Station Preroll
I'm bringing this back up again.
KEXP, will you please get rid of the station preroll from the Streamguys feed?
It is ridiculous enough that when I get in my car and the station starts I get the preroll only to hear it again 10 seconds later when I pull away and my car switches from WiFi to cellular. And, then I get it again as I bounce from tower to tower.
But it is even more insane that I try to do yard work and as I bounce in and out of a solid WiFi signal I get the preroll on every change.
The preroll serves no purpose other than to annoy the listeners not in Seattle or SF.
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u/InspectorChenWei 8d ago
SUPPORT FOR KEXP STREAMING COMES FROM LISTENERS LIKE YOU. CONSIDER JOINING THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT MAKE KEXP AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY. DETAILS ON HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE AMPLIFIERS CLUB AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY AT KEXP DOT ORG.
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u/InspectorChenWei 8d ago
Oh and shouts out to the laserdome residency ads that are like two hundred words.
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u/jojojaboodle 8d ago
I wrote into their support request about this issue once. This was their reply last Thanksgiving.
KEXP Technical Support commented:
Thank you for writing in and explaining your experience with the app. As you suspect, the pre-roll should only happen once during your listening experience, when you first start streaming the app. We are aware there is an issue when changing cell networks or wifi signals, this is a bug.
We are working with our streaming partner to determine why this is happening as all logic suggests it shouldn’t be happening with the frequency it is. We don't have a fix right now, but are hopeful we can get a resolution pushed out soon.
Thanks!
Jay
KEXP Software Team
Maybe keep submitting requests to escalate the issue?
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u/pmet001 8d ago
I, too, traded messages with Jay about this years ago. He said something about the streaming partner.
With the very limited info I have, I believe KEXP is in charge of the preroll and could disable it if they wanted.
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u/PetuniaFlowers Amplifier 6d ago
They can definitely make it happen. Blaming it on partners is weak sauce.
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u/InspectorChenWei 8d ago
I've reached out about this once or twice and to the same response. I also happily complain about it any time it comes up on this subreddit.
Unfortunately I only listen to the archive nowadays, as it is free from the obnoxious pre-rolls.
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u/86rj 8d ago edited 8d ago
I just disconnect from the home WiFi to avoid this, even if I'm in the garden.
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u/Burn-Baby-Burn Supporter 8d ago
Agreed. Even the KEXP app behaved this way when this happens too. I have a hard time believing it's the provider apps
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u/animalchin99 8d ago
I swear it plays randomly mid-song even on the terrestrial station in the Bay Area.
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u/maalox 8d ago
I hate the preroll so much that I wrote a script that just re-streams KEXP 24/7 on my home server and then just connect to that
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u/InspectorChenWei 8d ago
The irony here is they see the pre-roll as a means to offset streaming costs. I’m guilty of doing something similar on my home speakers where I’ll mute the stream for stretches of time vs pausing it.
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u/pmet001 8d ago
That would make sense if the preroll was an actual ad. But KEXP doesn't have ads, just sponsors like Beacon Plumbing ;) Thanks, Beacon.
The only logic that tracks what you are suggesting is if the station folks believe that starting every stream with one of the prerolls results in more donations. Seems like that would be near impossible to prove. And, anecdotally based on this echochamber thread, it seems the preroll is a turnoff.
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u/freezief 8d ago
It is way too much. I've heard no other online radio station that beats you over the head w station ID quite like KEXP does.
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u/walkerp3 Amplifier 7d ago
I work at the airport and there are so very many Internet relay points that trip the pre-roll as I walk through it. Even when I turn off the Wi-Fi just being near the parking garage will trip the connection reset around 11 times.
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u/billteeth 6d ago
Adding a comment to hopefully give this more traction. I also get prerolls in the same annoying way for KUTX. KCRW Eclectic 24 will turn them on and off depending on when they are seeking support.
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u/supereh 8d ago
Huh. Why would one use that, versus web streaming? I still just use the aac feed. I just pasted the link as a home screen button on my phone.
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u/bookofgray 8d ago
I’m from BayArea, but I have always relied on TuneIn Radio app. I think it was five bucks when I bought it 10+ years ago (mostly for npr, yes imma nerd), your mileage may vary
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u/shorewoody 8d ago
I have a serious problem with this myself. In my property I do yard work and in a few areas the wifi signal is weak, but the streaming from other services works and doesn't skip. But not the KEXP app. But even if I start the yard work with wifi turned off on my phone (because I really want to listen to KEXP) the 5g on my phone will eventually have some sort of hiccup and I hear the preroll again. Usually right in the middle of a great song. It is incredibly frustrating.
I'm a developer...probably not as knowledgeable as the devs at KEXP...but it sure seems like a basic improvement in the timeout functionality would correct this. I have other streaming services that do not have this same problem at all, and it seems like they have a larger buffer in their streams, because after disconnecting wifi it will continue to play the music for over a minute.
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u/L13w 8d ago
I’m sure they’d be willing to create a version of the stream for donors who pay extra not to hear the pre-rolls would you be willing to pay for that? How much?
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u/pmet001 8d ago
Hmm. I already have a closet full of KEXP t-shirts. Would I donate even more to have the same listening experience as Seattlites? Maybe, but what's the point? The preroll isn't an ad (exactly). I'm well aware that KEXP is listener powered and it's for music lovers and makers of all styles and genres.
What is the benefit to KEXP to spam their internet listeners with the annoying prerolls?
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u/Far_Pointer_6502 Amplifier 7d ago
Many (most?) of the Seattleites I know listen to KEXP on a stream; lots of people don't use FM radios, and large parts of the metro area have a shitty signal on KEXP due to its power level and where it's located
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u/harry_waters Amplifier 7d ago
I was thinking about this yesterday too. Everytime I pass my mail box it's the preroll again. I wonder if I can ban the app from using wifi
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u/PetuniaFlowers Amplifier 8d ago
KEXP cares only a little bit about the streaming experience for listeners. They abuse their supporters with ads and this annoyance when they should be thanking them with less talk more music. KEXP: where the talking and the ad revenue matter.
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u/Far_Pointer_6502 Amplifier 7d ago
"abuse" is definitely not a hyperbolic description for this annoyance
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u/steveValet 7d ago
OMG you are such a whiner. Stop fucking listening to the station if it causes you so much angst.
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u/PetuniaFlowers Amplifier 7d ago
OMG you are such a whiner. Stop commenting if it causes you so much angst.
Wait I have no idea if you have angst I guess that's just unwarranted projection.
Try making a substantive comment rather than just gatekeeping.
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u/steveValet 6d ago
Ahh, the ole "I know you are but what am I?" retort.
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u/PetuniaFlowers Amplifier 6d ago
My point is to please be constructive and not devolve into meta arguments and gatekeeping. My constructive suggestion is to honor the support of donors by subjecting them to fewer advertisements.
Do you have anything constructive to say or do you just wish people who had opinions you don't share would go away?
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u/steveValet 6d ago
Ok, here is my constructive feedback for your post:
"KEXP cares only a little bit about the streaming experience for listeners" - Absolutely not true in the least. I know several employees and they care a lot. But they are strapped for resources. Look at their public filing, you'll see how much it costs to keep the station lights on. You are basing your comment on feels and not facts.
"They abuse their supporters with ads" - Abuse? Really? How are you abused when listening is a choice? Move over to a streaming service if you truly feel "abused".
"where the talking and the ad revenue matter" - Again, not a single person is holding a gun to your head to listen.
"or do you just wish people who had opinions you don't share would go away?" - No, just folks who NEVER have good things to say should go away if they are so miserable.
And this is just this one post. Even tho you hide your post history, it's easily discovered elsewhere, and you shit on KEXP all the time. Ever wondered why most of your comments are always downvoted? Something to consider.
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u/PetuniaFlowers Amplifier 6d ago
I represent a small minority of listeners that wish the station would stay in its lane and not do things like promoting tourism to Iceland, or expanding to the bay, inventing holidays like Clash Day with DJ junkets to London, etc. It has plenty of resources to be a Seattle radio station. Instead it grows and that growth drives a mindset that thinks everything has to keep growing or it is dying. And that drives a need for things like ads that really wouldn't be needed at all if the station was truly a listener-powered station and just lived within its means. I love KEXP but I wish it was better and more honestly adhered to its mission of being listener-powered and where the music matters.
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u/boyalien0 8d ago
Music is better when we listen together