Verizon Wireless adds Rdio social music service to V Cast Apps

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) is adding on-demand social music service Rdio to its V Cast Apps storefront, offering customers with select Android devices that run on the carrier's 3G and 4G LTE networks unlimited, on-the-go access to a cloud-based library spanning more than 8.5 million songs. In addition to anywhere/anytime listening, the Rdio Unlimited solution offers social media sharing tools, music sync for offline listening, personalized playlists and seamless listening, allowing users to check out music across multiple connected devices, including smartphones, laptops or PCs.

Rdio Unlimited is priced at $9.99 per month--Verizon Wireless subscribers can download a free seven-day trial, then charge the full premium service directly to their Verizon bill. The operator billing option represents a significant win for Rdio, according to CEO Drew Larner: "Getting out of credit card billing is something we've been trying to do. Integrating direct billing through V Cast Apps makes it much easier for people to subscribe--you click one thing instead of typing in your credit card number," Larner said in an interview with FierceMobileContent. "[Operator partnerships] are why we decided to pursue this business. The combination of devices, connectivity and network speed allows users to have a more satisfying experience."

Entrepreneurs Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström--who previously teamed for peer-to-peer file sharing effort Kazaa and VoIP service Skype--launched Rdio in mid-2010, joining the growing ranks of on-demand music services such as Spotify and MOG. The company boasts content partnerships with EMI Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group as well as a host of indie labels. In addition to the ad-free Rdio Unlimited service, which spans both mobile device platforms like Android, iOS and BlackBerry as well as the desktop, Rdio also offers web-only access priced at $4.99 per month.

The number of mobile users subscribing to streaming services like Rdio is expected to close in on 5.9 million by the end of 2011. An ABI Research forecast issued in March projects cloud-based solutions will supersede conventional album and song ownership as consumers' primary channel to access music by 2016, with subscribers topping 161 million--a compound annual growth rate of almost 95 percent.

For more:
- read this release

Related articles:
Rdio tunes in $17.5 million financing round
Rdio teams with Grammy Awards for MusicMapper app  
Rdio adds indie music artists via Merlin deal  
Spotify rival Rdio goes live across North America