Technology Development

Today the founders of Skype and KazZaA have released Rdio, a social music service app, for BlackBerry. For $9.99/month, you can access seven million songs, listen to as much as you like.




SAN FRANCISCO – Aug. 3 – Rdio (www.rdio.com), a new way to discover music through
people, today took the wraps off its social music service.  With the end
of its invitation-only period, Rdio is now available to anyone who
wants to enjoy unlimited access to seven million songs either on a
desktop or a smartphone.  Rdio recently expanded its music collection
through deals with leading independent aggregators and updated mobile
applications for the Android and iPhone’s OS 4.0.



“Rdio users love how simple it is to use,” said Drew Larner, CEO for
Rdio.  “Imagine having an unlimited online jukebox which shows you what
others are listening to – you can enjoy any song you want, as many times
as you want, whenever and wherever you want.  The social nature of Rdio
means you can discover new songs every time you visit Rdio.”



New Content from Major Indie Aggregators

Building on its content from the major music labels, Rdio recently
signed partnerships with major independent music aggregators including
IODA, IRIS, Finetunes, INgrooves and The Orchard.  IODA’s collection
includes music from the London Symphony Orchestra, Arts & Crafts and
Ghostly International, among others.  IRIS brings thousands of tracks
to Rdio, including music from labels like Ninja Tune, Chemikal
Underground and Metropolis.  The Orchard brings labels including Fania
Records, Frenchkiss Records & TVT Records.  INgrooves adds music
from Fat Possum, ESL Music & VP Records.



Mobile Apps for Android, BlackBerry and iPhone OS 4.0

Rdio continues to update and enhance its apps for iPhone, Android and
BlackBerry, letting Rdio mobile subscribers listen to their entire
collection, add new songs and create new playlists straight from their
smartphone.



Taking advantage of the new multi-tasking benefits of iPhone OS 4.0,
users can now listen to music while browsing the Web, using other apps
or email.  And, Rdio will pause songs during a phone call, and play the
song where it left off when the call ends.  Subscribers can sync as many
songs and playlists as the phone will allow, to enable playback even
when there’s no reception when users are on a plane or traveling
underground.



Spin Magazine, The FADER, KCRW Radio and others Connect Fans with New
Music

Leading music publications and influencers, including Spin Magazine,
Pitchfork, Los Angeles’ KCRW Radio, The FADER and XLR8R Magazine have
created Rdio profiles and are connecting fans with their favorite music.



“By taking the work out of what to play next and relying on recognized
taste-makers, not computer algorithms, people are going to find new
music they like,” said Drew Larner.

KCRW (89.9 FM in LA and KCRW.com), a renowned tastemaker for uncovering
new music from around the world, has created a list of DJ picks and
recommended albums, which is updated weekly. Spin, one of the leading
music magazines, has added close to 4,000 songs and several playlists,
including “SPIN's Best Albums of 2010 (so far)” and “Must See Summer
Tours.”



Rdio Brings the Music Experience Back to Life

       Rdio, pronounced AR-dee-oh, costs $9.99 per month for unlimited
Web and mobile access (including the ability to listen to music and
playlists offline), and $4.99 for Web-only access.  Completely ad-free,
Rdio is currently available in the United States and Canada. Key
features include:

•Play anything you want without paying per tune.  Rdio has music from
all of the major labels (EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal
Music Group and Warner Music Group) and leading indie aggregators.
 Whether you want to listen to the latest Top 40 album or indie artist,
Rdio has more than seven million songs in its library.

•Match your iTunes library.  Match music from your iTunes or Windows
Media Player collection to instantly build your Rdio library.  Rdio’s
matching tool makes it simple and automatic.

•Discover new songs, socially.  Rdio is like Twitter for music.  Follow
friends and people with great taste in music to discover new songs and
keep your catalog fresh.

•Manage and access your music – no matter where you are.  Discover new
songs, update a playlist, and listen to your entire collection no matter
where you are.   No cables, no computer hassles.

•Create and listen to collaborative playlists.  Rdio users have created
playlists with creative and descriptive names, making it easy to pick a
playlist based on your mood.  Rdio takes the effort out of deciding what
to listen to next.

•Let Rdio decide what to play next.  Click play on “Artist Radio” to
discover music from an artist and others like them.  Rdio can also
recommend new music based on artists you like.

•Listen offline.  Add songs to your “offline library” and turn your
smartphone into an MP3 player replacement. When you’re on an airplane or
without a connection, you can listen to your entire library of songs
that you’ve synced to your phone.

•See what’s popular.  Check out the music collection “bubbles” to see
what people listen to most. One glance and you’ll see if it’s someone
you’d like to follow, and you can see what music you’re playing the most
in your own collection.

•Download music.  You can also download songs to keep at an average
price of $.99 per track.

Anyone wanting to access Rdio can head straight to www.Rdio.com.  Users have
three days of free listening before signing up.



About Rdio:

Rdio brings music alive with its social music service where you can
discover music through friends and tastemakers. Rdio takes the work out
of deciding what to play next and connects the music in your Web browser
with your mobile phone. You can play as many songs you want, anytime,
anywhere. Rdio has partnerships with all of the major labels including
EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner
Music Group and several independent aggregators.  Rdio was founded by
Janus Friis with Niklas Zennström. Funding was received from Atomico, a
leading technology investment group.