adithya
Core Member
MUMBAI: With TV networks going the streaming way, and apps like Saavn, Hungama, Gaana too taking that tack, why should FM radio stations be behind?
According to the buzz, India’s leading radio FM station Red FM is also going that route. Headed by COO Nisha Narayanan, Red FM is known for its mascot RJs Malishka, Raunac, Nasar, Rishi Kapoor and its pranky shows.
Narayanan told Radioandmusic.com that it has rolled out the Red FM app for downloads. The only difference: the app has no music, it features the crazy things and conversations that keep happening at the station’s various studios nationally every day.
Says Narayanan: “We have always been provocative and maintaining the leadership we have is a challenge too but we will surely do it the best way we can.”
She is quite clear that digital radio cannot be looked at the same way a music app is; it has to be different in its constitution. For several reasons, she explains. Among them: “One, we do not own the music due to copyright issues. Then, I think content is what people need today, music is available freely everywhere. So we needed to strategise in a better way."
If it works, RedFM will be able to crow that it came up with another industry first.
Red FM launches streaming app | Radioandmusic.com
Now a few more details have emerged about the Red FM mobile app. It has been launched with both the Android and IoS versions and is already seeing a lot of tractions in terms of download.
Interestingly, the enthusiastic audience is not only from India but also from US, Canada, UK, China, Japan, and the Middle East.
“Currently we are fixing some bugs and observing the user experience and subsequently working on tweaks. On the server side we are on AWS (Amazon Web Services) and presently scaling up infrastructure to manage traffic and seamless user experience,” said Narayanan.
Unilike one would expect, the Red FM app has no music at all. Instead it features a combination of audio and video content with primarily three sections namely Listen, Watch and Explore. Along with original audio content accessible only on the app, it will also have shows from each city with original video content produced by the Red FM social media team.
“The thought behind the curation of the content was to cut away from the usual practice of radio content broadcasted once and then it is gone. Reusing the content on other platforms like mobile and social media was an integral part of the strategy,” said Narayanan.
She adds: “It has been designed keeping in mind the connected device ecosystem that today’s listeners are living in. Here, the audience gets their content as an itemized piece of audio as a stream where you get what you want and when you want it. Itemization of on-air content, in a nutshell, allows the listeners to exercise control on his choice and skip the piece that one is not interested in. The time shifting of audio content works as a great retention strategy like how TV has many people who watch content as time shifted then on live TV.”
The app will give listeners a radio experience like never before, reveals Naryanan. At present, the app is facing a challenge as downloaders are looking for an on-air radio content experience on the app." It is time for them to understand that the app is for the one’s purely looking for radio content and not music," says she.
Red FM and the art of making a mobile app | Radioandmusic.com
According to the buzz, India’s leading radio FM station Red FM is also going that route. Headed by COO Nisha Narayanan, Red FM is known for its mascot RJs Malishka, Raunac, Nasar, Rishi Kapoor and its pranky shows.
Narayanan told Radioandmusic.com that it has rolled out the Red FM app for downloads. The only difference: the app has no music, it features the crazy things and conversations that keep happening at the station’s various studios nationally every day.
Says Narayanan: “We have always been provocative and maintaining the leadership we have is a challenge too but we will surely do it the best way we can.”
She is quite clear that digital radio cannot be looked at the same way a music app is; it has to be different in its constitution. For several reasons, she explains. Among them: “One, we do not own the music due to copyright issues. Then, I think content is what people need today, music is available freely everywhere. So we needed to strategise in a better way."
If it works, RedFM will be able to crow that it came up with another industry first.
Red FM launches streaming app | Radioandmusic.com
Now a few more details have emerged about the Red FM mobile app. It has been launched with both the Android and IoS versions and is already seeing a lot of tractions in terms of download.
Interestingly, the enthusiastic audience is not only from India but also from US, Canada, UK, China, Japan, and the Middle East.
“Currently we are fixing some bugs and observing the user experience and subsequently working on tweaks. On the server side we are on AWS (Amazon Web Services) and presently scaling up infrastructure to manage traffic and seamless user experience,” said Narayanan.
Unilike one would expect, the Red FM app has no music at all. Instead it features a combination of audio and video content with primarily three sections namely Listen, Watch and Explore. Along with original audio content accessible only on the app, it will also have shows from each city with original video content produced by the Red FM social media team.
“The thought behind the curation of the content was to cut away from the usual practice of radio content broadcasted once and then it is gone. Reusing the content on other platforms like mobile and social media was an integral part of the strategy,” said Narayanan.
She adds: “It has been designed keeping in mind the connected device ecosystem that today’s listeners are living in. Here, the audience gets their content as an itemized piece of audio as a stream where you get what you want and when you want it. Itemization of on-air content, in a nutshell, allows the listeners to exercise control on his choice and skip the piece that one is not interested in. The time shifting of audio content works as a great retention strategy like how TV has many people who watch content as time shifted then on live TV.”
The app will give listeners a radio experience like never before, reveals Naryanan. At present, the app is facing a challenge as downloaders are looking for an on-air radio content experience on the app." It is time for them to understand that the app is for the one’s purely looking for radio content and not music," says she.
Red FM and the art of making a mobile app | Radioandmusic.com
