Irish Radioplayer joins Amazon’s Echo devices

Irish Radioplayer is the latest radio company to embrace voice-activated technology by joining Alexa on its launch day.

The service, developed in partnership by RTÉ and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, allows direct access to every Irish Radio station for users of the Amazon Alexa devices, such as Amazon Echo, using just your voice.

Wireless Group also launched its own skill today for its own seven stations.

Customers can enable the skill using the Alexa app for iOS or Android, or simply by saying “Alexa, enable Irish Radioplayer.” Once enabled, customers can start using Irish Radioplayer on demand using just their voice, by saying “Alexa, ask Irish Radioplayer to play [your station]” or “Alexa, open Irish Radioplayer”

Scott Williams, Director of the IBI and Chair of the Irish Radioplayer Steering Board said: “The Irish Radioplayer has successfully put all Irish radio in one place and thousands of listeners use it daily on tablets and phones. This development ensures that our great Irish radio content will now be available with a simple voice command on the new devices. It will make listening easier and intuitive. We are delighted to be there.”

JP Coakley, Head of Broadcast & Media services in RTÉ said “RTÉ’s partnership with IBI stations on the Irish Radioplayer is helping to future-proof radio’s connection with listeners. We’re a nation that loves our radio and it remains such a strong medium. Our duty to the audience is to adapt to new technologies and habits, so, we have worked with Amazon to ensure that every Irish station is available through their exciting products at launch.”

Lawrence Galkoff, General Manager of Radioplayer Worldwide said “Every Alexa device is a new radio for its owner and I am absolutely certain that the Irish Radioplayer skill will be as popular and successful as other Radioplayer skills have been globally in opening up great new radio content”

The Irish Radioplayer skill is also available on Alexa in the UK and US so that friends and relatives there can stay in touch with all their favourite stations from home.

Other developments of the Irish Radioplayer this year include a smart new app upgrade, launch on Sonos smart speakers and integration into the car platform SDL: developed by Ford and adopted by other car companies, such as Toyota.

The Irish Radioplayer is based on technology licensed by Radioplayer Worldwide, which is also used nationally in Germany, Canada, Belgium, Peru, Norway, Austria and its parent territory, the U.K.