At RNZ we love giving you great, new ways, to experience the best stories from New Zealand and the Pacific. So, today, we've started rolling out our new app.

Photo: RNZ / Claire Eastham-Farrelly

The app, which is available via iTunes and Google Play, has been updated so you can follow breaking local and international news, listen live to your favourite RNZ radio stations and programmes, and enjoy video or audio on demand - anytime, anywhere, on or offline.

The app includes bookmarking, favourites, sharing and ways to personalise your experience - including a great new play queue and player. You can sign-up for breaking news alerts, immerse yourself in your favourite programmes and topics and share it all. And, best of all, there are no ads.

Glen Scanlon, RNZ's head of digital, said a team of staff, led by Claire Murdoch, and an external partner, Alphero, had worked on the app project for nearly year, involving a wide range of RNZ fans and those yet to be converted.

"The result is a much more complete, beautiful package. It is a simpler experience that surfaces a lot of material people may not have found before - like our brilliant podcasts. It also gives the audience a much better way to curate what they want to read, watch and listen to."

Ms Murdoch, RNZ's product and audience lead, said people were very clear about what they desired: the latest news and alerts, live coverage and ways to immerse themselves and more easily curate an in-depth, on-demand experience.

She said the initial release was a staggered one, so any issues could be tracked, checked and addressed as quickly as possible. If you have feedback please email appproject@radionz.co.nz.

"We want to keep improving what we do on our digital platforms and this is just the latest stage in that process, which included the redevelopment of our website last year. Over the next year we will be adding more tools to allow people to personalise their experience. We really hope you love the app and share it with others," Murdoch said.