iHeartRadio made good use of its mobile notification mechanism this morning, pinging registered users about a special Robin Williams takeover of the service’s “24/7 Comedy” channel. Legendary comedian and actor Williams died last night in his California home. Continue Reading
Clear Channel announced today that iHeartRadio is adding the 55 Mexican radio stations of Grupo ACIR to the streaming platform. The cluster will be folded into the iHeartRadio Hispanic Network. The emphasis is on U.S. exposure to the Mexico-based programming. As part of the distribution deal, Clear Channel will take over as digital sales provider. Continue Reading
Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio is partnering with ad-tech provider AdsWizz to create “unique and integrated digital advertising capabilities,” it was announced this morning. The partnership will enhance ad insertion and targeting across a wide scope of brands and content — over 840 Clear Channel radio stations that stream live webcasts on the iHeart platform. Continue Reading
One of the hottest trends in the transportation field nowadays is that of “car sharing,” a/k/a short-term, neighborhood-distributed car rentals, a la Zipcar. In this narrative, which is both hilarious and horrendous, founding editor Kurt Hanson describes the stunning failed experience of trying a newly-developed car-sharing service offered by legacy car-rental company Hertz. Spinning off a new business line separate from a firm’s core competency isn’t as easy as it might seem — and Kurt Hanson extends that point to the Internet radio industry. Continue Reading
Niche, a research firm founded by Carnegie Mellon University in 2002 with a focus on early-life decision-making, has released an interesting study of media choices among graduating high school students. When surveyed about listening to music, graduating high-schoolers divulged their music-service habits. Continue Reading
Clear Channel issued a press release announcing some structural changes in the company. iHeartRadio is re-positioned, and its former executive owner, Brian Lakamp, is promoted to a broader role steering Clear Channel’s technology capability and digital ventures. Continue Reading
We received a mobile notification from iHeartRadio announcing a nonstop Michael Jackson station called 24/7 MJ Radio, in commemoration of the 5th anniversary of MJ’s death. Activating the notification did not take us directly to 24/7 MJ Radio, surprisingly, but a quick use of iHeart’s search function found it quickly and the listening began. Continue Reading
adStream is a journal of ad-spottings in online music services that highlight how commercials (audio and visual) can be an integrated part of the online listening experience.
We noted that the McDonalds “Think With Your Mouth” campaign for Big Mac sandwiches won an award at Cannes Lions this year, and we have been spotting the digital placements in streaming music services, including iHeartRadio. Continue Reading
Clear Channel updated its iHeartRadio app, overhauling the design with a more compact and usable presentation, while adding a level of instant personalization for new users. We tested the upgrade in its Android version, which was released slightly before the iOS version for Apple devices. Long-time users will appreciate the tightened, more intelligent design choices in the new app.
iHeartRadio 5.0 is seems to have a dual targeting strategy: attracting new users, and improving the experience for existing audience. It’s a big audience: 345-million app downloads and 50-million registered users Continue Reading
Darren Davis, President of Networks for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s RAIN Summit Indy, to be held Tuesday, September 9 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Davis has a 21-year career with Clear Channel, and will provide insight on Clear Channel’s innovative digital initiatives. Continue Reading
Big data, the term used for collections of data that are so big that special processing is needed in order to use it, is a key component of customized music services. Big data processing is important on the advertising side as well. Jennifer Lane thinks about the possibilities that big data can offer to streaming audio. Continue Reading
Brian Lakamp is the President of Digital at Clear Channel, and is the product owner of iHeartRadio, which he characterizes as “the national consumer brand” of Clear Channel. In a wide-ranging phone conversation, we spoke with Lakamp about iHeart’s digital strategy, listening to radio in the car, Clear Channel’s partnerships with record labels, and operating in a “six-screen world.” Continue Reading