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Project CITRUS is a grant-funded, yearlong project that will start to answer some of the existential questions facing public radio. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

What Is The Future Of Public Radio? WBUR Wants To Find Out — And Help Shape It

It’s 2020, Do You Know Where Your LUFS Are?

Nowadays, there are many platforms that distribute audio by inserting it into a queue alongside segments from other producers — which means the specs on your MP3s really matter.

Jul 2, 2020

"Flash briefings" offer a way to build a customized newscast for your Alexa-enabled device. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Alexa Flash Briefings Hold Promise For News — But They Need To Work Better For Everyone

"Flash briefings" are a way to build a customized newscast for your Alexa-enabled device.

Jun 18, 2020

A Pair Of Public Radio Station Nerds Went To CES (So You Didn't Have To)

The Consumer Electronics Show is a completely overwhelming experience. But Project CITRUS can't get a bead on the future of radio if we don't know what the future — and,...

Feb 4, 2020

"Morning Conditions" is a quick-but-comprehensive Boston-area weather forecast from WBUR meteorologist David Epstein. It is available every weekday morning. (Illustration by Jack Mitchell/WBUR)

What We Learned Making Our First Microcast: 'Morning Conditions'

What's a microcast? Well, it's a term that's still being defined. But at Project CITRUS we describe it as a shorter, newsier, timelier, more ephemeral podcast.

Jan 23, 2020

Recently, dozens of major metro newspapers — from the Los Angeles Times to the Miami Herald — have gotten into the audio newscast business. (Damian Dovarganes/AP)

Newspapers Are Making Short-Form Audio News: What ‘Papercasts’ Mean For Public Radio

Almost every major metro newspaper — from the Los Angeles Times to the Miami Herald — has started to produce a daily audio newscast.

Jan 16, 2020

With the holiday buying season in full swing, Amazon and Google have been partnering with other companies and services to bundle, deeply discount or altogether give away their entry-level smart speakers. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

There Sure Are A Lot Of Ways To Get A 'Free' Smart Speaker These Days

Google and Amazon have been bundling, deeply discounting or altogether giving away their entry-level smart speakers. Here's a closer look at why.

Dec 11, 2019

How Public Radio Can Reach People On Smart Displays

Smart displays pair all the voice capabilities of a smart speaker with a digital touchscreen — and they're becoming more popular.

Dec 5, 2019

Alexa Flash Briefings: What They Are And How They Work

Flash briefings are audio pieces that are usually topical and ephemeral, and almost always short. They range from news to inspirational quotes to finance tips.

Dec 4, 2019

Does Spotify's "Your Daily Drive" live up to the streaming giant's promise of a "seamless and unified" listening experience? (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

From Post Malone To 'Post Reports': Spotify's 'Your Daily Drive' Tries To Mix Music And News

Does it work?

Nov 12, 2019

We created a survey to better understand how the WBUR audience is engaging with smart speakers. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

We Asked WBUR's Audience About Smart Speakers. Here's What We Found

How is WBUR's audience using — and not using — smart speakers?

Nov 7, 2019