Blast Radio founder Yousef Ali was a musician who performed in bands his entire life, even while involved in start-ups around the intersection of technology, media and culture.
The Blast Radio app is his entry into a high-quality audio streaming site that allows creators to connect and expand their audience through the Blast Box, a dedicated $199 piece of hardware to which any audio equipment can be attached with an RCA cable. The artist then connects to their Blast Radio profile with Bluetooth and presses a button to broadcast live. Users can send their favorite performers tips or send “supporting vibes” which will glow red on the recipients’ device. Intended for artists to use in their home studios to share “unreleased or experimental” content with their fans. So far, the app has attracted the likes of producer/DJ/EDM star Matthew Dear and legendary Grammy-nominated Detroit hose music DJ Carl Craig.
The site also allows users to share the content with their fans, but only for 24 hours, which encourages users to make appointment listening. Taking a cue from Snapchat, artist content will be evanescent, allowing musicians the freedom to create without worrying that the actual performance will be permanent, something according to Yousef, which gives an artist anxiety. This way, they have a safety net.
“We wanted to create an audio-only environment for people to perform for their fans directly on the Internet,” says Yousef, pointing out how Instagram Live, Facebook and Twitch are all largely visual media. “This is a chance for artists to be artists and not brands. It allows them to experiment with styles that may not be their normal way of creating. We encourage our listeners to contribute to the community and support these artists.”
Blast Radio hosts keep 50% of their tips, and the rest is divided between the site (from 15-18%) and Apple or Google, who receive 30% for facilitating the transaction. Positivity is encouraged by now allowing a comments section.
The downloadable app has even begun to attract creatives other than musicians, with several stand-up comics trying out new material on dedicated Blast Radio stations.
“We wanted to make the user experience as easy and transparent as possible,” says Yousef, who started working on the concept way before Covid-19, even though the pandemic has spurred his app’s growth. “It’s a one-button experience on both sides, and it’s something that artists can’t do with just their smartphone.”