THIS CHANNEL IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN THE ROKU CHANNEL STORE.
Quick Look: Rdio is a free streaming music service, similar to Pandora, but with the added ability to select specific artists, albums, and tracks if you upgrade to a paid account.
Rdio requires you to have a free account or paid subscription to sign into the Roku app. When you first launch Rdio, you will be prompted to sign in or to create an account. If you've already created an Rdio account through their website or another app, you can sign in with those credentials. If you sign in with a free account, you'll be given the option to try Rdio Unlimited free for 30 days, or you can continue to the free stations. If you subscribe to Rdio Unlimited, you will be billed through Roku, Inc. at the end of the 30-day free trial, unless you cancel before then.
If you continue on to the free stations, your listening experience will be limited to stations based on your album selections. Search on an artist, select an album, then a song from that album, and you will likely hear a song from that album, but not the selected song. Play then continues with music similar to what you selected. All in all, a very Pandora-like experience. Update to Rdio Unlimited, and you'll be able to select specific tracks and listen to entire albums, in addition to being able to create stations of similar music - and you'll have uninterrupted ad-free listening.
Aside from the free account being limited to stations instead of having access to specific tracks, you'll find the channel options and user interface to be the same with both the free and paid accounts. You'll find a Search option, tracking of "Your Music", and a listing of New Releases and Recommendations. You'll also find music suggested for you under the following categories:
- Trending Stations
- Trending Albums
- Trending Playlists
- Trending Artists
- Trending Songs
If you simply want to hear certain types of music and don't mind a few commercial interruptions, stick with the free version of Rdio. But if you want to hear specific artists, listen to specific songs, and want to have full control over your listening experience (and you don't want your music interrupted by ads), ten bucks a month is a good value for the Rdio Unlimited subscription.
-- Information is current as of December 13, 2014
Developer's Channel Description: Rdio is music, tuned to you - with endless radio stations for every mood, new and classic albums, and over 30 million songs. Go play.
CHANNEL STORE CATEGORY: Music
DEVELOPER: Rdio Inc.
FEES: No fees for basic service; Rdio Unlimited is free for 30 days then $9.99 per month. Subscribe here.
RELATED LINKS:
Rdio Website
Rdio on Facebook
Rdio on Twitter
