Should I Turn My Podcast Into An Internet Radio Station?
It is widely recognised that Internet Radio, like podcasting, is a growing medium that has experienced explosive growth over the last few years. So if you are a podcaster and you are looking for a quick and easy to increase your listeners and revenue then converting your podcast is a no brainer.
As with podcasting, the big driver of this growth in radio is due to the proliferation of mobile phone technology and usage. Mobiles make tuning into your favourite show incredibly easy, no matter where you are.
With over 124 million people per month in the US alone listening to radio, there has never been a better time to turn your podcast into an internet radio station and take advantage of this uptapped resource of potential listeners.
Percentage of Americans Who Listen to Radio Online by Age Group
Source: https://econsultancy.com/repor...
With so many people connecting on the go via internet enabled devices it’s clear Internet Radio is only going to go from strength to strength.
Will A Radio Station Increase My Podcast Audience?
Yes, as we have already mentioned internet radio and podcasting are both growing mediums. Traditionally radio has to please a lot of different demographics at once. However, the rise of internet radio has seen a huge increase in niche stations that focus on a particular genre of topic. The main advantage of internet radio and podcasting is that they are able to serve a much more rarified audience - allowing podcasters and internet radio owners to take advantage and build a passionate community around particular taste or interest.
When a listener decides to listen to a podcast they are opting in. Internet radio by contrast tends to be something that is passively consumed. According to Neilson and Pew Research the majority of radio consumption comes from something they refer to as employed listeners i.e. someone who works full time and listens to radio during their work hours. This contrast in behaviour provides podcasters with a fantastic opportunity to tap into this market. In fact taking podcast content and turning it into a streaming is becoming increasingly popular amongst broadcasters as PRX's Radiotopia goes to show.
Will A Radio Station Increase my Podcast Revenue?
The growth of Internet Radio and audio streaming has enabled the industry to capture an increasing share of the estimated $42 billion in mobile advertising revenue for 2016.
Given the size of internet radio's audience it's not surprising that advertisers are increasingly willing to spend on internet radio advertising and marketing to improve their overall reach. Stations don’t just rely on one way to earn cash either. There’s actually several different business models they follow. Primarily it falls down to 2 types: advertisements and sponsorships. Check out this guide on how internet radio stations make money.
In short, mobile has been a god send for internet radio and if you are already have advertising and/or sponsorship deals in place then cross promoting them across your podcast and your internet radio station is an obvious way to introduce your listeners to your sponsors products and increase your revenue in the process.
Should I get a Dedicated Mobile App?
In this day and age every community radio station should have an app for both iPhone and Android. As we mentioned earlier, it is the adoption of mobile phones that is driving the increase in radio listening figures and increasing radio advertising spends. The Radio.co App Builder makes it easy to create a dedicated mobile app for Android and iPhone users. By the year 2016 it is estimated that more than 2 billion people worldwide will have a smartphone, so that’s a lot of potential listeners that can access your app! The Radio.co Station plan includes a free iPhone and Android app for your station.
How Will My Audience Listen To My Station?
The vast majority of people who listen to internet radio do so via platforms like Tunein and iTunes Radio, so ensuring you have a good presence on these two platforms is paramount.You can mMake it easy for your listeners to tune in to your station by adding all the ways they can listen onto one page of your website. Things to include are: links to your mobile apps on iTunes and/or Google Play; a follow button for TuneIn and listen links to platforms like iTunes.
In addition to to when you create an account on Radio.co you can create as many embedable Players for your station as you like. The players are increadibly easy to customise to fir your branding and allow you listers to easily share your station with their audience and followers.
If our standard radio players aren't to your taste, you can design your own player with our provided software development kit. We provide a player API for advanced users, so you or your web designer can create your own bespoke player from scratch in any shape or size. Or easily edit one of our example players to suit your needs. The possibilities are endless!
Can I Have More Than One Station?
If you have multiple podcasts or if you run a network consisting of multiple podcasts then Radio.co is the perfect home for you. You can choose to host and schedule all of your podcasts on one stream, or if you prefer you can create multiple stream which can be easily managed from one account. You can review all Radio.co features on the Product Tour.
Where Can I List My Radio Station?
TuneIn
TuneIn is perhaps the most popular and well known radio directory on the internet. Last year over 40 million active users listened to more than 1 billion hours of radio via the TuneIn app. Listing your station on TuneIn is the first port of call for anyone looking to start up an Internet Radio station.
Streema
Whilst not as widely known as the other two directories we have listed, Stremma lists all the major radio stations such as ESPN and BBC Radio, so it’s worth taking the effort to include your station. There are more than 70,000 radio stations like BBC Radio 1, Absolute Radio, and more that anyone can tune into online.
iTunes Radio
With more than 1 billion people around the world owning an iPhone, listing your radio station on iTunes Radio is a no brainer. Bare in mind that Apple’s submission process is quite selective and there is no guarantee your station will be listed - However, the benefit of the potential lift in listening figures is worth the trouble.
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