IHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is an American freemium broadcast, podcast and radio streaming platform owned by iHeartMedia. It was founded in April 2008. , iHeartRadio functions as the national umbrella brand for iHeartMedia's radio network, the largest radio broadcaster in the United States. Its main competitors are Audacy, TuneIn and Sirius XM. They regularly host performances at the "iHeartRadio Theaters" in Los Angeles and New York. History. iHeartRadio is owned by iHeartMedia, which was rebranded from Clear Channel in 2014. Prior to 2008, Clear Channel Communications' various audio products were decentralized. Individual stations streamed from their own sites (or in many cases , did not due to voluminous syndication and local advertising clearance issues), and the Format Lab website provided feeds of between 40 and 80 networks that were used primarily on Clear Channel's HD Radio subchannels, many of which transitioned to iHeartRadio unchanged. In April 2008, Clear Channel launched the iHeartMusic website, featuring entertainment news, national news, music content including albums, singles on demand, music videos, and access to over 750 Clear Channel radio stations online. On October 7, 2008, Clear Channel Radio launched the first version of iHeartRadio to the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch through the App Store. Twelve  radio stations in 8 markets were included in this first release. In 2009, iHeartRadio was made available to BlackBerry devices and the Android operating system and then Sonos in 2010. September 2011 marked the official launch of the free, all-in-one iHeartRadio service featuring thousands of live radio stations and custom artist stations. The launch coincided with the inaugural iHeartRadio Music Festival, a two-day event hosted by Ryan Seacrest at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The app was expanded to the Xbox 360 and webOS. On April 20, 2012, iHeartRadio launched on the iPad. On June 8 , 2012, iHeartRadio concluded a deal to power Yahoo! Music's Radio service, previously powered by CBS Radio. In mid-October 2012, iHeartRadio launched online audio news, weather and traffic streams for Tampa, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City, and 15 other metropolitan cities, branded as "24/7 News". On March 1, 2013, iHeartRadio was added to the Roku digital media receiver. , the app is available on more than 250 devices and platforms. In July 2013, iHeartRadio began adding stations from outside the United States like CHUM-FM and CFBT-FM in Canada and Virgin Radio Dubai  in the United Arab Emirates. On July 14, 2013, iHeartRadio launched in New Zealand and Australia. On July 24, 2013, iHeartRadio launched a new talk radio feature: iHeartRadio Talk. It featured original on demand programming from celebrities like Ryan Seacrest and allowed users to upload their own content through Spreaker. In 2014, the iHeartRadio Talk feature was rebranded to "Shows & Personalities" and in 2016 the feature became known simply as "Podcasts". On November 10, 2015, iHeartRadio launched a spin-off app known as iHeartRadio Family—a curated experience targeting children. It features a simplified interface and a selection of age -appropriate stations (such as Radio Disney, and stations curated by artists and personalities popular among the demographic). Build-A-Bear Workshop served as a launch sponsor for the app, which included the addition of a "Build-a-Bear Workshop Radio" channel in the app. During the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival, iHeartMedia announced subscription based on demand services "iHeartRadio Plus" and "iHeartRadio all Access powered by Napster". On December 1, 2016, iHeartMedia launched the services in beta on iOS and Android to the American users. iHeartRadio launched in Canada on October 7, 2016, in association with Bell Media. In 2017, iHeartRadio  expanded Plus and All Access to other platforms including desktop in January 2017 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). In September 2018, iHeartMedia announced it would acquire Stuff Media, LLC, the leading U.S. for-profit publisher of entertaining and informative podcast content, which included the HowStuffWorks podcasting business division as well as its slate of premium podcast content for $55 million. This acquisition enabled iHeartMedia to leverage Stuff Media's original content, programming and experienced podcasting management team to further expand its podcasting platform, increasing its position as the solid No. 1 commercial podcast publisher globally (Podtrac , 2019) and  almost doubling its usage metrics. From the start of service, many of its own radio stations that identified with a callsign and the metro area they serve have the end tag that identifies them as "An iHeartRadio Station", or for live national music stations such as Eclectic Rock or iHeart80s, their end tags identify them as "An iHeartRadio Original Station" (they also ID the HD2/HD3 stations that simulcast). Though starting in 2019, iHeartRadio introduces its own "Sonic Logo", a five-note sounder with two heartbeats at the end. It includes specific variations (including vocal versions) for different formats or  productions. Today as the leading podcast publisher in the U.S., iHeartRadio carries more than 250,000 podcasts – from its own podcasts to other major podcast publishers – and the iHeartPodcast Network hosts more than 750 iHeartRadio Original shows including "The Ron Burgundy Podcast", "Stuff You Should Know", "Disgraceland" and Chelsea Handler's "Life Will Be the Death of Me". On April 23, 2020, the iHeartRadio app was launched in association with Uno Radio Group, which owns the NotiUno, Salsoul, Fidelity and Hot 102 brands in Puerto Rico. On November 30, 2021, iHeartRadio rolled out a new feature for its TV platforms called  Soundscapes. Most iHeart original stations and playlists will have related visuals to compliment and enhance their listening experiences. For a couple examples, iHeart80s soundscapes will run a looping slideshow of 80s pop-culture, or Yacht Rock soundscapes will run a slideshow of anything ocean-related or instruments related to the genre. On December 1, 2021, iHeartRadio has inked a deal with Roku to bring a dozen of their live radio stations to The Roku Channel's live TV lineup. The ad-supported stations (which include iHeartCountry, Alt Radio, The Beat, Classic Rock, Hit Nation, Latino Hits, iHeart80s, and iHeart90s as  well as select holiday-themed stations when available) will feature imagery to complement and enhance the audio experience, similar in fashion to Music Choice on digital cable and satellite TV. Acquisitions. In September 2018 it was announced the iHeart acquired HowStuffWorks. In November of that year iHeart also bought Jelli. In October 2020 it was announced that the company would acquire Voxnest, the parent company of "Spreaker", a podcast hosting company. iHeart has since also bought Triton Digital from Scripps. Investments. In February 2022, iHeartMedia invested in Sounder. Availability and supported devices. iHeartRadio is available in Australia, Canada, the United  States, Puerto Rico, Mexico and New Zealand. It is available across 250 device platforms including online, and via automobiles, gaming consoles, home audio, mobile smartphones and tablets, TVs, and WatchOS. Functionality and rating system. Listeners can hear live radio stations, personalized music stations, create playlists, listen to podcasts and more. The iHeartRadio player has a Like/Dislike (Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down) rating tool used on songs playing on live and customized radio stations. "Liking" or "disliking" songs for all live stations provides feedback to the station being played. "Liking" a song on customized stations will have it and songs like  it played more often. "Disliking" a song on customized stations means that song will not be played again. This data is used to personalize users’ "My Favorites Radio" station. As My Favorites Radio learns a user's music taste over time, it adds various bonus tracks into the mix. Songs can easily be removed from the station. For a time since the service's beginnings until 2020, iHeartRadio had a "Discovery Tuner" to the custom stations where listeners could adjust the tuner to play familiar songs – or select “Less Familiar” to play a wider variety – or "Mixed". United States. "The  New York Times" described "iHeartRadio" as the largest radio broadcaster in the United States. They aggregate over 850 local iHeartMedia radio stations across the United States, as well as hundreds of other stations from various other media. It includes more than 250,000 podcasts, offers a Music recommender system and on-demand functionality, and allows listeners to save and replay songs from live broadcasts in digital playlists. The on-demand features require a subscription fee (see Premium Tiers below). iHeartRadio is available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants , TVs and gaming consoles. Premium Tiers. In recent years, iHeartRadio has introduced premium subscriptions for listeners wanting to upgrade their listening experience. The tiers are as follows iHeartRadio Plus. Listeners who subscribe to this tier will get ad-free music and ad-free live radio stations. They will also have the ability to save and replay songs directly from the radio, get unlimited skips and create a personalized playlist of up to 40 songs. The price is $4.99/month ($5.99 for iOS users) and is currently available only in the iOS and Android apps. iHeartRadio All-Access. Listeners  of this tier will have all the above benefits, plus the ability to listen offline, get unlimited access to millions of songs, and create unlimited playlists. The price is $9.99/month ($12.99 for iOS users) and is available on most supported devices. International. Australia & New Zealand. Before 2014, iHeartRadio operated Australian Radio Network as joint venture with APN News and Media and now as licensed Australian version only solely by HT&E. New Zealand assets are now licensed by New Zealand Media and Entertainment. Canada. On January 6, 2016, iHeartMedia announced that the iHeartRadio service would expand into Canada  as part of a licensing deal with Bell Media. The company described the Canadian version of the service as being a "franchised" operation; Bell handles Canadian music licensing, marketing, and distribution of the service, and provides content from its properties. Bell also gained rights to organize Canadian versions of the company's branded events, such as the Jingle Ball, and co-branded the annual awards show organized through its cable channel Much as the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards. The service went live in Canada on October 7, 2016, and on December 4, 2017, additional features were added to the  service, including podcasts, additional stations, and a deal with Evanov Radio Group to add its stations to the service. iHeartRadio Theater. The "iHeartRadio Theater" located in New York at 32 Avenue of the Americas is a ground floor 250-seat theater which formerly was called the "P. C. Richard & Son Theater;" PC Richard sponsors them. There is also an "iHeartRadio Theater" in Los Angeles; it opened under that name in 2013. Financials. The company, which as of early 2020 had 12,500 employees, fired "dozens" (estimated by one newspaper as "hundreds ... across its more than 850 radio stations") at a time  when the company, bankrupt, was viewed as being considered for purchase by Liberty Media. "iHeart" described these layoffs as being technology-driven.