Category: Radio

Another Monday, another set of data confirming what most of us know intuitively – people really like their smartphones and use them for everything! According to the new “Share of Ear” research from Edison Research, and as reported by Steve Goldstein, 19% of audio consumption is on the smartphone. That means that one minute out of every 5 consumers spend listening to audio content is on a smartphone. And if you look at just the younger demographics, the numbers are closer to one out of three minutes. That’s a lot of people with ear buds in, or Bluetooth-ed to some other device perhaps in their home or their car.

For anyone in the mobile space, this comes as no surprise at all. We’ve witnessed how the smartphone has, blob-like, taken over one area of information or media consumption after another. Search, travel, social media, video – one by one all have shifted to majority usage on mobile phones. This device is the closest thing to a sci-fi-like “neural implant” we’ve ever seen. We are a species that has become more and more connected to these devices and they’ve become more and more deeply hardwired into our very existence.

Another interesting stat is that consumers who listen on smartphones “every day” is 34%. And once again, (the children shall lead them) among 13-34 year-old users that number is 68%.

So if listening is shifting rapidly (or, arguably, has already shifted) to mobile, your audio product is right there on the palm-top next to all of your competition. Whether you’re a radio station, or an Internet streamer, you’re sitting beside Spotify, AppleMusic, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and literally thousands of digital stations, plus the user’s own music collection. Your product has to be better. That means live, social, on-demand, and with all the personality and other brand attributes your audience loves you for.

Most importantly you have to tell your audience where to find you. Use your broadcast to let them know that they can find your station on its own app, and all the reasons your app is the best place to listen, like social interaction, on-demand content, newsfeeds, whatever else you’re providing them. And rest assured that all this smartphone listening can be measured by Nielsen’s mobile SDK.

TuneIn is fine for discovery, but your biggest fans deserve more. NextRadio is great, too, but it still has major distribution hurdles to clear. App usage habits are becoming ingrained now – so you want your app to be part of that habit.

To learn more about how connecting with your audience on mobile contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.

Radio Express, the world’s leading supplier of entertainment programming to radio outside the U.S., announces that it has entered into an agreement with Jacobs Media to exclusively market and sell Jacobs’ radio apps in Latin America and Africa through their app company, jacapps. Radio Express will take jacapps’ all new V4 platform for radio internationally for the first time since its introduction in the U.S. earlier this year, providing stations with their own branded app on smartphones and other mobiles devices at an affordable price. The apps give stations more than a stream, with integrated social media that allows listeners to see the station’s social stream and interact without ever leaving the app. and on-demand content, and deliver a cost effective solution for stations to get their brands and products onto the mobile devices of millions of consumers and engage their audiences wherever they are. Through the station’s fully customized app, stations can present their best content front and center and also enable their listeners to send audio, video and photos upstream, bringing station events to life on mobile devices. Stations can customize the look and features of their dedicated app with jacapps’ new user-friendly content management system.

Barbara Rounds, President and Chief Executive Officer for Radio Express said: “Radio Express’ longstanding network of relationships with radio stations throughout Latin America and Africa, paired with jacapps’ customizable apps developed especially for radio stations, make an unbeatable combination. Now stations in Latin America and Africa can affordably have their own branded station apps to engage their listeners and differentiate themselves with audiences—and they don’t have to be tied to aggregated apps. jacapps’ new V4 platform puts stations in control of their app, their brand, and their content. Listeners can read and post directly from the app to stations’ Facebook, twitter and Instagram feeds, and all of the content in their app is quickly shareable by their listeners to help drive the kind of viral behavior that engages audiences and builds station brands. We think stations in these international markets will be thrilled with the results.”

Paul Jacobs, President of jacapps said: “jacapps has had extraordinary success in the United States and Canada, and we’ve been looking for a partner to help us expand into other international markets. Radio Express is the perfect partner for us. They know the radio business, and they value content, which is in our company DNA. Our combined approach brings an outstanding app package to broadcasters around the world.”

For more information about jacapps radio apps, visit: http://wwwjacapps.com or contact Bob Kernen at (248) 353-9030 or at Bob@jacapps.com.

For more information about Radio Express, visit www.radioexpress.com or contact Jessica D’Agostin at (818) 295-5800, ext. 238 or at Jessica@radioexpress.com.

About Radio Express
Radio Express, Inc. is the world's leading supplier of entertainment programming to radio outside the U.S. Since its founding in 1985, it has established relationships with thousands of radio stations in 130+ countries. Radio Express specializes in distribution of radio programming to stations around the world and in developing branded entertainment programming for major brands like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Heineken, Sprite and Cadbury. For more information, visit www.radioexpress.com.

About jacapps
With 950 mobile applications that have been downloaded over 23 million times, jacapps is the largest developer of mobile apps for radio in the United States.  Jacapps has developed award-winning applications for Entercom, Greater Media, Lincoln-Financial, Bonneville, leading public radio stations including WBUR, WGBH, KQED, and Michigan Radio, and numerous applications for Christian broadcasters.

by: Bob Kernen

We frequently get calls from our clients asking why nobody is downloading their apps anymore. Our response is always the same, “How are you promoting it?” Promotion. Obvious, right? But usually, the response is, “Oh, were we supposed to do that?” Typically a station promotes their app when it’s new, which makes sense, but it’s really something that needs to be done both creatively and on a consistent basis. In order to drive those extra listening occasions you have to regularly remind your listeners not just that your app exists, but why it’s useful to them.

In that spirit, here are some ways to promote your app on air.

• “Take us with you” – the best thing about mobile apps is that they’re, well, mobile. So it’s easy for your listener to take your station to places they might not normally think of. Let’s face it, people used to have radios everywhere. Not so much anymore. Whether it’s at home, in the gym, or on a run, lots of people don’t have a radio there. But you can bet they have their smartphone. So remind ‘em:

          o “Take us with you to the gym on our mobile app.”
          o “Drop your smartphone into your home listening system and pull up the <station name> app.”

• Create occasions for interaction and then talk about ‘em – Think of the listener’s smartphone as your custom tool for engaging them. Start a conversation and drive them to tweet you, or send a text. Post a piece of content on your app or to your Instagram account and send them there. Any chance to get ‘em to pull out that smartphone, use it.

• Listen on the road – If you have a signal that doesn’t get into every nook and cranny of your market, remind your users that if they can’t pick you up over the air, chances are, they can dial you in on their smartphone. And if you have listeners who frequently travel out of your broadcast area for vacation, remind them to take your station with you, whether it’s to the Hamptons, the lakes or Up North, your station can go with them.

• Content extras – Send your users to the app to get more content about what you’re talking about on-air. “Go see today’s rock girl,” or “Check the community calendar” or “weather when you need it on our app.”

• On-demand listening – Your listeners miss a lot! Most people’s commute won’t cover your entire morning show, so put that content into a podcast and put it on your app. Encourage your listener on-air in the morning to listen to the last hour of the morning show on the way home. Remind them exactly what they want to hear is there for them 24/7 on the app.

by: Bob Kernen

The H&R Block man’s rallying cry is “Get your billions back, America!” Well, to borrow the tone, if not the content of his ubiquitous-this-time-of-year yawp, c’mon “Get your listening occasions back, radio.”

At one time, everyone had transistor radios, boom boxes, Walkmans, even stereos. Now most people under the age of 20 don’t remember any of those things. But those were the devices that made radio king. Wherever you went, a radio was near at hand, but not anymore. The car is the last piece of prime real estate that still has a radio, and even that territory is threatened.

But you can fight back.

Luckily, that demon iPod has been assimilated by the smartphone, and on that particular battlefield your station app has equal footing with any other audio content. Finally, a fair fight. To get your audience back on those oh-so-important listening occasions, you’re going to have to remind them that they’re there.

• That means driving your listeners to boot up your app when they’re at the gym.
• Reminding them that they can listen to you at home by dropping their smartphone into their Bose or Sonos dock.
• Opening your stream when they go for a run.
• Plugging the earbuds into their phone and opening your app at the office.

All places where radio traditionally provided audio accompaniment. And thanks to that ever-present, ever-more-central device, the smartphone, you can have them again. But you have to tell ‘em and tell ‘em again. New habits can be just as hard to break as old ones, especially when the new habits are so convenient. But you don’t have to concede anything.

For years we’ve heard from clients that streaming listening, particularly mobile streaming, weren’t optimal places for listeners. “What if a meter-holder starts listening the app with their earbuds in?” That last excuse to drive your user to mobile is going away courtesy of Nielsen who will begin measuring mobile listening via a special bit of software in your app later this year.

No more excuses. Leverage that smartphone to put your product in your audience’s ears wherever they go. You just have to give them the right reminders to “get your listening occasions back.”

We are delighted to offer a new way to monetize your apps. XAPP Ads are interactive audio ads that enable you to respond using just your voice.  It is simple. If the advertisement interests you, simply speak to engage. No more fumbling with unlocking your phone or trying to remember a URL or phone number. Sounds pretty neat, right?

Want to learn more about this innovative new way to advertise? Click here to read about how XAPP ads are making a splash in the mobile space.

We are delighted to offer a new way to monetize your apps. XAPP Ads are interactive audio ads that enable you to respond using just your voice.  It is simple. If the advertisement interests you, simply speak to engage. No more fumbling with unlocking your phone or trying to remember a URL or phone number. Sounds pretty neat, right?

Want to learn more about this innovative new way to advertise? Click here to read about how XAPP ads are making a splash in the mobile space.