Tuned Global Expands Social Radio With Real-Time Tipping, Ushering in the Fan-Driven DSP Era

17 June 2025 - Press release

Latest feature mints superfans and supports artists while saving music streaming services years of development time and providing more nuanced usage data.

 

Tuned Global is expanding its innovative Social Radio platform (an interactive, fan-driven broadcasting layer for DSPs) with the launch of real-time tipping, letting fans support artists, DJs, and creators live. Inspired by creator economy giants like Twitch and TikTok, this plug-and-play monetisation layer lets DSPs roll out direct rewards for anyone curating a livestream, saving hundreds of hours in development time and significant cost. 

With an industry laser-focused on fandom and the challenge of scaling artist-fan connections, as Spotify’s CEO recently noted, the pressure is rising for DSPs to deliver more participatory fan experiences. Tuned Global’s Social Radio answers that call, sparking significant interest at Music Biz and NAB this spring, as its latest evolution enables monetisation, emotional engagement, and new fan data—all in one SDK.

“Social Radio turns static streams into the interactive experiences listeners now expect,” explains Con Raso, Tuned Global’s Managing Director. “Fans don’t just want to listen; they want to participate, support, and belong. Social Radio turns a traditional streaming experience into something social, expressive, and monetisable. The platforms that move first will define the standard for what streaming looks like in the fan-driven era."

Social Radio: from passive streams to interactive experiences
The new tipping feature, which lets fans send payments to their favourite streamer, is the latest expansion of Tuned Global’s existing Social Radio product. Social Radio lets listeners join virtual rooms where artists or audio influencers go live, play tracks, talk to fans, and get instant feedback from their listeners. Fans can cheer with emojis, respond in the chat, and, starting in Q3 of 2025, tip their favourite hosts directly.

With Tuned Global’s Social Radio integration, every second of every show becomes a data point, illuminating more than what someone listened to, but revealing how they felt, when they reacted, and who they shared that moment with. This emotionally and socially nuanced data offers DSPs an entirely new input for their recommendation engines, one that reflects real human connection, not just clicks, skips, and looks-like cohorts. It reflects human experiences more precisely than lean-back listening ever could.

A creator economy engine, already built
Social Radio has been powered by Tuned Global’s 2023 acquisition of music AI pioneer Pacemaker. The DJ mix app’s patented formats and infrastructure now serve as the backbone for Social Radio’s live, interactive features.

“Pacemaker’s patented Recipe format, proprietary backend, and advanced AI-driven mobile creation tool—with over 20 man-years of dedicated development—offer a market-proven solution that will save DSPs years of development time, significantly accelerating their entry into interactive audio experiences,” says Jonas Norberg, Tuned Global’s Head of AI and founder of Pacemaker.

The Social Radio SDK supports live voice overlays, AutomixIQ-powered transitions, audience interactions, and now real-time tipping—all accessible through seamless integration. DSPs can trial Social Radio immediately, without rebuilding their apps or compromising licensing models.

Interactive features are fandom must-haves
Social features like interactive chats, fan reactions, and tipping are no longer a nice-to-have addition for music platforms; they are requirements in an era of changing fan expectations. Because of this, Tuned Global is already seeing strong global interest from savvy leading platforms. With integration-ready SDKs and a roadmap that includes show replays, user follow features, and more creator tools, Social Radio is fast becoming the social layer DSPs didn’t know they needed.

 “In many parts of the world, especially in Asia, fandom is built into the DNA of streaming,” reflects Raso. “Western DSPs are only now realising how vital it is to long-term user loyalty. Social Radio helps bridge that gap by turning passive listeners into superfans.”