A media intelligence platform. It monitors news, broadcast and social sources and reports on coverage volume, tone and reach, which is the reporting a communications team needs in order to show what its work produced. Like its competitors in this category it is sold on custom plans rather than a published price. The difference from free monitoring is coverage and retention. Platforms in this category differ mainly in which sources they reach and how far back they keep them, and that is what the subscription is actually buying.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meltwater?

A media intelligence and social listening platform. It monitors news and social sources for mentions of an organisation or topic, and reports on volume, sentiment and reach.

Who is it for?

PR and communications teams that need to demonstrate coverage and catch emerging issues. The audience is corporate rather than individual.

Is Meltwater free?

No. It is an enterprise subscription priced by arrangement based on sources and volume, so no figure is claimed here.

What should you ask before buying?

Which sources you actually need. Coverage of source sets is the main thing that differs between platforms in this category, and paying for sources you never read is the usual waste.

Does it cover broadcast and print?

Coverage varies by package. Broadcast and print monitoring is generally a separate arrangement from online sources, so establish exactly which media are included before comparing it with alternatives.

What does it cost?

Pricing is by arrangement and depends on the sources and volume you need, so no figure is quoted here. Expect an enterprise contract rather than a monthly card payment, and expect the useful comparison to be against the cost of the work it replaces rather than against other subscriptions.

What it is good at

Measuring PR coverage

Volume, reach and tone across outlets is the reporting a communications team is asked for.

Catching an emerging issue early

Alerts on rising negative coverage are worth more than a monthly report.

Tracking competitors alongside your brand

Comparing share of coverage puts your own numbers in context.

Pricing

Meltwater is an enterprise subscription priced by arrangement, so no figure is claimed here. Its site describes the packaging; discuss sources and volume with the vendor for a quote.

Alternatives

Brandwatch — A comparable platform in the same enterprise category.
A free news alert — Narrow and adequate for occasional monitoring.
A PR agency report — Someone else does the reading, at agency rates.

What to check before you commit

List the sources you need

Coverage differs between platforms. Check yours are included before comparing prices.

Decide who acts on alerts

An alert nobody owns is noise. Name the person who responds before switching it on.