Radio-Info columnist and Listener Driven Radio co-founder/CEO Daniel Anstandig spends "a lot of time listening to streaming stations online." Though streaming audiences continue to grow, the "streaming experience is an afterthought for so many broadcasters."

And it's not hard to tell. Anstandig lists several problems common to broadcasters' online streams. These include fill content that's "outdated, poorly produced, or inconsistent with the station brand." Or it's "'throw away' content and doesn't serve any specific strategic purpose."

He also hears "music trampled" by "poor audio injection during commercial breaks." Even the music itself occasionally contains static, or sounds "watery or muddy."

As for mobile apps, many "crash or cause devices to freeze... That discount app makes your brand look cheap. Upgrade. Your competitors are Pandora, Spotify and other stable, solid apps."

Anstandig also argues to ditch those "Are you still listening?" prompts, as they could "cause listeners to abandon your stream" our of frustration.

Great program directors should "look at all of the ways that their programming will be consumed by listeners," argues Anstandig. "They make it the best possible experience regardless of which speakers the listener uses." You can find Anstanding's column in Radio-Info here.