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Music-streaming service Spotify has been pipped to a US launch by Rdio, a new stateside equivalent from the people behind Skype.
Rdio is subscription-only, but cheaper than Spotify’s UK offering: $9.99 (£6.30) per month for unlimited streaming to your desktop and mobile, or $4.95 (£3.10) for tunes to just your PC.
The people behind it are the same minds who bought you the famous VoIP service Skype, dubious P2P platform Kazaa and obscure online video channel Joost. For the record, you pronounce the name ‘R-Dee-Oh’.
Swedish-born streaming service Spotify (try saying that when you’re drunk) has been attempting a US launch for well over a year, vowing — and failing — to go west before the end of 2009. Daniel Ek, Spotify’s founder, is determined to launch Spotify in the US with the free, ad-supported version before this year is out, despite uneasy negotiations with music labels who aren’t happy with a considerable chunk of their music revenue being dependent on advertising.
We put this query to our Facebook group who, by and large, wouldn’t have used Spotify if it had been paid-only on launch. Several said exposure to the free version convinced them it was worth the money.
Will Rdio appeal to our American cousins without a free, ad-supported, version to get ’em hooked? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our lovely Facebook page.
