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Rdio unveils personalized radio service to lure away Pandora users

Rdio unveils personalized radio service to lure away Pandora users

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Underdog streaming-audio startup Rdio introduced new personalized stations today as part of an effort to siphon off subscribers to other internet radio services. Rdio's version of personalized radio, which it calls "You FM," combines a user's listening history with artists they like on Facebook and follow on Twitter. The offering replaces the company's original radio feature, which came out last November.

The new stations, developed in partnership with the Echo Nest, also include artist-specific stations that allow deep dives into a particular performer. Users can adjust their personal stations to play music that is more or less familiar, depending on how adventurous they're feeling. The stations appear in a redesigned player that emphasizes the album art.

Rdio says they now offer 10 types of stations, drawing on Rdio's catalog of 20 million songs. Users can browse by genre as well as artist, and can also see easily what stations their friends have been listening to. Rdio told Bloomberg that the service, which competes with Pandora and other internet radio offerings, is designed to convert more people who finish Rdio's trial offering to subscribe to the $10-a-month service. Rdio gives away its ad-free service for six months to desktop listeners and two weeks to people who want to try it on their mobile devices.