A lot of people, apparently, “heart” iHeartRadio.
Parent Clear Channel Media and Entertainment reports that the digital radio service has passed 30 million registered users, saying iHeartRadio becomes “second only to Instagram as the fastest-growing digital service in Internet history — a growth rate two times faster than Facebook.”
It also said iHeartRadio was placed recently placement on a list of the top 20 free apps ever on iTunes (it shows up at No. 19, bracketed by “Fruit Ninja Free” and “Movies by Flixster, With Rotten Tomatoes” … ahead of eBay and Groupon’s free apps, but not quite in the league of a No. 1 Facebook or No. 2 Pandora). And the company emphasized that its reach is broader than registered numbers indicate, because listeners don’t need an account to stream broadcast stations. It cites 175 million downloads of the mobile app and 60 million “monthly uniques” on its digital network.
The company believes these trends reflect bigger movement in consumer listening. “As smartphones and tablets become more ubiquitous, easy-to-use, free applications like iHeartRadio provide consumers with access to their favorite music regardless of whether they’re at home or on the go,” it states in the announcement.
Clear Channel also believes that its platforms benefit one another. It cites data from its Katz Radio Group subsidiary indicating that “broadcast radio comprises 92.4% of all audio listening, with digital claiming a 7.6% stake, indicating that iHeartRadio is bringing increased incremental listening to Clear Channel’s 243 million monthly broadcast listeners.”
