The digital platform for Clear Channel, iHeartRadio gives users access to more than 750 live streams of U.S. radio stations. It’s all about discovery here.

Strength: Discovery through radio. Turn listeners on to your sound.
Store type: Streaming

iHeartRadio offers two parts to their service. One includes access to over 750+ live streams of radio stations across the U.S. and the other is where users can search for an artist, then build a playlist or ‘user­generated’ radio station. Only the latter would possibly apply to a Sound Legends artist IF they currently have at least 30 other artists in relation to them. The relation is based on a number of different factors such as the artist’s popularity and fan following as well as popularity on sites such as All Music, Echonest and Gracenote. (Sound Legends does distirbute to Gracenote, but has no affiliation with the other 2 sites, but you can submit an artist profile to them as you wish).

NOTE: Currently if you distribute to iHeartRadio, it is not guaranteed that you will be able to search for your music or create a custom station. It is possible for your song to played within another station created in iHeartRadio. This would not block them from playing in other custom stations.

Go Live Time

It takes 3­7 business days for content to go live in iHeartRadio.

iHeartRadio Store Territories

iHeartRadio is currently available in the United States only.

How iHeartRadio Sells Your Music

Sound Legends artists who have distributed their content to Thumbplay and had sales occur will receive sales reports and money in their Sound Legends account up to the reporting date of June 13, 2011. After June 13, 2011, all money made from iHeartRadio plays of your music will be reported to Sound Exchange. So money earned by your music from streams at iHeartRadio will NOT flow through Sound Legends: it will be waiting for you at Sound Exchange, and you need to be signed up with Sound Exchange to retrieve it. Registration with Sound Exchange is free!

Thumbplay Pay Rate

If you sold any music in the Thumbplay store before they shut down on June 13, 2011, the pay rate is as follows:

  • For downloads priced at $0.69, you will be paid $0.49
  • For downloads priced at $0.99, you will be paid $0.70
  • For downloads priced at $1.29, you will be paid $0.91

For streams, the pay rate is a proportionate share of 50% of the streaming revenue for a given month.

Thumbplay was bought by Clear Channel back in March 2011, but discontinued its service on June 13, 2011. When Thumbplay discontinued its service in June 2011, it shifted some content to iHeartRadio.