Special Media Projects

We’re content creators and technical service providers to business, education, and influencers. Our mantra of “Special Media Projects” means we take on those challenges that others shy away from, we love the clever little things.

We create content. We manage and operate radio stations for broadcast, hospitality, and retail. We build in-store radio and background music services. We build sets for TV and Film. We design and install specialist concealed audio and special effects systems for theme parks, retail, and attractions. We do all this and more… If you have a project that requires media, or any form of technology, then we can help you.

Our solutions include audio and video automation for delivering Radio and TV shows over the air or via live streaming,  we provide automated closed captioning and subtitles. We create bespoke audio and video packages, make podcasts, produce radio programs, and help businesses communicate and deliver their message to and engage with customers.

Bespoke Audio & Podcast Production

Live Captioning & Subtitles

Technical TV Set Design & Build

Wifi & Mesh Solutions

Drone / UAV Photography & Film

In Store and Hospitality Radio & Audio

Video Audio & Media Automation

Concealed Audio for Theme Parks and Performance

Audio, Visual & PA System Installation

ENcaption - LIVE automatic subtitles

About ENcaption

The latest generation of ENcaption offers an offline file-based mode for automatically captioning pre-recorded content. Audio or Video files can be ingested into the system and immediately output to several different captioning file formats or send out transcriptions for human editing.

ENCO’s software-defined enCaption enables broadcasters, content producers, and AV professionals to add closed or open captions quickly, easily, and cost-effectively to both live and pre-recorded content. Building on ENCO’s patented automated captioning approach, enCaption combines machine learning with advanced speech-to-text conversion to deliver exceptional accuracy with extremely low latency.

72% of people in the UK think all adverts should be subtitled

The majority of viewers aged between 18 and 25 said they now used subtitles “all or part of the time”.

A study by Netflix found that more than 80% of its members used subtitles or closed captions at least once a month on the streaming platform.

64% of all age groups view a brand that uses subtitles as more socially responsible then those that don’t

Live real-time subtitles

Accurate automated subtitles for broadcast and streaming, with asset ownership.

24/7 always available

Automatic subtitles, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Generate captions instantly at a moments notice.

Intelligent Learning

ENcaption learns place names and local information, it adapts and continually improves accuracy

Mulit-Speaker Identification

Automatically identify different speakers

In-House Processing

Processed within your facility, not in the cloud for ultimate copyright data protection, GDPR compliance and complete asset ownership.

Intelligent Learning

First-line 24hr support from UK-based engineers.

Audio Production

We create podcasts and bespoke audio packages for business, radio, commercial, hospitality, in-store radio and for education. Whatever the audio requirement, from documentaries, music shows features or complete radio programmes, we create compelling, engaging packages that reach the audience. 

Podcasts and audio packages are an essential tool for business to business B2B and Business to Customer B2C communication.

Audio is an essential platform for entertainment, and one of the most effective methods to deliver information, spark debate and encourage conversation. From our Studios, or on location, our team of expert writers, editors and producers put together audio packages that will meet criteria and exceed expectations.

Perhaps you need to reach your customers while they browse, relax with a drink, take some time out in their room or maybe you have an interesting topic to discuss or a product you wish to talk about? remember, your listener can’t drive and watch videos. You can’t surf social media while cooking dinner… you CAN listen to the radio or a podcast. Audio Works and is THE most effective way to deliver a message to your potential customer base.

Our valued clients include Carnival UK. P&O Cruises, Cunard, God TV, Tattershall Castle, Ripley’s Believe it or not!, ATS Heritage, Gibraltar Rock Tour, BBC Local, Sedgemoor FM, Andover Radio, Awaaz FM, Hot Radio and many more.

Carnival UK “Artist Sessions”

A set of programmes, which highlight the core artists featured on Carnival UK’s P&O Cruise Radio. Produced in-house and presented by the brilliant Tony ‘Dibzy’ Dibbin. Here’s a short selection of audio from a number of features on the passenger-facing service.

Are you aware we care?

A unique series, aired on multiple radio stations to a national audience, looking at the complex lives of young carers. 

Young Carers Festival “Thoughtful Moments”

For over 20 years, The Useful Media Company and its directors have worked closely with “The Young Carers Festival”. An event in Hampshire dedicated to providing 3 short days of respite to Young people with a caring responsibility beyond their maturity. Here is a selection of audio created for the festival.

Young Carers Festival “Question Time”

With over 175000 young carers in the UK today, it is essential that events like the Young Carers Festival push for change in government. The Useful Media Company LTD under the banner of “YFCM” hosts Question Time each year, a platform for conversation between those in power and Young Carers.

Radio News Packages

News and documentary features for broadcast and business. Delivering news, information analysis, and reports in bite-sized documentary packages.

Mini Pop Kids

A concept radio show of “tween-friendly” hits, presented by, researched and produced by young people, for young people.

Talk to us today to discover how our studio can create compelling, engaging, entertaining and informative audio for your project, podcast or broadcast.

Technical & Practical Set Design/Build

We design, create, supply and install practical, technical and historically accurate sets for television and the film industry. We’re the chosen industry leaders for building radio studio sets for television, movies and streaming including Netflix and Amazon

Our credits include:

Alan Partridge Alpa Papa – (Baby Cow – StudioCanal – BBC Films)

Alan Partridge Mid-Morning Matters – (Baby Cow – Sky Atlantic)

Drifters – (Bwark Productions)

Hospital People – (BBC)

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office – (ITV)

Sex Education – (Netflix)

We’ve recently worked on a mini-series for ITV; “Mr Bates Vs The Post Office” It tells the story of the Post Office Scandal. Watch out for the radio studios, created to look similar to BBC Radio 4’s The Today Show.

Hospitality & In Store Radio

Hospitality & Hotel Radio

 

Music is so often overlooked when it comes to designing the ‘guest experience’ the focus is often the provision of TV or interactive services but how often have you been in a hotel room or on a cruise and you just want to listen to great music.

Whether you’re dressing for dinner, relaxing with a glass of wine, or indulging yourself in a hotel room or cabin with a good book, music compliments the moment and enhances the experience.

We supply a range of solutions, from multi-channel streaming machines allowing guests to choose any given musical genre to dedicated, specially designed bespoke automated radio stations, branded and designed to enhance your products and services in a format that is both familiar and comfortable to the listener.

Background Music Server

 

Background music is as important to a venue, space or retail establishment as the colour of the walls and the fixtures and fittings. Background music is the audio representation of your brand and the subliminal ingratiation with your customer… getting it wrong could be disastrous.

Our Background Music Server solutions provide up to 16 streams of simultaneous audio from a single machine – providing you with 16 different genres of music, or 16 individual zones. Because our systems are intelligent, the playlists (unlike Spotify) do not become repetitive, they’re different every time you listen.

You can choose to update the music yourself, or we also provide a managed solution, perfectly tailored to your brand and specification, where we provide updates either automatically or through a DVD delivered at a frequency to suit your needs.

Retail Radio & In Store

 

The obvious step up from a simple background music service, is a bespoke radio station. Customers are comfortable listening to radio as it feels familiar and it has some clear benefits for the retailer too.

With a retail radio station, you can advertise directly to the customer, even when they are browsing and not engaging with signage. You can promote events, offers and additional services, in short, you can engage with the customer at a much deeper level by implementing your own radio service.

Staff do not become bored with repetitive playlists, they’re able to engage with the music and enjoy the content. Its a proven fact that people work better, more effectively and more efficiently in a retail environment when they are listening to music.

Concealed Theme Park Audio, Visual & Effects

Examples of theme parks using concealed audio solutions, integrated into the fabric of the experience.

Disguising and camouflaging audio systems is a real art, not only to integrate the hardware into the given environment but to ensure that hardware still performs acoustically, with any camouflaging techniques being transparent so as to not interfere with sound reproduction.

We integrate audio and visual systems into the retail or themed environments so the equipment used to relay sound is hidden from view, creating the illusion that the sound is part of the fabric of the building, part of the experience, set or given space. This creates a magical and integrated customer experience.

Camouflaging or disguising audio and visual systems is not just a technique for the theme park and leisure industry. There are many applications in which modern equipment needs to be integrated into the fabric of buildings and spaces. Listed buildings, churches and other historically sensitive spaces all require subtle and complementary treatments.

If required, we partner our camouflaged audio solutions with carefully designed playlists, made for each users individual and exacting needs, such as sound effects or even “audio masking” a technique where sound is artificially forced into the space to disguise other ambient noises.

Talk to our team today to discuss your hidden audio needs, we’re here to help with many years of heritage and building regulations experience.

WiFi & Mesh Internet Systems

We provide WiFi solutions to all sectors, including pubs, bars, hotels, ships, camping, campsites, caravan sites and education.

Our team of networking experts can design and install WiFi and networking solutions for the most simple, or complex environments.

Our solutions can provide WiFi to your guests under fully managed circumstances, either through voucher schemes or via online purchases.

Users today expect FAST internet access. Your WiFi system must be able to meet those demands.

We provide, fully managed, load-balanced systems ensuring the best possible experience for all users.
Our systems “set aside” operational bandwidth for your business or VOIP systems.

Now, you can offer free basic access, or upgrade to faster speeds automatically, generate revenue from your WiFI system and receive payments straight away through PayPal.

Call us on 02380 984 080

Use the Facebook Chat facility at the bottom of the screen (you can use it as a guest) or drop us an email using the form.

Whatever you need, we have a solution to help.

If you’re contacting us for technical support, you might get a quicker response by calling our office.

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