• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, May 14, 2013

Clear Channel Entertainment and Media’s iHeartRadio app has over 30 million registered users, according to the company, and the app has been downloaded over 175 million times.

By contrast, broadcast radio rival Pandora has over 200 million registered users in the U.S., meaning that iHeartRadio has about 15% of Pandora’s registered user base.
 
However iHeartRadio is a good deal closer when it comes to unique visitors, with 60 million unique visitors per month, versus 67 active monthly users for Pandora.

Clear Channel attributed the difference between the numbers of registered users and monthly unique visitors to the fact that users don’t have to log in to listen to streaming audio from broadcast stations. iHeartRadio recently unveiled “Add-Ins,” which allow users to import short-form local news, weather and traffic updates into their custom stations.

Neither Pandora or Clear Channel can afford to rest on their laurels, as competition in the online audio space continues to heat up. Twitter recently launched Twitter Music, which suggests artists and music based in part on who a user is following on Twitter, with an emphasis on music discovery. Google is said to be considering a music service (or services) of its own, and has already struck a deal with Warner Music Group.
 
Apple is reportedly planning its own ad-supported digital radio service, including customized listening and on-demand options, although the new service has been delayed by stalled negotiations between the tech giant and various music labels. The latest rumors have it debuting sometime this summer. Separtely, Spotify is working on a new mobile streaming music service to compete with Pandora overseas, including in Asia, Latin America and Europe.

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