iHeartMedia launches interactive on-demand radio services

iHeartRadio Plus and All Access versions both are offering free 30-day trials for web, iOS and Android versions. Then, the cost is $4.99 or $9.99 per month, respectively, when purchased through desktop and $5.99 or $12.99 per month when purchased through the Apple App or Google Play stores.

Currently, 84% of iHeartRadio users do not subscribe to an on-demand service. With these two subscriptions, they have access to streaming music services that provides live radio combined with easy-to-use on-demand functionality – unlike current on-demand players that simply add on-demand functionality to a music collection experience, according to iHeartMedia.

The company said that ten times more Americans listen to radio every month than use a subscription service,­ so the debut of iHeartRadio Plus and iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster is a unique opportunity to capture some of the non-music subscribers with an on-demand service built around radio. In addition, the new functionality will also be integrated across iHeartRadio's network of more than a thousand local radio station and personality websites, where show hosts and on-air talent will share their personal playlists as well as weekly top songs that aired on each station.

“In the beta phase alone, we have already seen an incredible response from our users and have experienced our best month of listening since our official launch of iHeartRadio in 2011,” said Darren Davis, President of iHeartRadio. “iHeartMedia is the only media company that has the assets, platform and reach to drive massive consumer awareness and successfully introduce two new subscription services, built around real radio, so rapidly. iHeartRadio has truly differentiated itself by offering features that no other services can.”

Below are the details of the two new subscription services from the company.

iHeartRadio Plus: $4.99 a month, live and custom Artist Radio station listening with the addition of:

• Replay: Giving subscribers the ability to instantly replay songs from live and custom Artist Radio stations and then return to the station in progress;
• Save: Save songs from live radio and custom Artist Radio stations directly to their My Music playlist for playback any time;
• Search: Search and play any song from a library of millions of tracks;
• Unlimited skips: Subscribers listening to custom Artist Radio stations will no longer have a limit on the number of songs they can skip.

iHeartRadio All Access powered by Napster: $9.99 a month, combines the interactive radio functionality of iHeartRadio Plus with a complete music collection and library that is linked to the radio listening experience. Given that 70 percent of consumers – which includes users of on-demand music services – have cited radio as their primary source of music discovery, this service allows them the convenience and accessibility of merely pushing a button to add a song immediately to their music collection at the same time they hear it on the radio. In addition, listeners can:

• Listen Offline: Subscribers can take their music and playlists with them everywhere where they go, without needing an internet connection or using mobile data;
• Build subscribers' personal music libraries: Completely create, control and curate playlists from a library of millions of tracks;
• Give subscribers total flexibility to listen to their music the way they want, when they want: With no playback cap and the ability to delete and sequence their playlist experience as well as manage unlimited playlists.

In addition, subscribers will be able to enjoy all their saved playlists on select Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One gaming consoles, TiVo, VIZIO TV, Samsung Smart TV, and LG Smart TV, with Sonos and more coming soon. Aside from the two new subscription on-demand services, iHeartRadio will remain free.