VoiceByte Teams Up With iHeartMedia To Make Its App Users 'The Stars of The Show'

• VoiceByte’s innovative technology to be incorporated into iHeartMedia’s top-rated programs across the country
• Strategic partnership includes promotion across iHeartMedia’s multiplatform network
• The App to be featured on “On Air With Ryan Seacrest”, ”American Top 40” and other nationally-syndicated shows in the U.S.
• VoiceByte successfully unveiled at iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas

 
Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles, CA – November 14, 2017 -  Australian-founded app VoiceByte, and iHeartMedia, the leading audio company with the largest reach of any radio or television outlet in America, today announced a new strategic partnership that includes VoiceByte’s technology being incorporated into iHeartMedia’s top-rating radio, digital, live events and TV programs. Under this new agreement, iHeartMedia will also take a part-ownership stake in the game-changing voice recording app.
 
VoiceByte allows users to broadcast their thoughts, opinions and questions using their voice to comment on radio programs, TV shows, podcasts and live events, all via their mobile phones.

Effectively turning a smartphone into a media microphone, the VoiceByte app will allow users to record and share personalized and engaging audio content via their smartphones, and within seconds, allow that content to be curated and broadcast on iHeartMedia's programs.
 
As part of the agreement, iHeartMedia will extensively market and promote the app across the U.S, where millions of listeners will be encouraged to download VoiceByte to enable them to interact with their favorite programs. 
 
Additionally, in support for the emerging app, audio content (or 'bites') created by the audience through VoiceByte  will be integrated into Ryan Seacrest’s “American Top 40” and “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” his market-topping #1 nationally-syndicated LA morning drive-time show for iHeartMedia’s 102.7 KIIS-FM. This will allow listeners to ask guest celebrities a question during an interview or engage with Seacrest on various talk topics. 
 
VoiceByte was successfully unveiled and integrated into the iHeartRadio Music Festival recently held in Las Vegas, where its patented geo-location technology was used to help participating brands engage with fans in a fresh, fun and innovative way.
 
"Our support in VoiceByte shows our commitment to technology-driven innovation. We are always looking for more ways to further engage with our listeners and VoiceByte puts a microphone in their pockets allowing them to actively participate with their favorite on air personalities and programs,” says Joe Robinson, President of iHeartMedia Ventures. “We believe VoiceByte is a great new asset for engagement and a game-changer for broadcasters.”
 
VoiceByte will give iHeartMedia, and other future media partners, access to its patent-pending dashboard. This aggregates and filters VoiceByte audio files for producers to download and play on air, and provides detailed audience data including sentiment and location data, helping content-makers better understand their audiences.
 
“We believe your voice is the most powerful instrument in the world and we wanted to give the audience a tool to help them use that instrument to express themselves and literally be a part of the show. We are proud that iHeartMedia shares this vision and that they will be playing an integral part in helping us to globalise VoiceByte,” said VoiceByte CEO and co-founder Michael Fenech.
 
“The change in audience engagement is perhaps best symbolized through the integration on Ryan Seacrest programs. His American Top 40 program has been a staple of American pop-culture for close to 50 years and has always moved with the times. It is a big statement that VoiceByte will be a part of this program’s future,” he added.
 
“The way we are interacting with media and the way we receive our news and information is rapidly changing. Our thinking was to give the audience a way to be a part of their favorite programs and the social media conversation at the same time by using the device that’s by their side around the clock, their mobile phones,” said Stephen Fenech, VoiceByte CTO.
 
“VoiceByte gives people a chance to emotionally engage with their favorite programs, and have their say in under 20 seconds without having to call an open line, wait on hold or send emails. They can interact from anywhere in the world to become part of the conversation on radio and TV shows, podcasts or live events.” he added.
 
Advisory services for the VoiceByte deal were provided by Glaser Weil LLP and ROAR LLC.