Why your own app
Three concrete reasons, and none of them is "having a presence":
- The car. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay only show apps installed on the phone. Without your own app, your station appears in the car only through aggregators (TuneIn and the like), next to thousands of others.
- A direct channel. Push notifications arrive with no algorithm in between, unlike social media. It is the cheapest way to say "the show is starting" or "giveaway now".
- Retention. On-demand shows, chat, quizzes: things that bring listeners back to your app instead of searching for the station every time.
Native app or wrapped website
Two different things are sold as a "radio station app":
- Native app: a real program for Android and another for iOS, published on Google Play and the App Store under the station's brand. It can integrate with Android Auto and CarPlay, receive notifications, keep playing with the screen off and use the system controls (headphones, lock screen).
- Wrapped website or "installable from the browser" (PWA or WebView): the player page with an icon on the home screen. Cheap and fast, but it is not in the stores, not in the car, and notifications and background playback depend on the browser and the system (with limitations on iPhone).
Both have their place. What's wrong is selling the second as the first. The question that settles it: is it on Google Play and the App Store, and does it appear in Android Auto and CarPlay?
The features that matter
| Feature | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Android Auto and Apple CarPlay | The car is where a lot of radio is heard. Without them, the app does not appear on the car screen and the station loses its place to Spotify and aggregator apps. |
| Push notifications | Tell listeners the show is starting, there is a giveaway, breaking news. The cheapest retention tool there is; it needs the provider to run the sending infrastructure and a panel to send them. |
| On-demand shows (catch-up) | Play the morning show in the afternoon, from the app. It depends on the streaming service recording the air and cutting it by show. |
| Chat with photos and voice notes | Listeners take part from the app instead of the host's WhatsApp: it organizes interaction and gives material for the air. |
| Quizzes, rankings and giveaways | Game features that keep people in the app and help sell sponsorships. |
| Chromecast and AirPlay | Send the station to a speaker or TV from the phone. |
| Android TV | An app for Android TV / Google TV sets: the station (or channel) on the living-room screen. Usually a separate add-on. |
INOVANEX's native apps include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Chromecast and AirPlay, push notifications, on-demand shows, chat with photos and voice notes, and quizzes and rankings. Android TV is an add-on. They do not include an Alexa skill.
Stores and maintenance: the part nobody mentions
Publishing the app is the beginning. Google and Apple change their requirements every year (minimum Android version, permissions, privacy policies, signing, publishing formats) and an app that isn't updated disappears from the stores or stops installing on new phones. That is why an app's monthly fee is not "rent": it is the maintenance that keeps it published and working. When comparing, ask: who publishes it (provider's account or the station's)? who does the mandatory updates? are they included in the monthly fee? what happens to the app if the contract ends?
What it costs: INOVANEX reference
One app per client, valid for the radio station and for the TV channel if there is one, with a one-time setup fee and a monthly fee that includes maintenance, updates, support and publishing on the stores by INOVANEX. Prices from the public catalog as of October 26, 2026, in US dollars, no VAT added (export of services). The apps are built for stations that stream with INOVANEX.
| App | Setup (one time) | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Android app | US$ 76.00 | US$ 7.00 |
| iPhone (iOS) app | US$ 98.00 | US$ 7.00 |
| Android + iPhone apps | US$ 152.00 | US$ 10.00 |
| Android TV app (add-on) | US$ 54.00 | — |
The Android + iPhone bundle costs less than the two separately. The Android TV app is a one-time payment added to the mobile app that puts the station or channel on TV sets. Details and sign-up are on INOVANEX's apps page.
What you see on the market
You will usually find four models: the "app" that is the website installed from the browser, cheap and not in the stores; the Android app included in a hosting plan (no iPhone); the one-time-fee app without maintenance, which stops installing when the stores change their rules; and the native app with a setup and monthly fee. Few providers publish Android Auto and CarPlay support, which is exactly where radio is heard.
Questions about radio station apps
Does a radio station app need its own developer account?
Publishing on Google Play requires a developer account (one-time fee) and the App Store requires an annual membership; Apple also verifies organizations for business apps. Providers that publish the app usually do it from their own account (simpler and faster) or from an account in the station's name (more control, more paperwork). Ask which, and what happens to the app if you change providers.
How long does it take to be published?
One to three weeks from when the station hands over its logo, colors and details: a few days of building and testing, then store review, which on Google Play usually takes hours to a few days and on the App Store one to several days, with possible change requests.
What about aggregator apps (TuneIn, Radio Garden, myTuner)?
Be on all of them: they are free and bring new listeners. But they don't replace your own app: they don't carry your brand, can't send your notifications, don't offer on-demand shows or chat, and the listener is one tap away from another station.
What happens to the app if the station changes streaming provider?
If the app belongs to the provider, it goes away and a new one has to be published with the new provider (see how to switch without dead air). If the app is yours and reads the stream URL from a remote setting, only that setting changes. That is why you should ask who owns the app before buying it.
Is there an app for Alexa?
Stations play on Alexa through skills such as TuneIn or myTuner, which you set up in the corresponding directory. A station's own skill is a separate development from the mobile app; ask whether the provider offers it and don't assume it is included.