The realm of streaming is ever-evolving, and the rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) stands testament to this. While offering a multitude of content for free interspersed with ads, it’s crucial for FAST services to optimize viewer experience for sustaining engagement. The linchpin? Metadata.

In order to be successful, FAST services need to be able to effectively personalize the viewing experience for each user. This means being able to recommend content that users are likely to be interested in, based on their past viewing history and other factors. Being able to connect consumers to content requires that you assign much more granular metadata to enable fresher discovery and recommendation.

This is where metadata comes in. Metadata is data about data. It can be used to describe and organize content, making it easier for users to find what they’re looking for as well as drive program and channel visibility.

There are a variety of different types of metadata that can be used to personalize FAST channels. Some of the most important types of metadata for greater discovery include:

• Content genre: This metadata describes the genre of the content, such as action, comedy, drama, etc.
• Content rating: This metadata describes the age rating of the content, such as TV-Y7, TV-14, TV-MA, etc.
• Keywords: Keywords are words or phrases that describe the content.
• Cast and crew: This metadata includes the names of the actors, actresses, directors, and other crew members who worked on the content.
• Release date: This metadata indicates the date when the content was released by region.
• Content Imagery: This metadata includes access to rich program imagery and visuals
• Franchise data: This metadata describes about entertainment franchises including name, genre, release date, ratings, etc.
• Localized Translations: This metadata includes names, aliases, and overviews of titles translated by real people, not machines.
  
• Awards: This metadata includes award name, years, recipients, nominating body, etc. 

In addition to these basic types of metadata, FAST services can also use more sophisticated metadata to personalize the viewing experience. For example, FAST services can use metadata to track user viewing habits and preferences. This information can then be used to recommend content that users are likely to be interested in. For example, if a user watches an action movie, superior metadata can tell you what other films similar viewers watched to direct the user’s next selection.

FAST services can also use metadata to target ads to users. For example, if a user frequently watches cooking shows, the FAST service can serve them ads for cooking products. Or, if a user frequently watches sports shows, the FAST service can serve them ads for sports equipment. The better the metadata, the better the ad targeting.  A video gamer consuming movies based on video games is obvious, but those viewers are also likely to enjoy specific anime as well.

By using metadata to personalize the viewing experience, FAST services can attract and retain viewers. This is especially important in the current streaming landscape, where viewers have so many choices.

Here are some specific examples of how FAST services can use metadata to personalize channels and drive audience engagement:

• Create curated channels based on user interests: FAST services can use metadata to create curated channels based on user interests. For example, a FAST service could create a channel for fans of action movies, a channel for fans of comedy shows, and a channel for fans of cooking shows.
• Recommend content to users based on their viewing history: FAST services can use metadata to recommend content to users based on their viewing history. For example, if a user has recently watched a lot of action movies, the FAST service could recommend other action movies to the user or even content from that genre from other countries. 
• Better understand content genres your audience could discover and the countries that produce titles that travel best to your home market. 
• Target ads to users based on their interests: FAST services can use metadata to target ads to users based on their interests. For example, if a user has recently watched a lot of home and garden shows, the FAST service could serve them ads for DIY retailers.

Personalizing FAST channels and driving audience engagement is essential for success in the current streaming landscape. By using metadata effectively, FAST services can attract and retain viewers, and offer a more engaging viewing experience.

Here are some additional tips for personalizing FAST channels and driving audience engagement:

• Use high-quality metadata: Metadata is only as good as the data that it is based on. Make sure to use high-quality metadata that is accurate and up-to-date.
• Use a variety of metadata types: The more metadata that you use, the more accurate your recommendations will be. Use a variety of metadata types, such as content genre, content rating, keywords, cast and crew, and release date.
• Use machine learning: Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze user data and identify patterns. This information can then be used to make more accurate recommendations to users.
• Get feedback from users: Ask users for feedback on the recommendations that you are making to them. This feedback can be used to improve your recommendations over time.
• Use content availability metadata: This metadata includes global competing streaming intelligence with title, platform and country level catalogs to better understand content offerings. 

By following these tips, FAST services can personalize channels and ignite audience engagement. 

If you need help connecting consumers to content with rich, realtime descriptive metadata and streaming availability intelligence for FAST platform and channels, visit  https://whipmedia.com/tvdb/