TMCnet News
iHeartMedia Launches First Ever -- and Only - Interactive on Demand Radio Services, 'iHeartRadio Plus' & 'iHeartRadio All Access'iHeartMedia, the creator of iHeartRadio - the all-in-one streaming music and live digital radio service - today announced the beta availability of iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster. This is the first service that uses on demand functionality to make radio truly interactive, as compared to all current players which simply add on demand functionality to the music collection experience. Available now in beta on iOS and Android (News - Alert) devices, the two new services will be fully available on mobile and desktop in January 2017. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161201005685/en/ With more than 850 radio stations in 150 markets that reach over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners across the U.S., iHeartMedia has the largest national reach of any radio or television outlet in America and is the only media company that has the assets, platform and reach to drive massive consumer awareness and introduce these two new subscription services, built around real radio, to a large new audience on a national scale. In addition, 84 percent of iHeartRadio users do not currently subscribe to an on demand service - and now, for the first time, may be interested in subscribing to a service that provides them with the best of live radio combined with easy-to-use on demand functionality that makes radio programming truly interactive - and that they can connect directly to their music collection, something no other service or company has the assets to offer. "10 times more Americans listen to radio every month than use a subscription service - so the debut of iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster is a unique opportunity to capture these non-music subscribers with an on demand service built around radio," said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. "Whereas the LP, CD and music downloads are the ancestors of all current on demand services, the ancestor for our new on demand offerings is broadcast radio. By combining radio's popularity and reach with interactive on demand functionality, we have created the first fully differentiated streaming music service for consumers." iHeartRadio Plus, $4.99 a month, completely transforms live radio listening with the addition of:
"iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster are revolutionizing how we think of live radio," said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio. "With features such as personal music libraries and playlists, the ability to search and play any song instantly, and the option to save and replay songs directly from live and custom radio listening, our new iHeartRadio on demand offerings are fundamentally changing the way consumers interact with live radio at an unprecedented level. We are introducing a service like no other to tens of millions of consumers across dozens of devices, and also driving massive awareness of the new service to more than a quarter of a billion Americans a month through our broadcast stations alone, which presents a major revenue growth opportunity for our very important strategic partners - artists and the music industry." iHeartMedia partnered with Napster to power the music technology back office behind iHeartRadio All Access. Napster brought their depth of experience in on-demand music delivery, customer billing, data and analytics and rights holders' payments to complement the iHeartRadio-based application. "iHeartMedia has a unique opportunity to shine a spotlight on the tremendous value premium streaming services bring to music fans, and to the music community at large," said Mike Davis, Napster CEO. "We're honored that iHeartMedia selected the Napster platform and brand to power a great music experience for consumers, and we're excited to play a role in what will be a successful launch." Aside from the two new subscription on-demand services, iHeartRadio will remain free. iHeartRadio offers users thousands of Live Radio stations, personalized custom Artist Radio stations created by just one song or seed artist and the top podcasts and personalities. With over a billion downloads, iHeartRadio has had tremendous momentum - reaching 90 million registered users faster than any other radio or digital music service - and even faster than Facebook (News - Alert). About iHeartMedia With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. and over 85 million social followers, iHeartMedia has the largest national reach of any radio or television outlet in America. As the leader in multiplatform connections, it also serves over 150 local markets through 858 owned radio stations, and the company's radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company's radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, in enhanced auto dashes, on tablets, wearables and smartphones, and on gaming consoles. iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia's digital radio platform, is the fastest growing digital audio service in the U.S. and offers users thousands of live radio stations, personalized custom artist stations created by just one song or seed artist and the top podcasts and personalities. With over a billion downloads, iHeartRadio reached 90 million registered users faster than any other radio or digital music service and even faster than Facebook. iHeartMedia's platforms include radio broadcasting, online, mobile, digital and social media, podcasts, personalities and influencers, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (OTCBB: IHRT). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161201005685/en/ |