• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 16, 2014

Clear Channel Media and Entertainment has unveiled the latest version of its free digital music service, iHeartRadio 5.0, for Android and iOS, with enhanced capabilities for personalization and a redesigned user interface.
 
The new version of iHeartRadio includes a personalized listening option, “For You,” which adds a genre selection tool for more tailored station recommendations, powered by updated algorithms for analyzing listener preferences and music discovery. When users download iHeartRadio 5.0, the app will ask them to select their favorite genres and then make recommendations based on listening habits and location, among other factors.
 
The revamped user interface includes a new look, more intuitive navigation, simplified controls and an improved search function.
 
The Android version of iHeartRadio 5.0 is available now, with the iOS version set to debut next week. CCME also revealed plans to support Chromecast and other types of in-home listening integrations that are compatible with various devices.
 
The digital radio space has been heating up in the first half of 2014, including deals for consolidation and new distribution agreements.
 
Earlier this month, ESPN Radio announced that it has struck new digital distribution deals bringing its talk shows and events coverage to iTunes Radio and TuneIn. At the same time, iTunes Radio began carrying live streaming content from 42 local NPR stations around the country. TuneIn previously announced that it would carry live play-by-play coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship courtesy of radio content syndicator WestwoodOne.
 
Also this month, WideOrbit, which provides advertising management software for media companies, announced its acquisition of Abacast, a company that specializes in streaming, live and on-demand advertising insertion and other monetization techniques for digital radio.
 
Also, in March, the Media Rating Council granted Triton Digital accreditation for Webcast Metrics Local, a service within Webcast Metrics that measures local streaming audio listening, the company announced Tuesday .