So today, Rdio has announced its live radio.
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In the U.S., streaming music app Rdio has added live radio stations to the 35 million songs and curated stations that users now have access to. The new broadcast radio feature provides listeners instant access to their favorite stations and offers advertisers new ways to target their preferred audiences. As Rdio continued to get buried by Spotify, Apple Music and the like, clearly that wasn’t going to be enough. Those who are paying for the streaming service (including its cheaper $4 per month option) will also be allowed to immediately favorite any song that was played and download it to their phone for listening when offline, eliminating a step anyone would usually need to take.
When opening the Rdio app, users will see live radio stations that match their listening habits, mixed with album and song suggestions picked by Rdio’s recommendation algorithms. Rollout with other stations and in other countries is planned over the next year.
Rdio users will be able to search for stations based on genre, location, call letters, or even nickname.
It’s a long list of stations located everywhere from Texas north. There’s also an enhanced user experience.
Rdio’s new live radio feature also includes sports content. The company plans to roll out 24/7 stations focused on major events like NCAA March Madness, The Masters Golf Tournament, and The Kentucky Derby, as well as on-demand access to popular sports shows from audio content platform Westwood One, like the The Jim Rome Show, Tiki & Tierney, and The Doug Gottlieb Show. San Francisco-based TuneIn has access to 100,000 traditional radio stations but no way to mark and save songs.
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Elsewhere in ‘I thought we were in the on-demand age what’s all this live content nonsense?’ news, Mixcloud has told Music Ally it is also considering a move into live streams. Rdio is partnering with Cumulus, the second-largest radio station owner in the U.S., to deliver the content, which will be available on both Rdio’s free and paid tiers starting immediately. iHeartRadio, the country’s largest station owner, already has its own streaming app.
