New ways to listen to community radio at home or on the go

New ways to listen to community radio at home or on the go

The team at CBAA is always working on ways to make it easier to listen to community radio, and we are proud to announce the following additions to the ways that listeners can access Community Radio Plus:

• Amazon Alexa devices
• Android Auto in compatible vehicles
• Apple CarPlay in compatible vehicles
• Sonos devices

What does this mean for listeners?

Whether it’s via smart speakers at home, a compatible car or their phone listeners can find and play your stations and podcasts more easily than ever before.

What does this mean for community radio stations?

You don’t need to do anything to be heard on these newly announced platforms, if your station is on Community Radio Plus then it should be available already. However, if you want your listeners to find your station and programs here’s how you can improve your chances:

• Use opportunities such as station IDs, presenter announcements, and your website to let people know about the Community Radio Plus app and where it can be found, listing all possible platforms when able
• Make sure any podcasts you want to upload are app ready and submit them to the Community Radio Plus app via this link (top tip: make them easy to find by using a 3000x3000 JPG or PNG podcast image that clearly shows the podcast’s name when setting up your RSS feed)

Also, while other listening platforms may only offer limited metrics, or none at all, as of 2023 we will be able to supply a range of information about how many people are listening to your station or podcast on Community Radio Plus and how they’re choosing to do so.

If you or your listeners are having trouble finding your station or podcast on the Community Radio Plus app or the listed services, please let us know by calling 02 9310 2999 or emailing [email protected].

How can people listen to Community Radio Plus on these new platforms?

Amazon Alexa – Using an Amazon Alexa device, use the following instructions:

• To find stations – “Alexa, open Community Radio Plus” and follow the prompts, or “Alexa, ask Community Radio Plus to play STATION NAME”
• To play podcasts – “Alexa, Open Community Radio Plus and play PODCAST NAME”, “Alexa, ask Community Radio Plus to play PODCAST NAME”
• To play the latest news from National Radio News – “Alexa open Community Radio Plus and play the latest news” or “Alexa, ask Community Radio Plus to play the latest news.”

Android Auto – Android Auto will recognise Community Radio Plus on your mobile and will appear on your Android Auto dash, and you’ll be able to enjoy a seamless listening experience between your car and mobile phone.

Apple CarPlay – Apple CarPlay will recognise Community Radio Plus and will appear on your Apple CarPlay dash, and you’ll be able to enjoy a seamless listening experience between your car and mobile phone.

Sonos – Download and access Community Radio Plus using the Sonos app, available on Google Play or Apple’s App Store, to control your Sonos device.

We’ll be providing more detailed technical guidance in weeks to come, but if you have any questions, please contact our team by calling 02 9310 2999 or emailing [email protected].