Rdio has just landed on Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire TV Stick media streamers as it tries to stand out against Spotify and Apple Music.
The free app includes access to Rdio’s streaming radio stations, which users can generate from artists, albums, songs, and genres. In that regard, it’s similar to other Internet radio services such as Pandora and iHeartRadio, though it also includes a “You FM” station that mashes all your musical tastes into a single playlist. Subscribers to Rdio’s $10 per month Premium service can also listen to any song or album on-demand.
This is Rdio’s third app for TV devices, joining existing apps for Roku players and Google’s Chromecast dongle. While that may not seem like a big deal, Rdio’s on-demand streaming rivals are much more selective about releasing full-blown TV apps.
Spotify, for instance, offers a full app for Roku players, but its Spotify Connect Fire TV app requires a phone or tablet to operate, and neither app works with the free version of Spotify. Meanwhile, Spotify has partnered with Sony on an exclusive app for Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 with free on-demand listening.
Apple Music is launching on June 30 for iOS, Android, and the web. Apple TV will be the only supported set-top box at launch, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
Why this matters: Rdio has long been an underdog to Spotify, and the sledding won’t get any smoother with Apple entering the on-demand streaming music picture this month. The reality is that these services aren’t much different from one another, which makes it hard for a smaller player like Rdio to make an impact. Still, as more people turn to set-top boxes like Roku and Fire TV for their living room entertainment, Rdio’s broader support could become a major selling point against its larger rivals.