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Spotify stays ahead of its streaming rivals with 10 million paid subscribers
Spotify has no shortage of competition, but it looks like the streaming music service is managing to stay ahead of the pack. The company has just notched up its 10 millionth paid subscriber, doubling the number of Premium customers it had a year and a half ago; the growth rate has been clearly accelerating, since it took four years for Spotify to land its first five million. Plenty of free customers have hopped aboard, too, as the total active base has doubled since late 2012 to hit 40 million.
Rdio is now streaming in nine more locales
Spotify isn't the only music streaming service looking to blanket the globe. In fact, Rdio has surpassed its primary competition in that tally. The latter outfit is now available in 60 countries after it announced the additions of Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Slovakia And Slovenia. For reference, Spotify currently tallies 56 countires worldwide. "We're thrilled to have been able to expand from two to 60 countries in less than four years, while also pairing this rapid growth with regular catalog increases reflective of the amazing and distinct music that impacts the culture of each country we serve," said CEO Anthony Bay. Heck, Rdio even made a playlist to celebrate.
Shazam baffles UK users by dropping Spotify integration
If you, like us, regularly use Shazam to tag and add tracks to Spotify for later listening, we have some bad news: you may now find that option has gone. It comes as one of the unexpected consequences of a deal between the music discovery company and streaming service Deezer, which has now replaced its bigger rival in free versions of Shazam in Germany, Mexico, UK and Brazil. TechCrunch spotted that Deezer and Rdio now hold the two main "free" positions within the Shazam app, but also notes that the ad-free premium version Encore retains Spotify integration. In our tests, Shazam had removed Spotify tagging from the Encore Android app, despite still displaying the feature in screenshots on both the UK App Store and Google Play.
Rdio is improving audio quality while keeping prices stationary
Improving audio quality is seemingly all the rage right now, and Rdio is looking to do its part to upgrade the listening experience. The music streaming service announced it's started converting its entire catalog to the AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) format, making 320 kbps its new standard. This means that while the audio will be improved, it'll still fall short of most of your CDs at home. In case you're wondering, Spotify offers three quality settings: 96 kbps (Normal), 160 kbps (High/Standard on desktop) and 320 kbps (Extreme/High on desktop) that's only available to premium users.
Rdio and Crackle can now send music and free videos to your Chromecast
The Chromecast's media universe just got a little bit larger today. You can now stream Rdio's music service through the Google TV adapter using Android, iOS and web apps; you'll get both album art and track details when you send tunes to the big screen. Meanwhile, Crackle has updated its own Android and iOS apps to let you watch its free movies and short videos through Chromecast. Whether you're itching to play Chvrches' album or Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, you'll find the relevant app updates at the source links.
Rdio plans to stop using Echo Nest, because Spotify bought it
Rdio's CEO, Anthony Bay, doesn't want Spotify knowing what it knows, and to that end, the music service is looking to break away from Echo Nest. However, the music intelligence company, recently bought by Spotify, is just one of several partners that Rdio taps for its music data, including Rovi. Spotify has previously said that it'll run Echo Nest as a "wholly-owned subsidiary" which should keep the data service relatively free from any meddling. In an interview with CNBC, Bay said: "We, probably like most people, have multiple sources of data that we use. So we will stop using that source of data [Echo Nest] and use other sources."
Rdio for iOS delivers playlist editing and on-the-go review composition
For those using Rdio on iOS devices, today's update adds two new functions to the software for Apple's mobile gadgets. First, users can edit playlists from the app on an iPhone or iPod touch without having to log in on the desktop in order to do so. The curation feature allows for the usual addition, removal and rearranging of tracks while also including custom artwork, visibility and collaboration settings. Fancy typing out those music critiques while they're fresh in your mind? Well, the latest version allows for composing on that mobile device plus the ability to peruse reviews from the pros and fellow Rdio listeners -- a feature that popped up on Android last week. It's time to stop procrastinating and start compiling that Yacht Rock playlist, you guys.
European Teslas will have internet tunes thanks to Rdio (video)
Your dream of cruising the Autobahn in a Model S is about to get an internet-enhanced soundtrack: Rdio is coming to European Teslas. While Yanks have had access to Slacker for some time, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk a licensing issue prevented our neighbors across the pond from enjoying such a luxury. At a recent town hall-style meeting spotted by Gigaom, Musk announced that Rdio will fill the Slacker-sized hole in the EU and also detailed why there hasn't been Spotify integration just yet. Apparently, the Sweden-based service didn't want to work with Musk for automobile integration at first, which prompted him to look elsewhere. Musk was quick to note that in the long-term that might change however, and that you can still connect your mobile device and stream via Bluetooth. For all of this and more (including Supercharger locations and what firmware update 6.0 entails), hit the embedded video after the break for the full meeting.
Rdio support for Google Chromecast is in the works
Now that Google has finally opened up the Chromecast SDK to developers, we can expect a whole lot of different applications to start being friendly with the $35 dongle. With this in mind, Rdio, via the RdioHelp Twitter account, let it be known that its dev team is already working to offer native support for Google's Chromecast. As it stands, Rdio subscribers do have the ability to stream music by casting a Chrome tab on the web, though this would indicate that a solution compatible with the service's mobile apps is on the way. The tweet doesn't mention any details about when Rdio for Chromecast could be available -- but, hey, at least we know it's coming.
Have a favorite music streaming service? Sound off, people of Engadget
Wrapping your head around all the various options for streaming music can be overwhelming. How do you choose between Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, Rhapsody, Google Play Music All Access or any of the other services out there? Engadget Forums member daninbusiness is here to help, and he's done a great job breaking down the pros and cons of each music provider that he's used. But one man's opinion does not a consensus make, y'all. What's your go-to choice for music? How would you persuade your friends that the benefits of Spotify far exceed those of Rdio? Sound off in the forums, folks, your wisdom is needed.
Rdio now lets you listen to tunes for free on the web
Good news, Rdio loyalists: Spotify users aren't the only ones who are now able to stream music for the unbeatable price of free. Presumably as a result of the Cumulus Media deal revealed earlier this year, Rdio customers can now listen to the entirety of the service's streaming library via a desktop browser for zero cost, as long as they're willing to sit through a few ads. According to Rdio, those interstitials will consist of "new feature announcements, messages from partner brands, notifications about exclusive content and other helpful tips." Of course, if commercials aren't your thing, you can still cough up $9.99 a month to get rid of them courtesy of Rdio's Unlimited service. Combined with free mobile stations and lots more supported countries, Rdio is certainly helping to make the streaming music space a whole lot more competitive.
Rdio shutters Vdio movie streaming service, offers Amazon gift cards as compensation
Rdio was a bit late to the game when it announced its movie streaming service, Vdio, earlier this year. The spinoff site was available in beta form in the US, the UK and Canada, offering blockbuster flick rentals for $6 and movie purchases for up to 20 bucks. Rdio took Vdio offline today, however, citing an inability to differentiate its offering in a very crowded market. Customers who purchased movies and TV shows or have unwatched rentals will receive compensation in the form of Amazon gift cards, while promotional credit will expire. Click through for a surprisingly succinct FAQ.
Rdio launches in 20 new countries, now counts more markets than Spotify
After launching a free, ad-supported service in North America and Australia, Rdio is keeping up the momentum by rolling out its paid service in 20 new countries. Those include swaths of South America including Argentina and Venezuela, along with South Africa, Israel and Hungary. That brings the total to 51, ranking Rdio second by country ahead of Spotify but well behind Deezer, which services a whopping 182 nations. If you're in one of the new regions and okay with having a machine guess your musical taste, you can grab it at the source for most platforms.
Rdio for iOS gets personalized music recommendations
In a continuing effort to beef up its app's features in the hope of staving off its rivals like iTunes Radio, Spotify and Pandora, Rdio has released an update that allows listeners to get personalized music recommendations. Recommendations work in a way that is similar to Apple's iTunes Genius playlists. Based on a user's listening history, Rdio suggests albums and other stations that are similar to what they've been listening to. The app will also suggest playlists that are popular with a user's friends or that are popular in the area that they're located in. The latest version of the app also features a redesigned station player. From the release notes: What's New in Version 2.5.3 • Recommendations. A new destination for discovering what to play next. Find albums similar to what you've been listening to, plus stations and playlists popular with your friends or in your area. • Redesigned Stations Player. Three-track display now showcases album art for the previous, currently playing and next tracks. Swipe to easily skip to the next track. • Various UI improvements and minor bug fixes. Rdio is a universal app and a free download.
Rdio's iOS app now recommends music based on your listening habits
After making some notable improvements to its desktop music player, Rdio is starting to bring its mobile apps up to feature parity. Earlier today, the company rolled out custom recommendations to its iOS app, offering album, station and playlist suggestions based on what you've previously listened to and who you've been following. While Rdio has also made some visual tweaks to its Stations player in order to compete with rivals like Pandora and iTunes Radio, the app hasn't yet received a full iOS 7 upgrade to include Apple's new keyboard and make use of the new unified navigation and status bars. The company says the new features will come to its Android app "soon", at which point you'll have another reason to take advantage of its free mobile streaming.
Rdio launches free service on iOS, Android
The streaming internet radio battles continue with an announcement today by Rdio that it has launched a free internet radio service in the US, Canada and Australia today. Rdio recently inked a deal with radio station owner Cumulus Media, which will start bearing fruit with the new service, as Rdio's web radio player will feature ads sold by Cumulus Media. The free Rdio app (also available for Android) will not play ads between songs, at least at the present time. Rdio is counting on hooking listeners with the free service, then getting them to sign up for a US$10 monthly subscription that will unlock the ability to select albums and songs directly. The service competes directly with Apple's recently launched iTunes Radio, as well as established internet radio services Pandora and Spotify.
Rdio launches free mobile streaming for users in the US, Canada and Australia
Ad-free, on-demand streaming is coming your way, following the launch of Rdio's new internet radio service for iOS and Android devices called Stations. The AP reports that from today, if you live in the US, Canada or Australia, you can take advantage of free music that has been matched to your taste based on certain genres, artists, songs or albums. The company hopes that you'll like the service so much, you'll pay the $10-a-month subscription to access more than 20 million tracks. It's also a direct play to lure customers away from rivals Spotify, Pandora and Apple's iTunes Radio -- which offer the same radio features in similar markets. Free streaming has been made possible thanks to Rdio's partnership with The Echo Nest. The company also recently partnered with Cumulus Media -- owner of over 570 radio stations in the US -- allowing the operator to begin selling ads and serve them inside Rdio's web player (mobile listeners will not be subjected to ads, for now) . If you're already an Unlimited customer, today's rollout will not affect you -- the US company wants you to enjoy its music catalog sans interruptions. Update: Rdio has rolled out a version 2.5 update to its iOS app that introduces the Free Stations feature mentioned above. It also now lets you share stations on Facebook, Twitter or with any of your pals on Rdio, and you can start new stations based on an album or playlist. While the Free Stations are only available in US, Canada and Australia, users worldwide should enjoy the rest. You can go ahead and download it at the App Store link below.
Rdio rolling out custom recommendations based on what you play, who you follow
Rdio's been busy making deals, tweaking its player and adding functionality over the past few months, and now it's learning you what to listen to. The music streaming service is starting to drop hints about albums, stations and playlists -- making recommendations based on users' listening habits and who they've been following. These Echo Nest-powered suggestions are rolling out to browsers now, and the company's blog says iOS and Android will see the functionality soon. Now, if you start getting all kinds of admonishments for The Baha Men, you only have yourself to blame.
Rdio teaming up with terrestrial radio giant Cumulus Media for new free ad-supported streaming
The New York Times is reporting that the subscription-based online streaming service Rdio has made a deal with terrestrial broadcast giant Cumulus Media to provide advertising and content. Cumulus, which runs 525 radio stations, will advertise Rdio on its own stations in addition to providing content for streaming on the service. It's a deal that works well for both parties, with Cumulus looking to enter the digital world as terrestrial radio's popularity wanes and Rdio looking to increase its own market share in the increasingly crowded streaming music market. Currently Rdio lacks a free streaming option, limiting its service to a tiered subscription option of either US$5 or $10 per month. As part of this new deal, Rdio is launching a free ad-supported option, with Cumulus selling advertising that will run alongside the programming. There is no word yet on which of Cumulus' syndicated programming will be included on Rdio in the deal, but they handle everything from the Mark Levin Show and Mike Huckabee Show to weekly country countdowns. The launch date for the new service hasn't been announced yet. Head over to the New York Times for the finer details of the deal. The news comes shortly before the official release of Apple's own streaming service, iTunes Radio.
Daily Update for September 16, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
