Outset Media Index introduces a standardized system for media analysis built around independent scoring, normalized rankings and structured outlet profiling. It already works as a hands-on analytical tool, but new features in the pipeline will make the platform even more powerful – from refined benchmarking and historical data to a smoother user experience.

Because there is nothing quite like OMI in the media intelligence category, there is also a certain responsibility in how it develops. The index could become a point of reference for similar systems later on. In that sense, Mike Ermolaev, founder and CEO of OMI, says the challenge is not only to keep expanding the product, but to ensure it evolves into something strong enough to justify that role.

What early feedback is showing

Even from the first reactions, OMI is already saving time in real workflows, especially in media outlet research.

In one case, the whole process of analyzing publications for engineering AI visibility became much faster. Key signals, including domain authority, syndication scale and LLM traffic share, can all be checked in one place instead of across several different tools. When an outlet is listed in OMI, that kind of analysis can drop to around 15–20 minutes.

Some suggestions point to what users want to see next. One example is a more detailed LLM traffic breakdown, which will visualize the models that are sending readers to publications and in what volume.

Part of the feedback is about navigation: improving filters, sorting, charts, and reducing the number of clicks needed to move from one view to another.

Taken together, these insights show the foundation is in place; what follows is the effort to make it more responsive to how media teams actually use it.

That is why the current feedback phase matters. OMI is still flexible enough for user response to influence what gets improved next.

The roadmap focuses on usability, in-depth analysis and interpretations

Several priorities stand out in the continued development of Outset Media Index.  

Benchmarking as a primary practical priority

Sofia Belotskaia, OMI’s product manager, explains that users now move between pages when analyzing outlets. Making that process more seamless is one of the most concrete product directions established so far.

That matters because analysis is one of the central reasons OMI exists in the first place. If benchmarking becomes faster and more fluid, the entire product becomes more relevant in day-to-day planning.

Historical data points to a deeper analytical role

Media Profiles already cover historical data for several parameters, but the way it’s presented needs more polish. In OMI’s case, that carries weight not only for quick campaign decisions, but also for the longer-term analytical role the product may grow into.

Over time, Media Profiles could support much richer retrospective analysis and offer a better-organized view of how outlets evolve and what patterns tend to repeat.

Segmentation and giving rankings more context

For all publications indexed in OMI, we have deliberately avoided default industry labels like Tier-1, Tier-2 and Tier-3, since those categories often flatten very different kinds of outlets into simplistic or overly subjective groupings. Still, some users might need more than rankings alone to understand what they’re looking at.

A local outlet in a smaller market may rank lower overall and still be exactly the right choice for a specific campaign. That is why one of the more important areas of development is not just adding more publications, but making it clearer what those publications are actually useful for.

That points toward sharper filtering, more accurate segmentation and additional context around how rankings should be read.

Plans that go beyond the current product layer

Beyond these more immediate product priorities, the roadmap also points to longer-term plans. As Mike reveals, the team is exploring a model where media representatives could contribute their internal data directly, including

• GA numbers

• pricing

• editorial guidelines

with moderation in place to keep that information consistent.

If developed further, this could eventually open the door to a new kind of interaction between publishers and advertisers, potentially growing into a marketplace built on top of the index itself.

OMI could also expand beyond crypto coverage into other verticals such as edtech, gaming and others, along with further refinement of the metric system itself.

In other words, the roadmap is not only about making Outset Media Index more intuitive, but also about determining how far the existing setup can extend once the base layer becomes strong enough.

P.S. This article originally appeared on Outset Media Index (OMI) Blog.