iHeartRadio unveils local audience figures
The Australian Radio Network’s (ARN) iHeartRadio digital radio service has released its first local audience data, showing impressive download figures.
The app has been downloaded 308,000 times and 207,000 registered users have signed up since launch on August 2 2013. The digital platform’s web and mobile sites also received 7.3 million page impressions and 260,000 unique visitors, while its mobile app generated 146,000 unique visitors, 1.5 million hours of music streaming via the iHeartRadio website, and over 45.5 million track streams.
The iHeartRadio app was recently updated to include talk radio and a ‘favourite song library’ function, however it was the brand’s live streams of Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran’s concerts in April which grew the brand’s registrations by 11% that month.
Geraint Davies, ARN COO and Head of iHeartRadio told TMN the national radio stations who champion the service contributed to the impressive local figures.
“With the integrated advertising power of all nine stations across the KIIS, Mix, Classic Hits and The Edge stations nationally, iHeartRadio is in the enviable position of being promoted both on air and online via each of these stations, connecting audiences with live radio and the music and artists they love,” Davies said. “ARN reaches an audience of over four million people across Australia so we’re able to connect with a huge number of potential iHeartRadio users every day.”
The Australian launch marked the first time iHeartRadio had been introduced outside of the US, where it was founded as an Internet radio website in 2008.
“iHeartRadio is also a hugely successful brand in the US which has obviously helped when introducing the service to Australia,” Davies told TMN. “Reaching 30 million registered users faster than any digital service in internet history, iHeartRadio continues to be the No. 1 all-in-one digital service in the US with more than 60 million monthly unique users across its network.”
iHeartRadio also allows users to build their own customised, commercial-free station – the most popular custom stations are from artist users Bruno Mars, Pink and Rihanna, in that order – and use the ‘thumb up’ ‘thumb down’ feature to indicate interest. The feature is integrated with ARN’s The EDGE 96.ONE station who have a chart of the most ‘thumbed up’ tracks.
The local data released also showed 62% of iHeartRadio Australia’s audience are aged 25-54, another third is under 25 and approximately 8% are aged 55 and over.
The US platform has announced its annual iHeartRadio Festival, which will run from September 19-20 in Las Vegas. There have been no announcements regarding plans to launch this festival in Australia.