Live in one of the many countries where Spotify is unavailable, or just want to switch to a service where you don’t need a desktop player? Then Rdio is for you!
According to the company, Rdio, is a combination of the words radio and audio, and is pronounced ar-dee-o.
Spotify brought users in the United Kingdom and States free ad-supported access to many hit songs, and made it social by letting you plug into Facebook and letting you share what you listen to with friends. The main difference with Rdio is that there’s no free version, but a small monthly fee gives you unlimited access to all their content, including the ability to listen offline on your iPod, Android, or other portable music device.
Rdio was first launched in Canada in August 2010, and is currently available in the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Portugal and Denmark. According to Rdio’s UK PR agency, Weber Shandwick, Rdio does have plans to make their services available throughout the European Union and Asia later this year (2012).
Rdio’s partnerships and internationalisation VP Scott Bagby has been quoted as saying “there are some major competitors in Europe…We are a couple of years behind others in terms of expansion there. We’ll be expanding in all countries in Europe – within the next few months, you’ll see several pop up.”
Unlike Spotify, Rdio is entirely web-based, meaning no bulky software is necessary, although you can download their desktop client if you want offline listening on your PC. Being based on standard Flash, AJAX and HTML5, Rdio is compatible with virtually every modern browser. If you are a web developer, then you may want to check out the Rdio API.
Rdio does all the same things as Spotify and then some. Here are a few highlights:
- Share what you listen to on Facebook, Twitter, and with other Rdio members
- Follow other Rdio listeners, especially influential ones like the record labels and artists themselves
- Listen on-demand to over 12 million songs, 100% ad-free and unlimited
- Listen to playlists created by you, other members or top influencers
- View current top artists, albums and songs
- Get recommendations based on what you listen to
- Listen on your computer, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android, Windows Phone 7, and more
Rdio comes in 3 different packages:
- Web $4.99/month for unlimited access through a web browser or desktop client.
- Unlimited $9.99/month gets you access from your mobile devices, and offline access. Sync and go wirelessly.
- Family $17.99/month for 2 members or $22.99/month for three. Same as unlimited except you can use multiple devices with one account.
To get started, just click here and start your 1-week free trial at rdio.com.
About Jeremy Andrews
Freelance PHP/MySQL developer, tech support guy, travel agent, transit photographer, and lover of poutine. Jeremy Andrews is a young guy from Montreal, Canada who enjoys writing about technology, can develop a website, and can do your travel arrangements! Contact him today at jeremy@jerail.ca for more info on any of these services.
