Designed for performance: MFM Dance launches its new mobile app (for Android & iOS) | developed by Roweb

“Tell me how digital you are, and I will tell you how large your audience is.”

There is no better way to describe the new path to notoriety for radio stations today.

And this is, also, the prerequisite MFM Dance team understood and decided to turn it into a success story.

Keep scrolling down to dig deeper into the MFM Dance app development story.

 

Connecting MFM Dance with listeners through mobile experiences

MFM Dance is one of the most popular and listened-to local radio stations that provides listeners access to various music types: club, party, and house music. Their main audience is represented by local millennials interested in listening to a mix of modern and evergreen music.

In the car, in the houses, in the markets…MFM Dance radio had a well-defined place in the frequencies of their audiences.

But it wasn’t enough. They wanted to provide listeners with a shortcut to their programs. A more modern way to reach their music faster, easier and better.

While a mobile app was the obvious answer…they decided to move on to the next step.

 

Building a new app for both Apple and Android

Broadcasting through a mobile app was, somehow, old news. At the moment they came to Roweb, they already had a mobile app.

But the app wasn’t exactly what they need to reach extended audiences and provide performance. (It was developed for Android only and it has a low uptime rate.)

What they were missing, in fact, was…a whole new app.

So, we developed a new mobile app for both Android and iOS. Our focus was on providing a modern, easy to use and stable live-streaming solution.

• re-designing and new implementation of MFM Dance online presence (app development for both Android and iOS);
• mobile app built in React Native for more flexibility in further optimizations and extensions. (This technology allows the use of only one code for both IOS and Android, that way, simplifying future improvements and maintenance);
• improved live-streaming experience played in the background;
• instant share option using several platforms (e-mail, social media platforms, WhatsApp, cloud platforms, etc.)

For developing the MFM Dance app, we used React Native as core technology and involved a 3-members team (1 x Project Manager + 1 x developer + 1 x UX designer).

 

Empowering digital app for generating rebranding

This app development also marks a soft rebranding process. The radio station’s initial name was Muntenia FM.

Once they decided to extend their audiences beyond physical borders and reposition themselves as digital radio, they realized they need two main tools for achieving the expected impact:

• a more powerful and modern name that is able to communicate their digital approach and the music they provide;
• a performant app that allows worldwide users to access MFM Dance’s programs from anywhere, anytime – literally.

 

From idea to a ready-to-use app in only one week

Knowing Roweb through its projects, they decided to work with one of our teams to develop the new live-streaming app.

Even if this was our very first radio station app project, we had plenty of experience in developing similar mobile apps – from simple but intuitive apps to very complex and specific ones.

As our client wanted a simple app, able to provide instant access to live radio once it is downloaded, the development process was also simple and fast. We delivered the app in one week.

 

Simplified coding for powerful flexibility

For providing a soft and straightforward experience, we developed the radio station mobile app that displays a single page for playing the radio station programs.

Built that way, MFM Dance app is able to provide essential benefits for great online exposure and highly performant live streaming:

• fast load speed and responsiveness – the app in running automatically once de play button is pressed;
• linear experience – the user is accessing only the service is interested in;
• straightforward UX – the app architecture is designed around the user’s needs only.

 

Affordable app developed with long term cost-efficiency in mind

While is built as a simple app with simple features, it is, obviously, not expensive (as long as the features don’t require custom developments).

Moreover, being built on a single line code the app can be anytime extended or optimized according to MFM Dance’s changing needs.

And the great advantage is that every new development or optimization can be done with minimal effort (the code can be taken over by any dev team) and costs (the app is designed with long-term cost-efficiency in mind).

 

Reaching out to extended audiences

The limited audience was a real challenge for the radio station. A performant mobile app was meant to deblock this limitation in two directions:

• reaching a concrete new market: with the new app, the client gains access to iOS market (the initial app was available only on Android);
• reaching a potential new market: now our client can reach extended audiences – beyond Arges county – and take into account further developments.

 

Playing MFM Dance in the background – the feature that keeps listeners engaged

What are the triggers that may convince a listener to share the app with others?

A song he just heard? A playlist that fits his musical taste perfectly? A radio program that got his attention? The fact the radio station has very few advertisements?

I’ve names just a small part of the reasons why listeners may choose to share an app.

Having the app on even when the phone isn’t actively used can make a significant difference in terms of reaching the audience.

Moreover, the feature that allows the app to play in the background is a very comfortable one, very appreciated by users, and able to help the app stand out in crowded app stores.

 

It’s all about experience and initiative. Take a look at some examples

As I already mentioned above, this was our first project developed for a radio station. But developing for a new industry was not a challenge that is able to advance the experience we have in developing mobile applications.

One more proof that experience (+ initiative) provides enough flexibility to adapt to new contexts, specific requirements, and/or new markets (industries).

And the projects from our portfolio are illustrative examples for this statement/prerequisite. Take a look at the following projects: