iHeartRadio Storms To 50 Million Users In 3 Years, Launches Version 5.0
Clear Channel has reason to celebrate today. It's iHeartRadio streaming radio service just surpassed 50 million registered users, a feat that took just three years to accomplish. To put that into perspective, iHeartRadio's rise to 50 million users came faster than it did for rival Pandora, as well as couple of social networking services you might have heard of -- Facebook and Twitter.
Pandora still has the lead with around 250 million registered users, but clearly iHeartRadio is not to be ignored in the online radio space. And while Pandora has the present advantage in number of users, iHeartRadio offers a bit more in terms of features. In addition to evolving music playback based on your likes, iHeartRadio also includes curated playlists created by DJs and includes talk show content.
If you haven't checked out iHeartRadio before, now is a good time. Clear Channel just released a new version -- iHeartRadio 5.0 -- for Android (an upgraded version iOS-bound next week). The updated release sports an enhanced algorithm that's supposed to be even better at serving up personalized listening experiences. It also includes a sleeker and more intuitive UI, improved search, and simplified controls.
"iHeartRadio 5.0 features a significant upgrade to the way we serve our listeners," said Brian Lakamp, Clear Channel’s President of Digital. "We’ve been working diligently to personalize iHeartRadio and give our listeners more of the artists, the music and the kind of listening experience they want. iHeartRadio 5.0 accomplishes that by introducing recommendations, more intelligent design and a better user experience overall."
The iHeartRadio app is free to download in iTunes (version 5.0 coming next week) and Google Play (version 5.0 available now). It includes access to more than 1,500 radio stations from across the country, user-created stations, thousands of curated digital stations for just about any mood or activity, and more.
Pandora still has the lead with around 250 million registered users, but clearly iHeartRadio is not to be ignored in the online radio space. And while Pandora has the present advantage in number of users, iHeartRadio offers a bit more in terms of features. In addition to evolving music playback based on your likes, iHeartRadio also includes curated playlists created by DJs and includes talk show content.
If you haven't checked out iHeartRadio before, now is a good time. Clear Channel just released a new version -- iHeartRadio 5.0 -- for Android (an upgraded version iOS-bound next week). The updated release sports an enhanced algorithm that's supposed to be even better at serving up personalized listening experiences. It also includes a sleeker and more intuitive UI, improved search, and simplified controls.
"iHeartRadio 5.0 features a significant upgrade to the way we serve our listeners," said Brian Lakamp, Clear Channel’s President of Digital. "We’ve been working diligently to personalize iHeartRadio and give our listeners more of the artists, the music and the kind of listening experience they want. iHeartRadio 5.0 accomplishes that by introducing recommendations, more intelligent design and a better user experience overall."
The iHeartRadio app is free to download in iTunes (version 5.0 coming next week) and Google Play (version 5.0 available now). It includes access to more than 1,500 radio stations from across the country, user-created stations, thousands of curated digital stations for just about any mood or activity, and more.
