An app that aims to bring fans inside the creative process is now available. Blast Radio — or simply Blast — is an audio-based app where artists of all kinds can broadcast whatever they like, whenever they like, for a more intimate fan experience. The goal is to provide an outlet for artists to share the music, sessions — and potentially behind-the-scenes content — that they wouldn’t necessarily record or publish otherwise.
“Over the last 15 years, I noticed that reality has no place on visual social media platforms,” said Yousef Ali, Blast’s Founder and CEO. “People have been reduced to doctored selfies and public displays of perfection. This is especially challenging for musicians where sound is their secret weapon. Blast gives artists an easy way to reach fans with their actual talents and to do so in an environment that’s not meant to be curated and perfect. It’s a space for artists, to be heard, and to highlight their work, not their appearance.”
The element of spontaneity is reinforced by a built-in time limit: Blast broadcasts are only accessible for 24 hours. Recordings are made using a small attachment called a Blast Box that attaches to the artist’s audio equipment through an RCA wire. The Blast Box (which can be pre-ordered now) pairs the artist’s device with their Blast Radio profile through Bluetooth. The artist can then manually press “publish” to upload the broadcast onto the Blast app.
Blast users get notifications when any artists that they follow have new broadcasts. They may then listen in real-time, or check out the broadcast for the next 24 hours, as well as comment, share the broadcasts, and give a “like” (Blast calls them “Vibes.”)
Right now, more than 150 musicians are posting performances, weekly radio programs, album release previews, and live broadcasts from venues on the app. Some of these early adopters include Ghostly International founder Matthew Dear, Grammy-nominated composer and Detroit DJ Carl Craig, artist and owner of Klakson and Dolly imprint Steffi, Brooklyn-based DJ and producer The Juan MacLean, and acclaimed chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound.
“I’m always searching for ways to connect with fans. Whether I’m jamming in the studio or playing a DJ set, I need an effortless way to broadcast my music, instantly. Blast has now made that process extremely simple. I just did my first broadcast from Detroit and listened back to the set afterward. I can’t wait to share more live music soon,” said avant-pop artist Matthew Dear.
Detroit producer Carl Craig added: “Performing live at shows is great, but there’s a ton of music that I love that I can’t play because there’s just too much to share on one tour. On Blast, I can broadcast what I care about right now, and do so in an environment built for high-resolution audio — where it sounds great, isn’t restricted by low-res algorithms, and isn’t competing against a world of curated selfies and cat videos.”
Artists can pre-order a Blast Box here and listeners can download the Blast App in the App Store or the Google Play Store.