the 主播大秀 as millions of people enjoy and rely on our audio programmes every day. Today we’re making sure audiences can find what they love from the 主播大秀 on any device they use through a single, easy-to-use service. But there’s potential to do more and we’re just scratching the surface.”
The new 主播大秀 voice service adds to 主播大秀 content already available via smart speakers, including the primary news briefing on Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant. 主播大秀 Research & Development also recently launched an experimental interactive drama, The Inspection Chamber, that will come to other smart speakers in future.
DT