Customer Reviews (100)

Louie G. • 2025-03-24T16:46:15.310Z

sucks Start rotting automatically and can't shut the app off. I have to turn my f .. Android pad off and restart. I tried installing many times and cleared the memory and it does same. it was good app in the past not sure what f. application engineer doing t

Carol Embry-Taylor • 2025-03-24T16:38:01.596Z

Enjoying the podcasts. I've followed several crime and super natural ones including So Supernatural and The Mantawauk Caves

Darwin Javier • 2025-03-24T16:36:16.320Z

I liked to hear some music.

Summary of Key Insights

The iHeart: Music, Radio, Podcasts app generally receives positive feedback, with a significant portion of users awarding it 5-star ratings. Users appreciate the variety of music, radio stations, and podcasts available, as well as the ability to access content from different locations. However, there are recurring complaints regarding app stability, excessive ads (particularly Spanish ads for some users), and specific functionality issues like pausing, rewinding, and Bluetooth connectivity. The new UI design is also a point of contention for some. The requirement for date of birth during sign-up raises privacy concerns for some users.

Key Strengths: Variety of content, access to local and global stations, podcast selection. Key Weaknesses: App stability, excessive ads, UI clutter, privacy concerns regarding required personal information, functionality issues (pausing, rewinding, Bluetooth).

Overall Sentiment: Positive, but with significant areas for improvement.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (estimated): Approximately 4.2 out of 5 stars (based on the score distribution).
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 61%
    • 4-star: 11%
    • 3-star: 5%
    • 2-star: 7%
    • 1-star: 16%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to be current as of February 2025 (based on date stamps in reviews).
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual review of comments to determine positive, negative, or neutral sentiment), keyword extraction (identifying frequently used words and phrases to pinpoint common themes and issues).

Key User Pain Points

  • App Stability/Glitches: Users report frequent crashes, app shutdowns, and the app closing unexpectedly. This significantly disrupts the user experience.
  • Excessive Ads: The frequency of ads is a major source of frustration, particularly when users are interrupted frequently. Some users specifically dislike Spanish-language ads when they primarily listen to English content.
  • Functionality Issues:
    • Lack of pause/rewind functionality for radio streams.
    • Skipping ahead in podcasts.
    • Problems with Bluetooth connectivity.
    • Issues with Android Auto and Alexa interfaces.
  • UI Clutter: The new user interface is described as a "mess" and "cluttered," indicating usability issues.
  • Privacy Concerns: Requiring date of birth for sign-up via Google raises privacy concerns and is seen as unnecessary data collection.
  • Location Issues: Some users outside the US report difficulty changing their location.
  • Playlist Issues: Users report that the app plays the same songs repeatedly from their playlists.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Pause/Rewind Functionality: Especially for live radio streams.
  • Shuffle Option: For playlists.
  • More Skips: On the free version.
  • Improved UI: A less cluttered and more intuitive user interface.
  • Better Android Auto/Alexa Integration: More reliable and functional interfaces.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Variety of Content: Users appreciate the wide selection of music, radio stations, and podcasts.
  • Access to Local and Global Stations: The ability to listen to stations from different locations is a valued feature.
  • Ease of Use: Some users find the app intuitive and easy to use (though this is contradicted by those who find the UI cluttered).
  • Availability of Older Music: Users like that they can find older bands and songs.
  • Free Access: The fact that the app is free is a major draw, despite the presence of ads.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address App Stability Issues: Investigate and fix the reported crashes, shutdowns, and unexpected closing of the app. This is the most critical issue affecting user experience.
  • Reduce Ad Frequency and Improve Targeting: Reduce the overall frequency of ads and implement better ad targeting to ensure relevance to the user's language and location. Offer a more compelling ad-free premium option.
  • Implement Pause/Rewind Functionality: Add pause and rewind buttons for live radio streams to improve usability.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve UI/UX: Redesign the user interface to reduce clutter and improve navigation. Conduct user testing to validate design changes.
  • Fix Podcast Skipping Issue: Investigate and resolve the issue of podcasts skipping ahead.
  • Address Bluetooth Connectivity Problems: Troubleshoot and fix Bluetooth connectivity issues.
  • Enhance Android Auto and Alexa Integration: Improve the reliability and functionality of the Android Auto and Alexa interfaces.
  • Re-evaluate Data Collection Requirements: Remove the requirement for date of birth during Google sign-up or provide a clear and compelling explanation for why this information is needed.

Low Priority:

  • Add Shuffle Option: Implement a shuffle option for playlists.
  • Increase Skips on Free Version: Consider increasing the number of skips available on the free version (while balancing monetization needs).
  • Address Playlist Repetition: Improve playlist algorithms to reduce song repetition.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Personalized Ad Filtering: An AI-powered tool that allows users to filter ads based on language, content, and frequency, even within a free app. This could be offered as a premium feature or a separate app.
  • Enhanced Radio Playback Controls: A standalone radio app with advanced features like rewind, pause, and time-shifting, offering a more seamless listening experience than current options.
  • Privacy-Focused Radio App: A radio app that minimizes data collection and prioritizes user privacy, offering a transparent and secure listening experience.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preference: A significant number of users are complaining about Spanish ads, indicating a need for better language targeting.
  • Negative Sentiment After Updates: Some users report that recent updates have introduced new bugs and issues, suggesting a need for more thorough testing before releases.
  • Recurring Complaints: Issues like app stability and excessive ads have been mentioned repeatedly, indicating that these are persistent problems that need to be addressed.

Conclusion

iHeart: Music, Radio, Podcasts is a popular app with a strong base of satisfied users. However, addressing the identified pain points, particularly app stability and excessive ads, is crucial for improving user satisfaction and retaining users. Prioritizing the action recommendations outlined above will help iHeartRadio maintain its position as a leading audio streaming platform.

Overall Recommendation: Focus on improving app stability, reducing ad intrusiveness, and enhancing core functionality to address the key user pain points and maintain a competitive edge.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clearchannel.iheartradio.controller