Level Up Your Mobile App with this In-Car Challenge

Your mobile app can be more than just a stream player—it can be an in-car game-changer for engagement and new revenue. Today, I’m challenging you to try three new things that could boost listener engagement and ad value, specifically through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It’s spring right now, and as the temperatures rise, so does travel. Your listeners are commuting more, heading out on road trips, or just driving with the windows down and the radio up. That makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto prime real estate for listener engagement. But are you really using these platforms to their full potential?

Before we begin, if your mobile app does not include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you have half an app.  Your station must appear on these two platforms, and it can only do so if you have a mobile app on an iPhone or Android phone.  Also, your app must have a proper pass-through to show now-playing metadata from your on-air machine, including title and artist.  Your streaming provider will likely pass this information along in an XML-type URL that your app will use to display it within the app.

Enter the Mobile App Engagement Challenge

I want you to try something by the end of summer: make your mobile app more than just a way to stream audio. Try at least three new things that can enhance the listener experience or bring added value to your station—and track how they perform.

Here’s what I recommend trying:

1. Update your “Now Playing” metadata with something other than song titles. Think of it as a digital billboard that appears right on the dashboard. Examples include…

• “This short break brought to you by {client name}”
• Include commercial business names, slogans/and phone numbers.
• Making the default message the studio sponsor.
• Rotate promotional messages.

2. Use custom artwork in the stream metadata. These show up in CarPlay and Android Auto as the visual component (most often, album artwork) of what’s playing.

• Highlight your current contest with the next time to win.
• Display client logos/messages as their commercials play.
• Display featured sponsor logo and short message within the image.

3. Run a mobile-exclusive promotion or contest.

• Promote it via push notifications and highlight it in your metadata so that it appears on dashboards.
• Make it something that rewards listeners who engage with your app while they’re on the move.

These are small tweaks, but they can have a significant impact. The placement of elements within Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is locked down, so you can’t move things around or add banner ads (yet). However, the in-car “Now Playing” information is yours to influence through your stream settings and metadata. You’d be surprised what’s possible when you get a little creative.

Why Take This Challenge?

This isn’t just about novelty—it’s about strategy:

• You’re tapping into high-attention moments when listeners are focused and engaged.
• You’re giving sponsors visibility in new, meaningful ways.
• You’re gaining some mobile upsells. Adding client messages to the dashboard can demand a premium fee.
• You’re turning your mobile app into an active part of your content strategy, not just a passive stream tool.
• And most importantly, you’re experimenting—because the stations that grow are the ones that test, measure, and refine.

So, take the challenge. Track your success. If something doesn’t work, that’s okay—you learned something. If it does? You just found a new way to drive value, engagement, and maybe even revenue.  Either way, I’d love to hear about it.