Connections

Artificial intelligence (AI) is branch of computer science focused on building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.

AI is an interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches, but advancements in machine learning and deep learning are creating a paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the media and entertainment industry.

Executives who ignore how the combination of AI and rights management is already revolutionizing media do so at their peril. More the 40 percent of larger M&E enterprises have leveraged AI in some way, a 270 percent increase in just the past four years, according to studies by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte.

The results startle. The revolution started small, with media management and editing, where an abundance of repetitive tasks was conducive to automation. Catalog and meta-data management practically became real-time, thanks to AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data accurately and intelligently.

Today, AI-based analysis tools support live productions, such as news broadcasts, forecast audience, drive content acquisition and programming decisions and more. RSG Media has witnessed our clients using our tools to drive significantly higher revenues from their media value chains, while shifting resources from mundane to strategic tasks.

THE CATALOG

AI-enhanced media library search is critical for financial success. It sifts through mounds of metadata in a twinkling, helping find precisely the right newsclip to air or content to sell. As companies add complexity — new metadata fields, new channels of distribution — AI accurately assesses what to sell, where, when, and how. It works in tandem with advanced availability engines, aligning search criteria with asset availability.

It instantly adapts the search to each user’s needs, reporting in real time what previously took days. It reduces and refines the scope to the most relevant, and profitable results.

When combined with rights management and program planning, one can even train the AI system to constantly evaluate the library against known variables and create a sales strategy that optimizes revenue.

Specific segment retrieval is the ability to find the right segment, for the right deal, for the right customer or daypart, whilst maximizing revenue has become a core requirement when assessing rights management and program scheduling systems. Rights management systems that leverage AI let end users perform advanced content analysis: quickly assessing all the content in their asset management system to select the content that precisely meets specific rights and clearance parameters, coupled with an optimized availability report.

The integration of AI-enabled rights management tools with content management systems makes faster, greater monetization of available media possible.

Integrating AI-enhanced rights management tools with editing solutions lets users seamlessly create and clear new versions and promotional video clips for news, sports, movies or TV series, quickly seizing new revenue opportunities.

AI-enhanced rights management tools also grow revenues by identifying and proposing sales strategies for overlooked markets and channels.

MANAGING THE DETAILS FOR FASTER CLEARANCES

Media contracts are notoriously complex. For example, for foreign language versions, many A-list talent contracts contain clauses requiring voice-over approval if the film is dubbed. Or, the content itself may require editing/moderation, depending on local laws or cultural dictates.

AI coupled with rights management software quickly assesses language, sentiment recognition, image, and object analysis to allow distributors, sales engineers, editors, and others to scan content and flag anything that might require specific approvals, release forms, edits, etc. This in-turn leads to a stronger media value chain, improved customer relationships and faster monetization of the content.

RSG Media’s clients use our machine learning and artificial intelligence to accelerate content monetization by discerning new channel strategies to effi ciently and fully exploit their available content. They accomplish this by using the full computing power, data analysis, and algorithms embedded in our rights solutions.

We pioneered technological advances in AI/ML that make it possible to find new revenue in previously unachievable ways and give our clients a more holistic and comprehensive view of their intellectual property, whether that IP is music, games, streaming content or consumer products.

This comprehensive rights assessment and capability to run advanced avails reports actually protects and encourages innovation and creativity with that IP.

AI IN THE BROADCAST INDUSTRY

Understanding your rights and avails is part of the work for a broadcaster. More important is knowing what to air when. Our Program Schedulers clients at major global media companies tell RSG Media that our tools augment the human aspect of scheduling, adding insights from advanced avails calculations, historical performance data, and consumer preferences to ensure an optimized line up.

They say it makes them more efficient at preparing new schedules, reviewing existing ones, and, most importantly, optimized schedules based on competitive analysis.

The benefits of combining rights management and program scheduling software with AI, enables the system to think, learn, and perform tasks that would normally require human engagement and intelligence.

Rights optimization and schedule optimization are just two ways that media companies leverage AI.

FORECASTING AND AD SALES

RSG Media’s clients reports net new revenue measured in tens of millions of dollars, because AI forecasts ratings brilliantly.

Machine learning (using algorithms and statistical models, patterns and inference) makes it possible for RSG Media to predict ratings for a particular show up to three weeks in advance, with a high degree of accuracy. This lets programmers optimize their schedule and sell ads against that optimized schedule, with a huge upside for audience and better targeted demos.

AI-driven insight moves users from “what can I air?” to “what should I air?”

It enables a fusion of scheduling, based on integrated rights and avails, and ad sales. To sift, collate, and correlate the massive amounts of rights/avails information, historical data, performance statistics, competitive schedules, and consumer sentiment is impossible for humans. But machines can do it. Ma-chines can, and have, improved the scheduling process and decision making, reduced time and improved accuracy and efficiency.

CONCLUSION

The media landscape is about to be littered by the stalled careers of executives who ignored the magic combination of AI plus rights management. RSG Media’s clients have already demonstrated the power of layering AI on top of rights management, better protecting, programming, acquiring, promoting, and monetizing their media assets. Nascent AI tools promise an even greater shift.

Given the importance of rights management and data analytics, RSG Media continues to research, invest, and develop new protocols for leveraging AI to meet the growing industry demand.

* By Shiv Sehgal, Chief Product Officer, RSG Media

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