iHeartRadio
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iHeartRadio offers curated playlists to free users
iHeartRadio added on-demand music streaming powered by Napster to its broadcast radio-centric service in 2016. The company later added curated activity-, era- and genre-based playlists for paid subscribers since then, too. Now the company is bringing this Playlist Radio feature to all of its users, including free members.
MoviePass teams with iHeartRadio for three-month limited movie plan
MoviePass' various indiscretions with user privacy haven't deterred too many people from subscribing to the service, which just added another 500,000 paying subscribers. The typical $10 per month plan supplies you with one 2D movie per day at any participating theater. Now, MoviePass and iHeartRadio are teaming up to provide a $29.95 three-month plan that limits you to four 2D movies per month but adds a free trial of iHeartRadio's All Access on-demand streaming package.
iHeartRadio owner files for bankruptcy, but you won't feel it
Radio giant iHeartMedia has filed for bankruptcy after years of dealing with a massive debt worth $20 billion. Don't worry, though: you might not even feel that the company is going through Chapter 11 proceedings. In its announcement, the media corporation said it has reached an agreement with the holders of over $10 billion of its outstanding debts. The agreement does require a "comprehensive balance sheet restructuring," but the company isn't shutting down. Debtwire analyst Seth Crystall told Variety that "[i]f you were listening to iHeartRadio, or going to iHeart concerts" you won't be affected by what's going on behind the scenes.
iHeartRadio now works with Samsung's Bixby
This week at CES, iHeartMedia announced quite a few new integrations for iHeartRadio, its all-in-one digital streaming service. From Bixby, Samsung's new voice service, to a Facebook Messenger bot, to a new Roku app, it's clear that iHeartMedia is looking to expand its footprint and made iHeartRadio a real contender in the digital music landscape.
NPR's biggest podcasts are available on the iHeartRadio app
There's a new place to listen to your favorite NPR podcasts: the iHeartRadio app. A press release says that Fresh Air, How I Built This, Invisibilia, Planet Money and Up First will be available via the app, among some 30 others. So, wherever the iHeartRadio app exists (Android, iOS, Alexa are a few examples) you'll be able to catch up on Radiolab. It isn't the biggest news in the world, but more access to NPR's podcasts is sure to make a few people happy today.
One week with Microsoft Cortana
"Never mind it. Never mind," I cursed, looking down on the poorly formed monstrosity that gazed back at me with a singular pulsing eye. No, not at me -- through me. This was not my trusty Google Assistant, with whom I shared a deep logistical and day-planning-based bond. This thing barely looked like the AI to which I was accustomed and -- even then -- only in passing. This alien program appears to have eaten my digital assistant and started wearing its skin -- and I'm about to spend the next week having it organize my life.
Watch Ariana Grande's benefit concert live on Twitter and YouTube
Pop star Ariana Grande is hosting a benefit concert on June 4th to help victims of the Manchester terrorist attack, and you'll have plenty of ways to both watch and contribute online. The gig will livestream at 2PM Eastern (7PM local time) on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and iHeartRadio. If you want to pitch in, Twitter will have a dedicated donation tab alongside the concert feed. You can also contribute directly to the British Red Cross' Manchester fund if you'd prefer to skip the concert altogether.
Prince's music returns to Spotify and other services this weekend (updated)
Prince removed his music from every streaming service except Tidal in July 2015, but the artist's catalog returns this Sunday. Spotify and HeartRadio have confirmed the return of works like 1999, Purple Rain and Diamonds and Pearls. You can see all the albums that Spotify will offer right here. Engadget has learned that Amazon Music will also offer the tunes and BBC reports Prince's music will be available on Apple Music and Napster as well. However, there's still no word from Google or SoundCloud as to whether their services will offer the artitst's discography.
iHeartRadio's on-demand streaming is now live for all
Last month, iHeartRadio's entry to on-demand music streaming finally went live as a beta service on mobile. Today, that service is officially out of beta testing and available for everyone on mobile, desktop and certain compatible devices.
IHeartRadio app gets on-demand features through Napster partnership
Massive conglomerate IHeartRadio, which owns over 800 radio stations in the US, is getting into the on-demand music streaming market, just as it promised earlier this year. The company just added two paid plans to its iOS and Android app that bring many of the streaming features found in competitors like Spotify and Apple Music. First and foremost is the ability to search for and play any track you want, any time you want, without being beholden to whatever IHeartRadio's FM stations are playing. That music library will be powered by Napster, which had been operating in the US at Rhapsody until recently.
iHeartRadio plays catch-up with on-demand music
Although it was born out of terrestrial radio, iHeartRadio has been working hard to go beyond just streaming FM stations to your phone or Apple TV. The company set its sights on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music's Beats Radio with last year's introduction of personalized radio stations. Now, iHeartRadio is ready to announce two new on-demand subscription services of its own, coming in January 2017: iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access
iHeart and Universal are partnering for VR concerts
iHeartMedia and Universal Music Group are teaming up to take music into virtual reality. From the sounds of it, this isn't going to be just a music visualizer a la what game developer Harmonix is doing. Nope, this will work to "leverage" the strengths of both companies, like UMG's massive roster of artists (including Katy Perry) and iHeart's hundreds of millions of listeners, to sell you stuff. "The companies will create entertainment experiences that leverage cutting-edge technology, making immersive VR performances and experiences accessible to U.S. audiences for the first time at scale," the prepared statement reads.
iHeartRadio brings its internet radio stations to Apple TV
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook proclaimed that TV's future meant more apps. That's certainly the case for Cupertino's streaming device, and today the gadget got one more piece of software. iHeartRadio now streams radio and other music content to the set-top box, offering another option for bringing some audio into your living room. The internet radio app also streams to Play-Fi-enabled speakers, too. With the Play-Fi app on both iOS and Android, you can beam high-quality lossless audio and control the stations with your phone or tablet.
Pandora has to pay higher royalties starting in 2016
Pandora and similar services like iHeartRadio and SiriusXM will have to give a bigger part of their earnings to music labels starting January 1st next year. The Copyright Royalty Board has ruled that online radio stations have to pay labels 17 cents per 100 song plays by non-subscribers and 22 cents per 100 plays by subscribers. Pandora's rate used to begin at 14 cents per 100 plays, and even then it was never profitable -- in fact, it had to pay over $400 million in royalties in 2014, which was already 44 percent of its revenue.
iHeartRadio crafts a radio station just for you
When it comes to streaming music, it's all about personalization these days -- so it was only a matter of time until iHeartRadio went down that road. With the service's new "My Favorites Radio" station, which is launching today, you'll have a single station built up from all of the tunes you've favorited over the years. Much like Spotify's Discover playlist and Apple Music's Beats-powered personalization, the new iHeartRadio feature should make it easier to just sit back and enjoy music you already like, as well as explore new musical territory. You'll be able to fine-tune what the station plays by removing individual tracks, and you can also share it with your friends pretty easily.
iHeartRadio hits Windows 10 with Cortana support
Beating Pandora to the punch, iHeartRadio has just launched a Windows 10 app that takes full advantage of Microsoft's Cortana virtual assistant. So, in addition to streaming music and radio stations from the app the usual way, you can also shout commands at Cortana to spin up some tunes. (Yes, it also works with Cortana text search.) It also packs in Live Tiles support, allowing you to make your favorite songs or artists accessible right from the revamped Start menu. The new app could be a smart way for iHeartRadio to add to its user base, which already clocks in at over 60 million people. It's surprising that Pandora still hasn't delivered a dedicated Windows 10 app yet, so iHeartRadio might be able to satisfy some of the demand for streaming radio on Microsoft's new OS.
iHeartRadio brings its streaming app to U-Verse TV
Even though AT&T's busy trying to merge with DirecTV, the company is still focused on improving its current home entertainment product, U-Verse. Starting today, customers who are subscribed to a television package can access iHeartRadio, the popular radio-streaming service. Once you tune in to the new channel (532 or 1532), you'll be able to listen to thousands of stations based on genre, keyword or location. There are also ways to save your favorite content and get personalized recommendations -- the more you listen, the more the app knows what you like. iHeartRadio says it's the first live-streaming radio application available to U-Verse TV subscribers, which also highlights AT&T's ongoing efforts to make the platform better for people.
iHeartRadio and Rdio are ready for CarPlay, but your car isn't
Online radio streaming app iHeartRadio has just made good on its promise to add support for CarPlay, Apple's new car infotainment system. But, it's not the only app joining Spotify on CarPlay today -- Rdio, a free music streaming service with offline playback, is tagging along. By introducing optimized apps for Cupertino's car platform, both online services make it easier for users to navigate their interfaces on an onboard screen. Sadly, there are very few people who can actually enjoy the updates right now, as CarPlay's only available on Ferrari FFs and select Pioneer in-dash systems, though most automakers promise to load it on their vehicles' entertainment systems in the future. Other web services also vow to eventually introduce optimized apps for the platform, including CBS News Radio and, of course, Beats Music.
Chromecast finally plays nice with Disney videos, Twitch streams
Heads up, Chromecast owners - your $35 media-flinging dongle just got a new infusion of oomph. Google announced on its official Chrome blog earlier today that users can now stream content from a slew of Disney apps (think WATCH Disney, WATCH Disney Junior and WATCH Disney XD for the young'uns) as well as iHeartRadio and Twitch (which just might be a little salt in the wound since Google couldn't quite make the deal work). You may rejoice if you're the type to binge on cheesy, over-the-top, emotionally charged television too since DramaFever's app have been given the same treatment -- now you've got another way to plow through your backlog of Coffee Prince episodes on a bigger screen. Can you think of a better way to spend a lazy weekend? We sure can't.
iHeartRadio's new 'For You' feature tries to find music you'll love
Tired of picking your iHeartRadio stations based on whatever mood passes your fancy? Now you've got other options -- starting with iHeartRadio's latest update, the app will offer users a curated list of stations based on their favorite genres and listening habits. The app's new "For You" feature is front and center in its 5.0 update, tasking users to pick out their favorite music genres to give the recommendation engine a nudge in the right direction. The app combines that feedback with your listening history, location and music you previously thumbed up to create a custom list of stations culled just for you. Cute, isn't it? The app also sports an updated UI, but the real exciting stuff is coming in a few months: today iHeartRadio announced that Chromecast support is on the way. Check out the latest update in Google Play. On iOS? Sit tight: the update should land on the App Store in about a week.
