Smartphones revived the radio star (Article)

Lenny Lovett

Will the smart phone revolutionise how we listen to radio?



From The Guardian:

Radio audience measurement body Rajar says new figures show that 20% of smart phone users have a radio app installed on their device.Its most recent survey also shows that 31% of listeners listen to the radio online and 16% have downloaded a podcast. It appears that radio habits are adapting well the arrival of not just streaming internet but catchup services.
13% of the adults questioned have listened to radio by a mobile phone, with the majority using a specific FM preset on the app, with a only small proportion running a station-centric app.
Out of those 20% with a radio app, more than half use their apps at least once a week. On the internet radio front, 25% use time-shifted services to catch up on programmes they have missed. The vast majority said that the "listen again" services had no impact on the amount of live radio they listen to, with the average listener just the services twice a week.
The awareness of personalised online radio services has increased to 14%, with frequent users up to 11%. Personalised radio services (such as Last.fm) create a streaming radio station based on your listening habits and artists you enjoy.
Podcast listening figures are also on the up, with 15% of the adult population listen to a podcast once a week but only 25% of the users listen to the entire recording. The typical listener subscribes to less than five podcasts, mostly in the comedy and music genres. Those surveyed listen to podcasts home and on the way to work, with 36% claiming that podcasts have introduced them to new radio shows.
Have you listened on a mobile device or do you fancy the internet over the air? Check out TuneIn Radio for the iPhone, Android Online Radio or iheartradio for BlackBerry to tune into your favourite station.
Be aware that unless you are on Wi-Fi, radio stream over the air will zap up your data usage faster than you can say Radio 2.

Liam Byrne

Managed to catch a match commentary on the car radio via iPhone through an in-car FM tx while outside the station's own tx coverage area.

Handy, but since you're indirectly "paying" to listen (using up your data allowance) I wouldn't do it much.

bonkers

trying to get bbc radio app so i can listen to main bbc stations outside uk and ireland. no joy with tuneinradio as it doesnt do radio4 or radio1.. any ideas? for iphone

ShagNastii

I would totally agree. I was always a radio fan and with the addition of wunderradio and shoutcast on my iPhone I consume a shockingly amount of radio. Even the radio station apps (e.g todayfm, radio 1) Radio has become soo soo much more accessable.

vinnielo

bonkers wrote: »

trying to get bbc radio app so i can listen to main bbc stations outside uk and ireland. no joy with tuneinradio as it doesnt do radio4 or radio1.. any ideas? for iphone

WunderRadio should work.

tbh

bonkers wrote: »

trying to get bbc radio app so i can listen to main bbc stations outside uk and ireland. no joy with tuneinradio as it doesnt do radio4 or radio1.. any ideas? for iphone

I use the Reciva Radio app, a little pricey but gives access to all stations, plus ondemand and podcasts.