The Implosion Added To TheBlast.FM Android and IOS Apps

The Implosion has finally made it into TheBlast.FM app for Android and iOS phones and tablets.  TheBlast.FM is the search term, and the app is free.  TheBlast.FM app includes our Christian rock station (The Blast); our progressive Christian pop station (The Blast Blender) and now our Christian metal station (The Implosion), which Blasted off on January 1, 2017.  This news comes a week after the new TheBlast.FM app came out for Windows devices:  https://www.theblast.fm/home/2017/03/16/theblast-fm-windows-app-adds-the-implosion-now-available-on-wide-variety-of-devices/  The Implosion will also soon be added to TheBlast.FM Roku app.  In addition to all of this, we’d like to secure listener donations to create even more apps on more devices.    You can donate to the cause here:  https://www.theblast.fm/home/donations/

TheBlast.FM Windows App Adds The Implosion & Now Available On Wide Variety Of Devices

You want to get Blasted, Blend or Implode on Xbox One? Microsoft Surface tablet? Now you can listen to all three of our radio
stations in a unified TheBlast.FM Windows App, which is available on these platforms:

Windows Phone 8, 8.1, 10
Windows Desktop/RT 10
Xbox One
Hololens
Surface Hub

The Implosion will soon be included in TheBlast.FM app for Android, iOS and Roku TV, as well.
For now, you can listen to The Implosion on mobile devices using our HTML5 players on The Implosion’s home page and you can listen to The Implosion through Tune In Radio’s Roku app and in the browser of your Smart TV.

Amazon Smile Purchases Will Benefit The Blast 10x As Much Today Only (March 16th)

Amazon is trying to drum up sales today. The Blast Ministries is a benefactor of its charity giving based on purchases you make through our link to Amazon. Today only, we will reap 10 times the benefit we normally do from your purchases made through this portal: The Blast Ministries’ Amazon Smile purchase link

All HTML5 Players Working Again, Lyrics Included

All of our HTML5 players are once again fully functional.   If you get any messages in your browser about some items being not secure, it has to do with http and https protocol issues, as TheBlast.FM website has moved from http to https.  Rest assured, it’s all the same content as before (album art and lyrics).  If you have any questions or any issues trying to listen on any of our players, send us a Blastback:   https://www.theblast.fm/home/blastbacks/

The More Streams Page Is Updated: How To Listen In Various Media Players

You want a Blast stream address to put into iTunes, VLC, Winamp, Windows Media Player, Quicktime, or Real Player?

Then click on “More Streams”.

The Implosion Is Our Long-Awaited Christian Metal And Hardcore Station!

STORY UPDATE HERE IS WHERE TO LISTEN TO THE IMPLOSION:  http://Implosion.TheBlast.FM

And, no, The Implosion is not in our Android, iOS, and Roku apps yet.  $1200 is the quote from our app developer.  We raised money to pay our other “must pays” and our debt by the end of January, but we have not raised enough yet to add on to these apps.  You can help here:  http://www.theblast.fm/home/donations/

THE IMPLOSION is our brand new Christian metal and hardcore radio station, Blasting off at Midnight (USA/Canadian Central Time) on January 1, 2017!

The station is birthed out of our Blastmetal show which had a 6 year run on The Blast, from 2010 to 2016.   The Blastmetal show is now retired, but it, and its name, live on…on The Implosion!

Christian metal and hardcore have the most in your face Christian lyrics of any genre of music.   This is face-melting stuff, not for the faint of heart!

The Blast Year End Fundraising Update 4:45 PM CT 12/31/16

Here is one missionary outpost that has reached 234,000 unique listeners in 205 countries in 2016.

Our goal for one time gifts is $10,000.  We have raised $4,670, so $5,330 still remains to be raised.

Our goal for new monthly giving is:  $1,750 per month.  We have raise $125 in new monthies, leaving $1,625 per month still to be raised.

Donations to The Blast Ministries are tax deductible, as we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Click here to donate.

Criteria For Adding Music To TheBlast.FM

by Colin Cruz, Program Director of The Blast and The Blast Blender.

The criteria used to be a lot easier to be met:

Back in the days when most Christian record labels were Christian-owned (late 1990’s, early 2000’s), it was easy.

If the band was on a Christian label, the assumption was that this was a real Christian band, as most Christian record labels were apparently vetting the artists they signed.

As a music director in FM Christian radio, I could hear the hearts of bands at Gospel Music Week.

The Blast has never had it in the budget for us to go to that event.

It is more difficult now, as some bands don’t like the Christian labeling so as to not be stereotyped and instantly dismissed by the masses. And, some Christian labels don’t vet very well.

Plus, I am programming radio that is more cutting edge than I have ever been allowed to program elsewhere, so less artist accountability tends to come with the territory.

As to criteria for even being CONSIDERED for airplay as a band:

1.  Being on a Christian label helps a lot, but it is not necessary, nor is it a guarantee that we will play a band.  Solid State has had some bands we will not play anymore due to things we have learned about those bands. We generally give the band and the Christian label the benefit of the doubt that the label has vetted the band for their Christianity.

2.  A band can be on a secular label if they are stated to be a Christian band and their lyrics match what they say they are and their lives and words don’t disprove their lyrics.

3.  A band can be an independent band and be considered if they are declared to be a Christian band.

4.  A band could possibly be considered for airplay even if they don’t consider themselves a Christian band, but all band members are known to be born again believers.

An example of a band we turned away comes to mind:  Thrice, after a decade of success as a secular rock band, suddenly started promoting themselves to the Christian Rock market a few years ago.  I asked their management, label, promoter if the guys in the band were all Christians and were told that only 1 or 2 of the band members were Christian.  We passed.

I am old school.  I was listening to Christian Rock and Christian Metal before the debate about “Christian band or not a Christian band” started.  I grew up on bands that had lyrics that were spewing forth direct invitations to receive Christ (packaged in heavy metal like Barren Cross) or spewing forth Scripture in their lyrics or at least having Scripture references listed next to every song like Petra.

Here is my scale:

Satanic Bands-Secular Bands-Spiritual Bands-Christian Entertainment Bands-Christian Ministry Bands

The vast majority of the world’s bands and artists fall under the header “Secular Bands”.

Overt Satanists with overtly Satanic lyrics (or bands that have Satanic lyrics as part of their act) are Satanic Bands.

Christian Ministry Bands:  examples would be Sleeping Giant, who stops in the middle of the song to pray over and prophesy over someone.  Skillet and Disciple and a whole host of other bands minister to the audience through spoken word during their shows and/or in prayer and/or discussion time after their shows.  Their lyrics are strongly Christian (sometimes in more subtle or more overt ways, but unmistakable to the learned ear).

Christian Entertainment Bands:   We have a lot less emphasis on bands who are perceived to be Christian Entertainment bands.  These kinds of bands encourage the church but may not necessarily win a lot of converts if they aren’t doing any hardcore ministry.

Spiritual Bands:  Creed comes to mind.  As one former traveling speaker (Phil Chalmers) who used to deeply study the lyrics, public words and lifestyles of mainstream musicians (and point people to Christian alternatives) used to say…if Creed would listen to their own albums, they would probably get saved.

Christian Ministry Bands Who Swear On an Album:  I think P.O.D. created its own category here.  Our board decided to pull all their music after they dropped an F-bomb on a recent album.   That, or they fall in to the Spiritual or Christian Entertainment band categories.

The Blast and The Blast Blender aim to focus heavily on Christian Ministry bands.  Ministry is why we do what we do.  There is a tolerance and promotion of Christian Entertainment bands, as their lyrics agree with Scripture and they are professing Christians.  Spiritual bands: we may inadvertently play some of these, but not on purpose.  It is a benefit of the doubt thing with regards to their label or their marketing declaring them to be a Christian band.

One thing we don’t do is…go out of our way to play Spiritual bands and hope they are a Christian band.

There a bunch of bands on the bubble that don’t want to show their cards…they like the promotion they get from some Christian radio outlets, but they don’t want to be tarred-and-feathered as a Christian band.

If success is more important to a band than naming the name of Christ, then the band probably isn’t a Christian band and the band might as well not wear that label.

The only counterpoint to that that I can think of is…if you are called to be stealth about it…to build a platform within secular circles and include a Christian message in your songs (without declaring that you are a Christian band) and build relationships and be a witness to kids after shows…I don’t know:  I guess that is between the band and God.

As to criteria for a song: it has to be high quality music, it must fit the format, and the message has to agree with Scripture.  And that is on a case-by-case basis, song-by-song basis for every band we play.

Update: TheBlast.FM’s New iOS and Android Apps Have Arrived…


The new TheBlast.FM iOS and Android apps have arrived!  These apps have six streams from each of our stations (The Blast:  Christian Rock/Alternative/Metal) and (The Blast Blender: progressive Christian pop).   The app also gives you the ability to rate the currently Blasting or Blending song, favorite songs, and read the lyrics as the song plays. It has links to videos from the currently playing band, and if you like the song and want to buy it and click through the iTunes or Amazon link, TheBlast.FM will receive a portion of the proceeds.   Get the Android app here, for free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacobsmedia.blast

Get the iOS app here:  http://www.apple.com/itunes/affiliates/download/?id=399662124

The app will work on iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches.

Kindle and Blackberry users:  you can also get your Blast and/or Blend on using the MP3 and MP3 Pro streams in the HTML5 players that are on our Mobile Blasting and Mobile Blending pages. 

And on PC, Mac, and Linux desktop and laptop computers, you can enjoy these features now in the Flash and HTML5 players that are on our full websites.

TheBlast.FM and The Blast Blender each have a Windows phone app.  They are also both free.  The search term is TheBlast.FM .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lo-Fi Stream Added For Blast And Blender Access In Bangladesh

Some of the things listeners have come to expect when listening to The Blast and The Blast Blender are:  high quality streams, bit rate choices, and accessibility.   We thought we had all the bases covered, with bit rates from 128 kbps down to 24 kbps, using the AAC+ codec at 24 kbps, which is light years better in sound than a 24 kbps mp3.stream.

However, we were recently informed by a passionate Blast and Blender listener named Rayhan, in the south Asia country Bangladesh, that he has an "ancient" smart phone (built in 2005) that can only play certain kinds of mp3 streams.  He also said that he needs a low bit rate stream, as mobile bandwidth is very expensive in Bangladesh, and he says the mobile internet is slow there.

So despite the low sound quality of this bit rate and codec combination, we have set up a 24 kbps mp3 stream for Rayhan and others who are in a similar situation.

You will find the streaming address on our "All Streams, All Media Players" page:  http://www.theblast.fm/wp/other-streams/