Rdio has revamped its Internet radio service with new types of stations and additional features. The update, available on the web and as an app, includes personalized stations, stations based on genre and a new player that makes it easier to influence what kinds of songs Rdio plays.
The company, like Spotify, gives users access to millions of tracks to listen to on demand, has so far focused on listeners who like to choose exactly what they hear and when they hear it. Pandora’s Music Genome Project, on the other hand, plays music based off of songs the listener picks at the beginning when curating a new channel—and then lets the listener choose whether or not they like each song that plays.
Rdio is trying to get more of the passive Internet radio customers like Pandora listeners, Chris Becherer, the company’s VP/Product, told the LA Times. “So far, we’ve done a good job of creating an easy-to-use on-demand service. Now we’re taking that expertise and applying it to the stations side. We view the user as needing both of these things.”
Rdio now automatically sets up a personalized station based on customers’ listening habits, called “You FM,” which others can access, just like Pandora. The company makes recommendations through the station, based on Facebook likes, Twitter follows and listening history.
Users can customize the stations by giving thumbs up or thumbs down votes to songs and by choosing how obscure they want Rdio’s recommendations to be.
Rdio also offers hundreds of new genre stations.
RBR-TVBR observation: The Rdio app is not a free service, per se, like Pandora—except for the PC/laptop version. We assume “You FM” will have a free, ad-supported version or else it will not be very competitive.
