1. #ISIS supporters online have built up their online radio capabilities over the years through the shrewd cobbling together of technology to create a paired down "Islamic State Spotify." IS online radio innovation, and how #ISIS digital radio has evolved in a thread.

2. Al-Bayan radio was a key outlet for Islamic State during its heydey. Al-Bayan reached "thousands of listeners every day via links shared on social networks, helping to swell the ranks of Westerners — projected this year to reach up to 10,000..." https://www.businessinsider.com/the-isis-radio-station-targeting-european-recruits-sounds-like-npr-2015-6

3. It was kicked off the airwaves in 2016 when fighter jets bombed it. Its director — Abu Yaman al Iraqi — disappeared with his family before it was shelled to non-existence, prompting ISIS "fighters to post his picture" across Mosul so he could be detained. It reappeared online.

4. One of the first al-Bayan radio standalone platforms on the web was actually more of a repository than a functional radio station, it featured neatly organized folders by a program that allowed you to download specific series, and didn't have streaming functions.

5. It was replaced, or usurped, by a much slicker site, carrying the al-Bayan URL, but branded al-Anfal, this was a much more user-friendly site, providing both links for download and live streaming capabilities. If you look at the two, al-Bayan version 2.0 was an innovation.

6. al-Anfal was plagued with takedowns, shifting top-level domains constantly, like many other #ISIS staples, but one thing that remained was its live stream function. While paired down, it provided the ability to have supporter-curated official content at one's fingertips.

7. In short, al-Bayan evolved and likely will continue to do so. But at the moment, its story is interesting from an innovation standpoint with learnings about user interfaces, and what works for online audiences. Playlists and song histories, essentially, streaming the "state."