There was a time, not so long ago, that what happened at a “developer conference” of any kind, much less “social media,” was of no concern to radio broadcast executives. Those days are gone.
Witness the announcements coming out of the f8 conference in San Francisco. For the uninitiated, f8 is the gathering of developers who build programs and apps for Facebook.
Clear Channel Radio announced Facebook integration for the new iHeartRadio app. Users will be able to post their iHeartRadio music listening activity directly onto their Facebook page. Clear Channel Radio handily described it as “an enhanced social music listening experience.” The iHeartRadio app allows for listening to Clear Channel radio stations anywhere at anytime but it also has added a Pandora-like online custom music service function.
Clear Channel Radio President/CEO John Hogan explained: “IHeartRadio’s deeper integration with Facebook will help us keep users connected to the musicthat is most relevant to them… It will serve as another avenue to encourage music discovery, delivering great value to our partners in the music industry, including artists, labels, marketers and advertisers.”
The Slacker personal music service too, is offering similar Facebook integration “as a new way for people to connect around listening to music,” said Slacker SVP Marketing Jonathan Sasse. “Facebook users who add Slacker Radio to their Timeline are able to personalize their listening experience, publish their music story to the Dashboard and discover music with their friends on Facebook.”
To draw attention to its Facebook move, Slacker also announced a series of contests offering prizes such as trips to meet recording starts such as Katy Perry, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Chris Isaak, Nickelback, Coldplay, Jane’s Addiction, etc. along with merchandise, Live Nation concert opportunities and other trips.
Not to be left out of the party, Spotify, the European imported music service making a play for the U.S. market also announced that it too had Facebook integration. It described that as “the soundtrack to your social life.”
