NextRadio's Popularity Growing Amidst Challenges

1 Million Minutes Served

There was good news and bad news to report in the latest post on NEXTRADIO's blog. The good news is the adoption numbers: There have been over 48,000 app downloads, boasting an 84% app retention rate. The app was used to tune to over 4,400 FM stations -- up 20% from last month. Last but not least, NEXTRADIO's app has been responsible for over 17,000 hours of listening -- that’s over one million minutes!

The bad news came when NEXTRADIO started compiling user critiques. One was the lack of new, quality content. "Quantity and quality of content will ultimately decide the adoption of FM in smartphones." the blog concluded. "It’s not enough to tell people that the content is coming. In the world of mobile apps, we have only one chance to make a first impression. We must give them compelling reasons to stay tuned the very first time they launch the app."

The other challenge is mollifying user disappointment in that the only way to use the app is though headphones or external speakers. "The headphones or an external speaker act as the FM receiver’s antenna," the blog noted. "Not everyone opening the app for the first time [understood that they were] actually receiving an over-the-air FM broadcast. And even if that was understood, most weren’t aware of the hardware requirement. So we’ve changed the app’s messaging around the issue. From now on, when you try to tune without a headset plugged in, you’ll get an alert that explains why they’re necessary ... Though it won’t solve everyone’s problem, we hope the attempt to educate will be well-receive."

Read the entire blog here.

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