“We are facing a good problem to have… growth,” said Corey Layton in the keynote session of RadioDays Asia.
There is 182% more audio consumed every day now than there was in the past, because there are more audio offerings and platforms for people to use.
He showed a spider graph from ARN’s Audio Lab research that demonstrates what listeners get out of different formats.
“Streaming music helps people feel… some, use it for escape or to calm down, while others use music to hype them up. Audio formats help radio music streamers and podcasts deliver specific content to match the different needs of listeners at times of day or periods in their life.”
Since 2013, when ARN introduced the iHeart brand to Australia, the company has aimed to deliver “precision targeting and deep integration” for its audience. “It’s much more than an app.. it is integrated into over 500 platforms. Even connected sunglasses have iHeart enabled in them,” he said.
ARN’s iHeart Australia app is about to undergo another step forward after recent research by ARN surveyed the main use cases for the app.
Users were asked what they like about the app, with 67% saying they listening to the radio as an important part of their daily routine.
Significantly, 70% of surveyed users compared the app to using a car radio. “They said they want iHeart to feel familiar, just like a car radio, so we have created modifications that mimic the in-car dash experience.”
The updated iHeart app will have:
- Presets to surface favourite stations – This feature has already increased retention
- The feel of a Radio dial – users can scan the dial to see what is available by location and genre
- Lyrics – the app will now also display lyrics for songs that are playing live on radio
- A trending section will surface most-listened-to content from live channels
- Improved talkback functionality – listeners will be able to record a voicemail, which will then be transcribed and sent direct to to studio for producers and presenters to use directly on air
- Push notifications to bring people to music features or breaking news content
- Genre and mood playlists or timely moments from the archives, all shaped by personalised Ai
The new features “allow us to interact better with customers” and “bring new opportunities for advertisers,” according to Layton. “In app contesting brings high conversion rates and engagement that helps us retain listeners.”
Extensions are available for retail media sales and content partnerships with advertisers.
One of the successful channels on the iHeart Australia app is the world’s first official TikTok radio station. “It’s Tiktok for your ears, when your eyes are busy.”
Touching on podcasts, Layton noted that 584 million people listen to podcasts each month around the world.
“Podcasts are no longer experimental, brands can now no longer ignore this audio platform. Daily time spent with podcasts has more than doubled over the past 8 years. In Asia audiences spend about 1 hour per day with podcasts.”
Podcasts are shaping public opinion and culture. According to Layton, “I heard it on a podcast, is now a commonly heard phrase in people’s discussions.”
Podcasts are no longer just about audio. “Audio brings intimacy, but video adds discoverability and new monetisation possibilities. The opportunity is huge, so most podcasts also now include video.”
When video is added to the revenue already being delivered by audio podcasts, the global revenue for podcasts will be $7.3 billion across the entire ecosystem.
“We always start with audio. Its intimate and trusted and proven to drive action, then we add video where it makes sense to do so. Audio increases brand benefits by over 100%.”
“Audio will always be grounded in human connection. The technology will continue to change, but the basis of human connection will not,” he said.
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