Open Broadcast Radio

Open Broadcast is Switzerland's first fully user-generated radio station. Since 2006, an active online community has shaped the programme: curated, independent, close to the current music scene. For Digris AG, we developed the native iOS app and the Apple CarPlay integration.

Community over algorithm

Spotify, Apple Music and others recommend music based on user data and listening behaviour. Open Broadcast works differently: the programme is created by people who know music and want to share it. No recommendation algorithm, no curated uniform programming. Radio that comes from genuine passion.

From web app to native app

Open Broadcast had long been established on the web and via DAB+. The smartphone was the natural next step. A pure web app quickly ran into its limits, however: audio streams in Safari on iOS do not run reliably in the background. We therefore developed a native iOS app that enables stable background streaming, lock-screen controls and AirPlay.

A web app in a native shell

Native does not mean we rebuilt the interface. It remains a web app that runs inside a WebView in the iOS app. To make the web interface and native playback work together, we built a JavaScript bridge: it translates between the web app and the native layer that drives the player, the lock-screen controls and CarPlay. State changes such as switching streams are passed to the interface automatically through a reactive framework. A single codebase is enough for the interface, while playback and system integration run natively.

Radio on the dashboard

Apple CarPlay extends the iPhone experience to the vehicle display. We developed the CarPlay integration for Open Broadcast from the ground up, with an interface optimised for use while driving: large, clear, distraction-free. The programme plays; hands stay on the wheel.

Apple's CarPlay framework sets tight boundaries here: depending on the app category, only certain view templates predefined by Apple are available. For an audio app, that means list-based views rather than freely designed screens. The challenge was to map the Open Broadcast experience – radio, moods, favourites – clearly and consistently within these prescribed building blocks.

Credits

Our services: iOS software development and Apple CarPlay integration
Customer: Digris AG
Platforms: iOS, Apple CarPlay