NOZ Mediengruppe has been pioneering an audio strategy since 2019. Integrating BotTalk into their news websites and apps opened a new category in the news business industry.

NOZ Mediengruppe at a Glance:

• 50 media companies with a focus on news
• 60 locations all over Germany
• Publish 20,000 articles per month
• Generate over 20 hours of audio articles daily

Challenges

Using BotTalk at the core of the news products, NOZ cracked several challenges:

• Adapting to changing user behavior: They recognized that content consumption on the internet was primarily shifting towards audio before video and text. As a publisher primarily focused on text-based content, NOZ wanted to address the new user behavior and make their content audible.
• Cost and scalability of audio content production: NOZ published approximately 20,000 articles per month, and hiring human speakers to voice all the articles would have been impractical and expensive. They needed a solution that could automate the process of converting text-based articles into spoken content at scale.
• Quality control and customization of synthesized voices: Initially, NOZ experimented with existing Text-To-Speech (TTS) technologies but faced challenges in controlling the quality and customization of the synthesized voices. They needed a solution that allowed them to adjust pronunciation rules, build a dictionary for specialized terms, and improve the overall audio quality.
• Integration into existing products: NOZ wanted to integrate audio content into their web portals, mobile app, and other digital products that already had an established user base. They needed a solution that seamlessly integrated with their existing infrastructure and provided a user-friendly interface for managing and delivering audio content.

By addressing these problems, NOZ Digital aimed to stay ahead of evolving user preferences, automate audio content production, ensure quality control, and create a comprehensive audio offering for their users.

Key capabilities

NOZ tested several companies and evaluated an approach to build a text-to-speech solution in-house. But after thorough consideration, they selected BotTalk as the primary solution for audio article creation using text-to-speech technology.

"Our goal was to create a 360-degree audio offering in Germany and Europe, where users could genuinely choose between reading and listening. To achieve that, we needed high-quality audio content that catered to the users' informational needs.", explains Patrick Körting, Head of Audio at NOZ.

Focus on News Publishing

Time-to-Market

"BotTalk offers a way to have quality under control and continually enhance it. We had internally estimated the cost of building everything ourselves and, considering time-to-market, it just didn't make sense. It's key to have someone like BotTalk, a sparring partner who consistently shows where we can improve. That's the crucial point for me", explains Patrick Körting, Head of Audio at NOZ.

Superb Audio Quality

"What impressed me in our initial conversations was that BotTalk team knew about certain aspects and adjustments that I wasn't even aware of. It goes beyond selecting a voice; it's about fine-tuning the pitch, volume, and other factors. BotTalk strongly focused on improving the service, which was quite rare. That's why I dove into this topic and realized someone nerdier than me has delved deep into it and can provide even more levers for improvement than I was aware of."

Integration

New Business Opportunities

Patrick Körting: "Text-To-Speech technology has the potential to transform news publishing into something akin to a radio station. With the ability to deliver a constant stream of audible content, publishers can provide a comprehensive audio experience that rivals traditional radio, offering news updates, informative pieces, and engaging storytelling. It's a new frontier where publishers can captivate their audience through spoken word, creating a unique blend of news and entertainment in a format that resonates with the evolving habits of modern listeners."

Business Benefits

Following the successful integration of text-to-speech technology into all of our products, NOZ conducted a comprehensive analysis using both qualitative and quantitative methods.

Wide User Adoption

The results are impressive and affirm the value of this feature for our users.

The data revealed that 62% of our users utilize audio content while driving or commuting, highlighting the importance of providing an audio option for on-the-go consumption.

Moreover, 63% of users engage with audio during household chores, emphasizing the convenience and practicality of our text-to-speech integration.

Surprisingly, 36% of users even utilize audio content in the bathroom, showcasing the versatility and adaptability of our technology.

These statistics validate our decision to implement text-to-speech, as it has proven to be a highly sought-after and well-received feature by our users across various contexts.

User Engagement Growth

The metrics gathered by NOZ indicate a remarkable increase in user engagement among those who utilize audio content, with media time showing an uplift of up to 2.5 minutes. This finding highlights the positive impact of our text-to-speech integration on user behavior and interaction with our platform.

A common use case observed is that readers continue to listen to the previous article while simultaneously browsing the site and searching for new ones.

This behavior demonstrates the convenience and seamless integration of audio content into the user experience, enabling them to multitask and consume information without interruptions.

The extended media time suggests that our text-to-speech feature not only captures users' attention but also encourages them to spend more time on our platform, leading to increased exposure to our content and potentially driving higher levels of user satisfaction and loyalty.

New Subscribers and Revenue Streams

The integration of audio content into NOZ's offerings has proven to be a successful strategy for opening new revenue streams. By incorporating audio as an incentive for subscribers to purchase a premium product, NOZ has been able to attract a wider subscriber base and generate additional revenue.

The availability of audio content adds value to the premium offering, making it an attractive proposition for users seeking a comprehensive and immersive news experience. Furthermore, NOZ has leveraged audio advertising as a means to increase revenue.

By seamlessly integrating audio ads within the content, NOZ has tapped into the growing demand for audio advertising and created an additional revenue stream.

This strategic approach not only benefits NOZ financially but also enhances the user experience by providing relevant and engaging audio ads that align with the content.

Overall, these initiatives have proven to be effective in diversifying revenue streams and fostering a sustainable business model for NOZ.

Looking for an intuitive publisher-focused text-to-speech and voice cloning provider to future-proof your news products? Contact us here.

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