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iHeartRadio is owned by iHeartMedia, which was rebranded from Clear Channel in 2014. Prior to 2008, Clear Channel Communications' various audio products were decentralized. Individual stations streamed from their own sites (or, in many cases, did not, owing to voluminous syndication and local advertising clearance issues), and the Format Lab website provided feeds of between 40 and 80 networks that were used primarily on Clear Channel's HD Radio subchannels, many of which transitioned to iHeartRadio unchanged. In August 2008, Clear Channel launched the iHeartMusic website, featuring entertainment news, national news, music content including albums, singles on demand, music videos, and access to over 750 Clear Channel radio stations online.
On October 7, 2008, Clear Channel Radio launched the first version of iHeartRadio iPhone OS app. 12 radio stations in 8 markets were included in this first release. In 2009, iHeartRadio was made available to BlackBerry devices and the Android operating system and then Sonos in 2010. September 2011 marked the official launch of the free, all-in-one iHeartRadio service featuring thousands of live radio stations and custom artist stations. The launch coincided with the inaugural iHeartRadio Music Festival, the annual two-day event hosted by Ryan Seacrest at the MGM Grand Las Vegas.
The app was expanded to the Xbox 360 and webOS. On April 20, 2012, iHeartRadio launched on the iPad. On June 8, 2012, iHeartRadio concluded a deal to power Yahoo! Music's Radio service, previously powered by CBS Radio.
In mid-October 2012, iHeartRadio launched online audio news, weather and traffic streams for major American metropolitan areas, branded as "24/7 News". On March 1, 2013, iHeartRadio was added to the Roku digital media receiver. As of 2019, the app was available on more than 250 devices and platforms.
In July 2013, iHeartRadio began adding stations from outside the United States like CHUM-FM and CFBT-FM in Canada and Virgin Radio Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. On July 14, 2013, iHeartRadio launched in New Zealand and Australia.
On July 24, 2013, iHeartRadio launched a new talk radio feature: iHeartRadio Talk. It featured original on-demand programming from celebrities like Ryan Seacrest and allowed users to upload their own content through Spreaker. In 2014, the iHeartRadio Talk feature was renamed "Shows & Personalities" in 2014 and "Podcasts" in 2016.
On November 10, 2015, iHeartRadio launched a spin-off app known as iHeartRadio Family—a curated experience targeting children. It features a simplified interface and a selection of age-appropriate stations (such as Radio Disney, and stations curated by artists and personalities popular among the demographic). Build-A-Bear Workshop served as a launch sponsor for the app, which included the addition of a "Build-a-Bear Workshop Radio" channel in the app.
In 2016, iHeartMedia announced subscription based on demand services "iHeartRadio Plus" and "iHeartRadio all Access powered by Napster". On December 1, 2016, iHeartMedia launched the services in beta on iOS and Android to the American users.
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iHeartRadio launched in Canada on October 7, 2016, in association with Bell Media.
At the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, iHeartRadio expanded Plus and All Access to other platforms including desktop.
iHeartRadio launched in Mexico on October 29, 2018, in association with Grupo ACIR.
Parent company iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy in 2018, due in part to competition from Spotify and SiriusXM.
From the start of service, many of its own radio stations that identified with a callsign and the metro area they serve have the end tag that identifies them as "An iHeartRadio Station", or for live national music stations such as Eclectic Rock or iHeart80s, their end tags identify them as "An iHeartRadio Original Station" (they also ID the HD2/HD3 stations that simulcast). Though starting in 2019, iHeartRadio introduces its own "Sonic Logo", a five-note sounder with two heartbeats at the end. It includes specific variations (including vocal versions) for different formats or productions.
In 2019, The New York Times described iHeartRadio as the largest radio broadcaster in the United States, with 848 terrestrial stations. While being considered for purchase by Liberty Media in early 2020, iHeart fired employees en masse in what the bankrupt company described as technology-driven layoffs. Reporting on the number of firings ranged from dozens or hundreds to "as many as 850" or more than 1,000 of its then-12,500 employees.
On April 23, 2020, the iHeartRadio app was launched in association with Uno Radio Group, which owns the NotiUno, Salsoul, Fidelity and Hot 102 brands in Puerto Rico.
On December 1, 2021, iHeartRadio signed a deal with Roku to provide The Roku Channel a dozen live radio stations as FAST channels with Music Choice-style imagery.
On September 27, 2023, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx announced that their radio broadcasts would move to the iHeartRadio app, with the majority of Lynx games and some Timberwolves games simulcast on co-owned KFXN-FM.
Acquisitions
In September 2018, iHeartMedia announced it would acquire U.S. podcast publisher Stuff Media, LLC, formerly the podcast publishing division of HowStuffWorks, for $55 million.
As of 2022, iHeartRadio is the leading podcast publisher on Podtrac, with over 400 million downloads each month. In November 2018, iHeart also bought Jelli. In October 2020, it was announced that the company would acquire Voxnest, the parent company of Spreaker, a podcast-hosting company. iHeart has since also bought Triton Digital from Scripps. In February 2022, iHeartMedia invested in Sounder.
From Wikipedia’s article on IHeartRadio, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3