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NYT: Rdio to offer free streaming by year's end, strikes deal with traditional radio company
Having a hard time making it in the internet radio space? Maybe you should take a feather from the cap of a firm that still rides the airwaves. That seems to be Rdio's approach -- according to the New York Times, the company is partnering with Cumulus Media (a company that owns for-real radio stations) to create a free version of its audio streaming service. Rdio will also trade a stake in its parent company, Pulser Media, for chunks of Cumulus programming and promotion on the traditional airwaves. Cumulus will sell ads for Rdio's impending free service, as well as compile playlists from its catalog of syndicated programming. This could buffer Rdio's music library with news and talk shows, which will hopefully give the service a competitive advantage over services like Spotify, Pandora and iTunes Radio. Although the deal doesn't involve a cash exchange, the Times reports the value of Cumulus' services at over $100 million. As for that free Rdio overhaul? It's predicted to be out sometime before the end of the year. The deal will be officially announced on Monday, until then, check out the NYT report at the source link below.
Twitter #Music charts now playing on Rdio
Twitter #Music might've released a Spotify app first, but that doesn't mean it's forgotten you folks on Rdio: you can now listen to all the tracks that rank on the social network's charts from within the internet radio's website or app. The songs are segregated into genre playlists -- just head over to the Twitter #Music station linked below to access and subscribe to them if you're inclined to keep abreast of what's trending. If what's hot with Twitter users don't exactly suit your ears, however, you can always discover new music via Autoplay or take advantage its Station Tuning feature instead.
Rdio for iOS updated with Station Tuning feature, new design for Collections
Rdio's used the past few months to bring an array of improvements to its iOS app -- some functional and some cosmetic. To keep the momentum going, the company today released yet another update, including a Station Tuning feature that lets listeners "adjust any station to play more familiar or more adventurous tracks." Additionally, the app's Collection tab now sports a redesigned look, which makes for an easier, better-looking way to view album artwork. Rdio says search within has been improved as well, while other undisclosed, under-the-hood UI enhancements are also part of this version. Per usual, we've included the download link below.
Rdio redesigns its Stations feature, promises more customization
It's been less than a week since Spotify showed the world its new Browse feature, and now Rdio wants in on that action. The vowel-skipping music streaming service is revamping its Stations offering, starting with a player redesign, which includes voting on songs and station fine tuning and pivoting. Users can also create 10 types of different stations, starting with an artist, song or one of the service's 400 or so sub-genre selections. You FM, meanwhile, utilizes Facebook likes, Twitter follows, listening history and track votes to curate a customized listening experience. You can also build stations based on your friends' listening habit. The above offerings are available now on iOS, Android and in the browser.
Vdio launches in Canada with a smaller catalog
Canadians who love movies (but hate vowels) just received some good news: Rdio has launched Vdio in their homeland. The content and pricing is largely similar to what we've seen in the US, including major movies that cost $5.99 to rent and $19.99 to buy. There are a few glaring omissions, though -- some bigger titles, such as Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook, are listed as "unavailable." Vdio isn't launching all that smoothly in the Great White North, then. Even so, its arrival is noteworthy when many online media services tend to skip Canada altogether.
This is the Modem World: Internet radio is inhuman
Each week Joshua Fruhlinger contributes This is the Modem World, a column dedicated to exploring the culture of consumer technology. I gripped the handset, twirling the coiled wire around my wrist, listening for a ring tone. Instead, a busy signal triggered an autonomous twitch reaction in my teenage hand: hang up, wait for dial tone, hit redial, listen for ring tone. Again. Again.
Rdio family plans now allow for five people
Popular music-streaming service Rdio has announced that its family plans now allow for five people. Previously, family plans were limited to three individual users, something that could cause a bit of tension in larger families. In a blog posting announcing the move, Rdio describes how the new family plans will work: Here's how it works: Designate someone in your family to have a main account, and he or she will add sub-accounts to their subscription. From there, each family member has their own Rdio Unlimited account, from which they build and control their own Collection, playlists, network of followers, and other great features. Users still have the option of paying for membership plans that allow fewer than five participants. A two-account plan will cost US$17.99 per month, with a three-account plan costing $22.99, a four-account plan at $27.99 per month and a five-account plan at $32.99 per month. The move is no doubt aimed at increasing Rdio's offerings as Apple is set to unveil iTunes Radio to the public with iOS 7 later this fall. The Rdio app for iOS is a free download.
Rdio updates family plan, bumps the limit to five users for $32.99 a month
On its blog today, Rdio announced that it will now support up to five people on its family plan. Previously, only three customers were able to buddy up on the music-streaming service, with monthly pricing set at $17.99 for two users and $22.99 for three. Fees for two and three users will remain the same, while four members cost $27.99 and maxing out with five listeners will set you back $32.99 per month. If you already have an account and want to get your sibs in on the actions, head to your Rdio settings and select "Unlimited Family." From there, you can invite the family to sign on.
In preparation for iTunes Radio, Rdio update gains radio stations
It's interesting to see how the streaming radio giants are preparing to counteract the rollout of iTunes Radio in iOS 7. Spotify finally released a web player in early June. Competitor Rdio unveiled radio stations for its iOS app today, allowing it to go toe to toe against Pandora, Spotify and iTunes Radio on iOS. Like the other services, Rdio allows you to curate the radio stations via artist. Users can see four upcoming tracks in their radio stations and have unlimited skips, which makes sense given that the iOS app is only usable if you pay the US$9.99-a-month subscription fee. The service also has added an autoplay feature that allows you to hear similar music to artists you've recently listened to. Radio stations have been a part of the Rdio desktop and web apps for awhile, and it hit Spotify's iOS app in June 2012.
Rdio version 2.21 for iOS gets song stations, autoplay
Rdio, the streaming service that hates the letter a, has updated its iOS app to help users find new, yet similar, music. Song Stations will generate playlists from a single artist, which folds in related music as it goes. The feature will let you preview the next four tracks in the list, giving you the power to skip as many time as you like -- just in case you find yourself trapped in a singer's middle-period creative slump. Rdio has also added autoplay to the app, so when your current playlist has ended, it'll find something similar to ensure you're never plunged into an awkward silence.
Rdio opens Vdio mvie srvice to evryone
Rdio, that lover of social streaming and sworn enemy of the vowel, is finally opening up its new TV and movie service to all users in the US and UK. Previously only the realm of Rdio Unlimited subscribers, Vdio lets users rent, buy and do various social activities with television and film. At present, the service is offering a solid set of new releases, like Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook, which can be rented for $2.99 and $5.99, respectively. Each movie description also lets you know which of your friends have watched the feature, with help from the Facebook sign-in up front.
Editorial: What internet radio needs to disrupt actual radio
"Internet radio" is usually a misnomer, as well as an indicator of its ambition. The term "radio" is misapplied to internet services like AOL Radio, Rhapsody Radio, the upcoming iTunes Radio and their ilk. All these mediums are unrelated to radio technology. But for most people, "radio" simply means something you turn on and listen to. As a marketing term, "radio" seeks to accustom users to new technology by connecting it with familiar technology. Pandora describes itself as "free, personalized radio." The business intent in all cases is more ambitious -- to wean people from the terrestrial radio habit and migrate them to online services. Will it work?
Rdio announces expansion to seven new countries, reaches Asia for the first time
Rdio may not be available in as many places as, say, Spotify, but the relatively popular music service is certainly doing all it can to get there. As such, Rdio today announced that it has now arrived in seven additional markets, bringing its total presence to 31 countries and making this the first time it's being offered in Asian territory. Hoping to lure folks in, Rdio's quick to point out its promise to deliver up to six months of free internet-based tunes, after which streamers can easily upgrade to one of its various plans (assuming they want to, of course). Fret not if Rdio isn't live in your hood; the company says it's constantly working on expanding its reach, so hopefully we'll see it pop up in more areas pretty soon.
Rdio intros new social features and redesigned player
Social media streamer Rdio rolled out a major redesign a little over a year ago and has done a bit of tweaking since then. Now, following a recent update to its mobile apps, the service is making even more changes. At the top of the list are methods for getting social on the site, with friends from Twitter and Facebook hitting its front page, alongside their listening habits and influencers selected by the service. You can also check out a curated list of potential friends, if the front page just isn't doing it for you. Autoplay, meanwhile, creates personalized stations and keeps the music going after you're out of ideas, or you can proactively create stations by clicking on album artwork. Also new is a thumbs up / thumbs down voting feature and a full-size player featuring big album artwork and upcoming tracks.
Twitter #Music adds new chart features
When Twitter launched its music discover service Twitter #Music last month, the service had a lot going for it. Spotify and Rdio support for streaming full songs, music discovery based on what was trending at the moment and the #NowPlaying feature that shows what your friends are listening to added a lot to the service. But it had one major flaw: It lacked specificity. It lacked charts that allowed you to see the top artists in genres, that you cared about. And now, that problem has been fixed. Twitter has added genre charts to its Twitter #Music app in the hopes of helping you better find the music you're looking for. Currently there are 15 charts to browse; 10 genre stations (alternative, country, dance, metal, pop, etc.) and five specialty stations (superstars, popular, emerging, unearthed and hunted). The genre charts are self-explanatory, and don't worry folk fans you're included there too, but the five other charts are worth taking a look at. Superstars and Popular focus on the mainstream music currently at the forefront of pop culture, while the Emerging and Unearthed charts list artists who bubbling under the service. Hunted, a nod to a service called We Are Hunted that Twitter recently acquired, aggregates music popular in blogs at the moment. As of press time the new chart features are only available on the web version of the service. It's expected that the charts will be added to iOS in an upcoming update.
Shazam for iPad gets auto-tagging, trending charts, local maps, Spotify and Rdio integration (updated)
If you've ever sighed in frustration at not being able to leap straight from discovering a song to playing it ad-nauseum on Spotify or Rdio, here's a heads-up. Shazam's iPad-focused iOS update integrates both streaming services with its discovery software in addition to a new look home screen and an auto-tagging mode that'll passively observe any music in the background. The mapping service has also been tweaked, letting you search and see what songs are being tagged in your neighborhood (or anyone else's, for that matter) and if you'd like to see it in action, head on past the break. Update: Shazam's been in touch to clarify that Rdio is available for all users, but if you want Spotify integration, you'll have to upgrade to the paid version.
Rdio for iOS update brings 'Find People' feature, design improvements to the UI
Music streamers on Rdio for iOS are used to getting novel features quite often -- but hey, as they say, the more the merrier, right? Keeping up with that tradition, Rdio announced earlier today it's introducing a few new tidbits to the application with version 2.2. Most notably, the app will now allow users to quickly find friends and artists via a new feature dubbed -- appropriately, no less -- Find People. Building up on the search improvements, Rdio's also added an option to easily discover a record label's top musicians and albums, which is, in part, made possible by a number of UI enhancements (like a revamped navigation menu) that were also included in this release. All that sound good? Then you shall wait no more; the goods can be found at our source, or you could always download straight from your iOS device.
RIAA now counts online streams in Gold and Platinum Digital Single Awards
After years of fighting against the digital tide, the RIAA announced it'll now factor online audio and video streams when considering tracks for its Digital Single Award. The certification has heretofore been given to digital tracks that have gone Gold or Platinum, but only for downloads: 500,000 for Gold, 1,000,000 for Platinum and 2 million-plus for multi-Platinum. But under its new policy, 100 streams count as one download, meaning that it could reach those thresholds with a mix of streams and downloads, not just the latter. The new approach is "an approximate barometer of comparative consumer activity; the financial value of streams and downloads were not factored into the equation." All told, these include streams from services like MOG, Rhapsody, Slacker, Spotify and Rdio along with video sites like VEVO, YouTube and MTV.com. Under the new system, 56 titles have already gone Gold and beyond, with 11 receiving their first ever digital song cert. A couple of first-timers include Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" which went Platinum and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" that went multi-Platinum. While we can't say if music services will make everyone happy, it's clear streaming's here to stay. Hear that, iTunes?
Twitter #Music to debut later today (Update)
As reported by ABC News, the new Twitter #Music app will officially launch today. It will be available through the Twitter #Music app for iPhone and on the web here. Details are coming in this morning. A post has been published to Twitter's blog with a lot of information. The Twitter #Music app will help you discover music based on what's trending on Twitter, bands and others you follow and music gleaned from tweets. Basically, a music recommendation service based on tweets! According to Twitter, it pulls music from iTunes Rdio or Spotify. Music previews will default to iTunes, and those who subscribe to Rdio or Spotify can log into their accounts and enjoy full tracks as they're available. Twitter notes that other music services will be added in the future. It's going to be fun to play with and we'll have a detailed look at #Music soon. Update: Twitter #Music is available it the App Store now.
Rdio brings new sharing options to iOS app, no longer confined to Facebook and Twitter
It hasn't been all that long since the last update to Rdio's iOS app, but the music streaming service is back with yet another revision today that offers some new features and minor tweaks. The big addition is a change to the way you can share music: instead of simply sharing to Facebook or Twitter (something still available through a refreshed UI), you can now share songs or albums directly with other Rdio users. That feature's already available in Rdio's web interface and desktop apps, but hasn't yet made its way to the company's Android or Windows Phone apps. Apart from that, you can only expect some promised UI improvements elsewhere and the usual bug fixes.
