AUDIENCE RESPONSE DETERMINATION TO DIGITAL-MEDIA CONTENT

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at predetermined time intervals, digital-media content information indicating playback duration of each of a plurality of digital-media content provided by at least one digital-media content service via a digital-media content stream, the digital-media content information includes user identification information associated with playback of at least one digital-media content and the at least one media content service;

receiving, at the predetermined time intervals, audience data identifying audience member characteristics relating to the user identification information and a number of a plurality of audience members that playback the plurality of the digital-media content;

determining a churn rate based on a number of digital-media content switches for each of the plurality of digital-media content by at least one audience member of the plurality of audience members;

identifying a digital media content-of-interest of the plurality of digital-media content relating to the plurality of audience members;

factoring the churn rate of the digital media content-of-interest based on churn rates of a plurality of digital-media content adjacent the digital media content-of-interest to produce a factored churn rate for the digital media content-of-interest;

determining audience metrics based upon the factored churn rate and the audience member characteristics for the digital media content-of-interest to produce an audience member retention relating to the digital media content-of-interest; and

providing the audience metrics relating to the digital media content-of-interest.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one digital-media content switch of the number of the content-switches comprises at least one of:

switching away from a digital-media content stream to another digital-media content stream of the at least one media service provider prior to completing the playback of the digital-media content; and

advancing to another digital-media content during the playback.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a probability value relating to the plurality of audience members to engage in a digital-media content switch of the at least one media content service based on a digital media content service average for each minute of a day.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the digital-media content service average further comprising:

determining an average number of the plurality of the audience members of the at least one media content service for the each minute of the day;

determining a digital-media content service average for a first group of times, wherein the digital-media content service average corresponds to an average playback over the at least one digital-media content service, and the first group of times includes each of a period of time during the playback of the digital media content-of-interest; and

determining a switch percentage value for the first group of times by including the number of the digital-media content switches less the digital-media content service average, per the average number of the plurality of the audience members.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of additional switch percentages for a plurality of second groups of times, wherein each of the plurality of second groups of times corresponds to an additional playback of the digital media content-of-interest; and

determining a periodic switch percentage based on an average of the plurality of additional switch percentages.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of periodic switch percentages; and

determining a rolling average of the plurality of periodic switch percentages over a designated time interval.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the churn rates of the plurality of digital-media content include that of at least one preceding digital-media content churn rate and that of at least one subsequent digital-media content churn rate relative to the digital media content-of-interest.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the churn rates of the plurality of digital-media content include that of at least one immediately preceding digital-media content churn rate and that of at least one immediately subsequent digital-media content churn rate relative to the digital media content-of-interest.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the churn rate further comprising:

determining a raw number of the plurality of audience members that selected the at least one digital-media content service to playback the plurality of the digital-media content;

determining a raw number of the plurality of the audience members that engaged in a digital-media content switch during the playback of the plurality of the digital-media content; and

determining a net-number of audience members that engaged in the digital-media content switch.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the number of the digital-media content switches for more than one digital-media content services;

determining an amount of audience members expected to engage in a digital-media content switch during the playback of the plurality of digital-media content delivered via the media content stream; and

assigning a performance factor to the digital media content-of-interest based on a correlation between a raw number of the plurality of the audience members that engaged the digital-media content switch during the playback of the plurality of digital-media content delivered against the amount of audience members expected to engage in the digital-media content switch.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the digital-media content stream is delivered by at least one of:

a local area network;

a cellular network;

a wide area network;

a personal area network; and

local memory storage.

12 . A method for execution in a digital-media content playback device, the method comprising:

receiving a digital-media content stream that includes a plurality of digital-media content provided by at least one digital-media content service, wherein each of the plurality of digital-media content includes an airplay parameter;

for a playback of each of the plurality of digital-media content via the digital-media content playback device, determining a playback duration;

determining a churn rate based on the playback duration relative to the airplay parameter of the corresponding digital-media content of the plurality of digital-media content to indicate a digital-media content switch;

factoring the churn rate of the digital media content-of-interest based on churn rates of a plurality of digital-media content to produce a retention rate relating the digital media content-of-interest; and

transmitting digital-media content information including the playback duration, the churn rate, and the retention rate.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the churn rates of the plurality of digital-media content include that of at least one preceding digital-media content churn rate and that of at least one subsequent digital-media content churn rate relative to the digital media content-of-interest.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the digital-media content switch comprises at least one of:

switching away from the digital-media content stream to another digital-media content stream prior to completing the playback of the digital-media content; and

advancing to another digital-media content during the playback; and

returning to another digital-media content during the playback.

15 . The method of claim 12 further comprising:

determining a probability value relating to the audience member to engage in a digital-media content switch based on a digital-media content service average for each minute of a day.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the digital media content service average further comprising:

determining the digital media content service average for a first group of times, wherein the digital media content service average corresponds to an average playback over the plurality of digital media content of at least one digital-media content service; and

determining a switch percentage value for the first group of times for the audience member by including a total number of the digital-media content switches less the digital-media content service average.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of additional switch percentages for a plurality of second groups of times, wherein each of the plurality of second groups of times corresponds to an additional playback of the plurality of the digital-media content; and

determining a periodic switch percentage based on an average of the plurality of additional switch percentages.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

determining a plurality of periodic switch percentages; and

determining a rolling average of the plurality of periodic switch percentages over a designated time interval.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the digital-media content stream is delivered by at least one of:

a local area network;

a cellular network;

a wide area network;

a personal area network; and

local memory storage.

20 . A digital-media content playback device comprising:

a processor;

memory operably associated with the processor;

a communications interface coupled to the memory and the processor, the communications interface adapted to receive a digital-media content stream that includes a plurality of digital-media content provided by at least one digital-media content service, wherein each of the plurality of digital-media content includes an airplay parameter;

a program of instructions configured to be stored in the memory and executed by the processor, the program of instructions including:

for a playback of each of the plurality of digital-media content via the digital-media content playback device, determining a playback duration;

determining a churn rate based on the playback duration relative to the airplay parameter of the corresponding digital-media content of the plurality of digital-media content to indicate a digital-media content switch; and

factoring the churn rate of the digital media content-of-interest based on churn rates of a plurality of digital-media content to produce a retention rate for the digital media content-of-interest; and

transmitting digital-media content information including the playback duration, the churn rate, and the retention rate.

21 . The digital-media content playback device of claim 20 , wherein the churn rates of the plurality of digital-media content include that of at least one preceding digital-media content churn rate and that of at least one subsequent digital-media content churn rate relative to the digital media content-of-interest.

22 . The digital-media content playback device of claim 20 , wherein the churn rates of the plurality of digital-media content include that of at least one immediately preceding digital-media content churn rate and that of at least one immediately subsequent digital-media content churn rate relative to the digital media content-of-interest.

23 . The digital-media content playback device of claim 1 wherein the digital-media content stream is delivered by at least one of:

a local area network;

a cellular network;

a wide area network;

a personal area network; and

local memory storage.