Rdio Launches Free Internet Radio Service in New Zealand

Rdio, a leading global music streaming service available in 85 countries, today updates its New Zealand app to lead with ad-supported free Internet radio, offering users more ways to listen to their favourite music on Rdio.

New Zealand music fans can now instantly enjoy free programmed Internet radio stations with no trial or subscription necessary. Rdio’s ad-supported Internet radio features 20 times more music than the leading Internet radio service and a wide variety of innovative features for personalization and discovery. New Zealand users now have access to algorithmic artist and genre-based stations, human-curated stations programmed to fit any mood or activity, personalized stations tuned to each individual listener, and stations based on tastemakers.

Rdio provides the most comprehensive catalogue of music worldwide, with more than 32 million songs for listeners to enjoy anytime, anywhere – on phones, online, on connected devices at home or in cars. Rdio is the only music services that lets fans choose between leaning back to hear a curated Rdio radio station based on the genres they like, or leaning forward to pick the specific songs and albums they want to hear on-demand.

“We are in the very early days of music streaming and there is a huge opportunity to bring this remarkable experience to people around the world,” said Anthony Bay, CEO of Rdio. “We're focused on offering the world's best streaming experience built around the listener – anytime and anywhere – tuned to you. We now lead with a free stations experience combined with the option to upgrade to a full on-demand subscription service that offers access to any song, album or playlist. We are thrilled to begin offering this unique combination to users in New Zealand.”

Rdio’s free Internet radio service is enabled around the world through innovative advertising and promotion partnerships. Over the past 12 months, Rdio has forged strong relationships with partners in New Zealand and Australia including Live Nation, serving as the company’s exclusive streaming partner. This exciting long-term partnership will see Rdio fully integrated across Live Nation New Zealand and Australia digital platforms.

Rdio also participates in and supports the New Zealand music industry, supporting both emerging and established artists through Rdio’s core music programs including the New Music Weekly playlist, Rdio Recommends, as well as through social media promotion. Local artists supported by Rdio have included Broods, Ladyhawke, Tiny Ruins, Doprah, Benny Tipene, I Am Giant, Ginny Blackmore, Connan Mockasin, Little Bark, K.One and Sid Diamond.

For the past year Rdio has partnered with St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival to deliver fans the “St. Jerome’s Laneway” Festival app, which provides festival-goers with a personal, digital guide to the event. Due to the success of this partnership, Rdio will continue as the Festival’s exclusive music streaming partner for 2015.

Rdio’s commitment to providing music fans around the world access to a superior music streaming experience anytime, anywhere can be seen through recent strategic partnerships with connected device brands, mobile apps and automotive companies including:

• Shazam® whereby users can now connect their Rdio account to get the tracks they discover automatically added to Rdio playlists. Rdio users can also go beyond the preview, playing full tracks from Rdio right in Shazam; 
• SoundHound which also connects listeners directly with Rdio and enables every song discovered to be played back “in app” and also linked to a playlist in Rdio;
• Rdio’s current wireless speaker partnerships include Sonos, Google Cast for audio, Samsung Shape and Bluesound devices by Lenbrook;
• Google Chromecast casts Rdio content to the TV’s from Rdio iOS, Android, and Web apps;
• Through an exclusive global partnership between Rdio, automotive parts and systems supplier Bosch, and manufacturers Jaguar and Land Rover, drivers can interact with Rdio’s online and offline features through the InControl Apps platform. Rdio also provides interactive streaming music for all Volvos along with aftermarket car entertainment devices such as Pioneer AppRadioLive, and HARMAN Aha Radio.

About Rdio

Rdio, one of the world’s largest licensed music services, offers a catalogue of over 32 million songs in 85 countries and territories worldwide. Rdio’s mission is to provide access to every song, on every device, anywhere in the world instantly, online or offline — tuned to you. Rdio’s critically acclaimed applications combine the best of personal choice, social engagement, human curation, algorithmic personalization, and programming from tastemakers. Music fans can enjoy Rdio as either a free, personalized stations-first Internet radio experience or as a full on-demand subscription service. Founded by Janus Friis, co-creator of Skype, in August 2010, Rdio is headquartered in San Francisco. More information on Rdio is available at: www.rdio.com