Stations have three ways to get a mobile app: a shared aggregator app, a white-label add-on, or a custom build. RadioCult breaks down the tradeoffs of each.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Many online radio stations want a mobile app so listeners can tune in, check the schedule, and chat from their phones, but the path to getting one is not obvious. RadioCult, an online radio hosting platform built for multi-presenter stations, has broken down the options a station has for a mobile app and what each one involves, drawing on its guide on how to make a radio app.
There are broadly three routes. The first is a shared aggregator app, where listeners download one app and find the station inside it. The second is a white-label mobile add-on offered by some streaming providers, which produces a lightly branded app with limited customization. The third is a fully custom app, built from scratch for a single station.
A custom app gives a station complete control over design and features, but it is the most expensive and demanding route. According to RadioCult’s guide, a custom build typically starts around $10,000 upfront and carries ongoing costs for maintenance, updates, and app store compliance on both iOS and Android. It tends to make sense only for stations with a large or highly dedicated audience that can justify the investment.
The aggregator route asks the least of a station. Listeners install one app, search for the station, and favorite it, and the station appears with no separate build or app store submission to manage. RadioCult’s radio station mobile app follows this model and is included free on every plan. It connects directly to a station’s stream on iOS and Android and brings the live audio, the schedule, built-in chat, and track recognition into one place, with unlimited concurrent listeners.
“Most stations do not need to spend five figures to be on a phone,” said a RadioCult spokesperson. “A shared app covers live listening, the schedule, and chat from day one. A custom build is a real project, and it should be treated like one.”
The right choice depends on budget, audience size, and how much a station wants to own the experience. Stations weighing the decision usually look at upfront and ongoing cost, how much design control they need, whether they can maintain an app over time, and how quickly they want listeners on mobile. For most independent and community stations, a shared app covers the core listening experience without the cost of a build, while a custom app remains an option for those with the audience and budget to support it.
RadioCult’s guide on how to make a radio app and its radio station mobile app feature are available on its website.
About RadioCult
RadioCult is an online radio hosting platform built for independent and community stations that broadcast 24/7 with multiple presenters. It combines live and automated broadcasting, radio-native scheduling, station and artist management, a free listener app on iOS and Android, and unlimited concurrent listeners in one platform, with human support and pricing that starts at $33 per month. Learn more at https://www.radiocult.fm.
Corey Haines
Conversion Factory
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