What RCS does

RCS (legal entity: iHeartMedia, Inc. d/b/a RCS; previously Radio Computing Services) is a privately held broadcast software company founded in 1979 in White Plains, NY, and operating as a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. Itself described as the world's largest broadcast software provider, RCS sells an integrated platform for radio automation, music scheduling, traffic and billing, newsroom management, disaster recovery, streaming, and visual radio advertising to AM/FM broadcasters and audio organizations globally. The company's core products are Zetta (on-prem radio automation), ZettaCloud (cloud-native playout), GSelector (multi-station music scheduling built on a patented goal-driven demand-based engine), SelectorCloud (AI-assisted cloud scheduling), Aquira (traffic and billing), plus add-ons including RCS News, RCS Disaster Recovery, Revma streaming, AudioDisplay, and the RCS2GO mobile suite. RCS generates revenue primarily through software licensing and recurring subscriptions, with support and maintenance (24/7/365), RCS Academy training and certification, and multi-year enterprise contracts as additional streams; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company sells directly via a global network of 20+ offices spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East, supported by a contract engineer referral network, and reaches 600+ AM/FM stations on ZettaCloud with iHeartMedia's 500+ station environment serving as the flagship reference deployment. RCS owns multiple sub-brands including Florical, Media Monitors, Mediabase, Test All Media, RateTheMusic, Hit Predictor, and Radiojar, and holds dozens of patented technologies that continue to shape broadcast workflows.

Name

RCS

Legal name

iHeartMedia, Inc. d/b/a RCS

Website

https://rcsworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

RCS is the world's largest broadcast software provider, founded in 1979 and now a subsidiary of iHeartMedia. It sells integrated on-prem and cloud-native radio automation, music scheduling, traffic, streaming, and visual radio software to AM/FM broadcasters and audio organizations globally via 20+ offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Software / Radio Automation

NAICS

Software Publishers (51321), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Radio Content Production & Studios (On-air Production, Imaging, Jingles) (MPAIAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Radio Network Distribution & Programming Services (Syndicators, Format Providers) (MPAIAEAH), Music & Audio Streaming Platforms (BPAMAJAC)

Keywords

• Radio automation software
• Music scheduling systems
• Broadcast traffic billing
• Cloud playout solutions
• Radio streaming platform

Headquarters

HQ city

White Plains

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: RCS generates revenue through perpetual and subscription licenses for its broadcast software suite including Zetta, GSelector, Aquira, and cloud solutions (ZettaCloud, SelectorCloud). Revenue is derived from station count, feature tiers, and deployment type (on-premises vs. cloud). The company offers both direct software licensing and cloud-based subscription models.
2. Support and Maintenance Services: RCS provides 24/7/365 technical support with dedicated professionals. Support offerings include remote access diagnostics, upgrade scheduling (GSelector, NexGen, Zetta, Aquira), and internet licensing for license renewal. Support is a recurring revenue stream tied to active customer relationships.
3. Training and Certification (RCS Academy): RCS Academy provides self-paced, online certification courses for GSelector, Zetta, Aquira, and Zetta for Engineers. Training programs are offered to individuals and colleges/universities, generating revenue through course enrollment and certification fees.
4. Enterprise Contracts and Multi-Year Agreements: RCS signs multi-year contracts with large broadcast groups (e.g., Groupe 1981's five-year agreement). These contracts provide predictable recurring revenue and lock in enterprise customers across large station portfolios.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RCS develops and sells an integrated broadcast software ecosystem for radio broadcasters, encompassing radio automation and playout (Zetta, ZettaCloud), music scheduling (GSelector, SelectorCloud), traffic and billing/CRM (Aquira), newsroom management (RCS News), disaster recovery, visual radio advertising (AudioDisplay), and professional streaming (Revma). The portfolio is offered as both on-premises software and cloud-native subscriptions, sold primarily to commercial radio stations and broadcast groups worldwide.

Product overview

RCS is the world's largest broadcast software provider, offering a comprehensive platform-plus-modules architecture for radio automation, music scheduling, and streaming. The core portfolio centers on Zetta radio playout, GSelector music scheduling, and Aquira traffic and billing solutions, complemented by cloud-native variants (ZettaCloud, SelectorCloud), companion mobile apps (RCS2GO), disaster recovery services, professional streaming (Revma), visual radio advertising (AudioDisplay), and newsroom automation (RCS News). The ecosystem provides end-to-end capabilities from music scheduling through on-air playout, traffic management, streaming, and business intelligence, supported by RCS Academy training and 24/7 worldwide support. Founded in 1979, RCS powers iconic stations like Z100 and KISS-FM with dozens of patented technologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zetta: Radio automation software for playout operations
• ZettaCloud
• GSelector
• SelectorCloud
• Aquira
• RCS News
• RCS2GO
• RCS Disaster Recovery
• Revma
• AudioDisplay

Products and services

• Zetta Comprehensive on-premises radio automation and playout system with modular architecture, real-time multi-user integration, multi-format audio engine, ZCast asset sharing, Site Replication, and Zetta2GO browser-based remote control. Designed for AM/FM radio stations and broadcast groups requiring mission-critical reliability.
• ZettaCloud Cloud-native playout solution that automatically uploads station audio, playlists, and metadata to the cloud for instant access from anywhere. Built on AWS East/West redundancy with HTML5 browser access, full integration with GSelector, multi-station management, and built-in disaster recovery.
• GSelector Multi-station music scheduling software using RCS's patented goal-driven demand-based scheduling engine to create flawless rotations and sophisticated logs based on natural song demand. Includes Selector2GO mobile access. Designed for music programmers at radio stations and broadcast groups.
• SelectorCloud AI-powered cloud-native music scheduling platform that analyzes listener data, rotation patterns, and station objectives to balance music and non-music elements. Runs in browser with automatic updates, integrates with Media Monitors Mscore and Mediabase Research, and connects directly with ZettaCloud.
• Aquira CRM and sales proposal solution for radio traffic and billing, covering the full sales lifecycle from proposal to contract through audience research and digital client approval. Supports flexible spot scheduling across multiple stations, real-time reporting, invoicing, and integrations with Triton Digital and Google Ad Manager.
• RCS News Radio newsroom system providing solutions from newscast gathering, writing and editing to on-air broadcast and story archiving. Supports multiple languages, news wires, and multi-track audio editing for radio news operations.
• RCS2GO Mobile companion suite including Selector2GO, Zetta2GO, and Aquira2GO, providing remote browser-based access to scheduling, playout control, and sales proposal building from any location with internet access.
• RCS Disaster Recovery Cloud-based safety net providing automated background backup of audio, metadata, schedules, and SQL data, with Smart Restore prioritization and remote voice tracking. Includes Edge Device local hardware playout for dual redundancy and VPN-less remote access during emergencies.
• Revma Professional-grade streaming platform with 24/7 support, professional audio processing, real-time online audio transcoding for alternate audio ads, integrated listener reports, and support for HLS, MPEG-DASH, HTTPs, and F-MP4 output formats.
• AudioDisplay Visual radio solution that syncs on-air content with dynamic visuals across RDS and HD Radio displays. Includes campaign timing, segment-aware messaging, and conflict/clash checking to unlock new visual advertising revenue streams for broadcasters.
• RCS Academy Self-paced online certification program offering courses for GSelector, Zetta, Aquira, and Zetta for Engineers. Provides hands-on training with best practices for broadcast professionals and students at colleges and universities.
• RCS Support 24/7/365 world-class technical support with professional specialists plus the RCSSupport.com portal providing software downloads, knowledge base, license renewals, upgrade bookings, and remote access support.

Quantifiable outcome

• iHeartMedia saved over $100 million in real estate costs through cloud migration to RCS cloud solutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature18 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Media MonitorscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2025Media Monitors (an RCS family company) provides music monitoring data. SelectorCloud integrates with Media Monitors Mscore, putting research data directly in front of programmers at the moment of scheduling.
• Mediabase ResearchcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2025Mediabase Research scores are integrated into SelectorCloud, enabling audience research data to be applied directly during music scheduling decisions.
• Groupe 1981majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Groupe 1981, a major French radio operator, signed a five-year contract with RCS to optimize programming across their radio stations. Announced at the Paris Radio Show in January 2025.
• Mediabase (RCS subsidiary)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2023Mediabase, an RCS subsidiary, acquired the All Access music distribution business unit from Joel Denver. This acquisition strengthened Mediabase's music distribution capabilities within the RCS ecosystem.
• Katz Media GroupminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023Mark Gray, CEO of Katz Media Group, commented publicly on Susan Larkin's appointment as RCS CEO, indicating a close commercial and referral relationship between RCS and Katz Media Group's broadcast advertising network.
• FloricalcoreTechnology or IntegrationFlorical is listed as part of the RCS Family of Companies (RCS Business Group). Florical provides broadcast automation and imaging solutions, integrated within the broader RCS ecosystem.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• ENCO Systems: ENCO Systems is a direct competitor in radio playout automation with products like DAD and Presenter, serving the same AM/FM broadcaster segment with similar on-air automation functionality.
• WideOrbit: WideOrbit is a direct competitor in radio traffic and billing (WO Traffic) and broader media operations software, targeting the same broadcast groups for advertising sales workflow and traffic management that Aquira addresses.
• BSI (Broadcast Software International): BSI provides radio automation and music scheduling (Stinger, WaveStation, MusicGen) to a similar broadcaster base, directly competing with RCS's Zetta and GSelector offerings in the US market.
• MusicMaster Scheduling (by A-Ware Software): MusicMaster is a direct competitor in music scheduling software for radio, competing head-to-head with GSelector and SelectorCloud for station scheduling decisions and rotation management.
• Netia (broadcast automation): Netia provides radio automation and media asset management software to broadcasters globally, directly competing with Zetta for playout and production workflows at radio stations.
• OMT (Ockham Multimedia Technologies): OMT's iMediaTouch is a direct competitor in radio playout automation, serving similar small-to-mid-market broadcast customers with comparable on-air automation capabilities.

Emerging players

• Pluxbox: Pluxbox is a cloud-native radio automation SaaS challenger, emerging as a lower-cost alternative for broadcasters transitioning away from legacy on-prem systems like Zetta.
• Cortado: Cortado (formerly Radio Terra) provides cloud-based radio automation and playout solutions, an emerging cloud-native competitor to ZettaCloud in mid-market and international broadcasters.

Others

• Triton Digital: Triton Digital is a podcast and audio streaming measurement/ad tech provider, also owned by iHeartMedia. It is integrated with Aquira Cloud for podcast and streaming bookings, making it an ecosystem partner rather than direct software competitor.
• Futuri: Futuri provides AI-powered audience engagement and content tools (SpotOn, AudioAI) for media companies; it is both a formal RCS technology partner and an adjacent competitor in AI-driven broadcast workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RCS_Works
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/rcsworks
• Facebookfacebook.com/RCSSoundSoftware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rcsworks?trk=top_nav_home
• Instagraminstagram.com/rcsworks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about RCS