Rdio: Clean Music Streaming

by BradyHeyen

As I’ve already mentioned, I have a passion for music. Out of that passion, stems a constant desire to listen to music. And new music at that. But I am a college student with little to no money, so I cannot afford to buy new albums here and there, hoping to like a few of them. So where else do I turn, but to the wonderful world of streaming services, like everyone and their mother.

Now, there is a whole different discussion I could delve into about the morality of using a music streaming service. But I’ll just leave it at: You should know that listening to music on a streaming service gives artists almost no money. I’ll let your conscience wrestle with that next time you open Spotify. 

I, as an artist myself, think that the streaming service industry is a little messed up, and could use a lot of improvement. In a perfect world, we’d all just be buying vinyl. However, I gotta have my pops…and by “pops,” I clearly mean virtually any song I can imagine at my fingertips at any given moment…

But I don’t use Spotify.

I use Rdio.

I was first turned onto Rdio when I was a freshman in college. I found a competition Rdio was holding in which participants made pre-show playlists for an M83 concert (You think you don’t know who M83 is, but you do…). The contestant with the best playlist had it played before an M83 show in Austin, TX AND received free tickets, airfare, and lodging for two. Needless to say, I won. On top of an amazing weekend in Austin, I got a year’s subscription to Rdio for free, and I just couldn’t give it up after it ran out.

But why Rdio? Spotify is cool and they have the Lumineers!

For the sake of this article, I am going to assume you know what Spotify is. This assumption will help me explain Rdio to you:

Rdio is exactly Spotify, but without all the junk, and for a better price.

• Rdio has a cleaner, more minimal design than Spotify

 

This no-nonsense layout lets me find what I’m looking for with no headaches. The focus is on the music, as it should be.

• Rdio doesn’t have all the third party apps that Spotify offers

Why do you need all these apps to tell you what to listen to? Rdio’s “Heavy Rotation” feature shows what albums are popular among your friends (that you hand pick! None of this “Add all Facebook Friends” garbage.), which serves as a great tool for communal listening and developing micro-cultures.

• AND Rdio is only $5 a month for unlimited desktop/mobile access if you’re a student 

Both the desktop and mobile apps are fantastic and I have never had a problem with either. So, what are you waiting for? Get an account on Rdio today and add me! Unless you listen to terrible music, in which case, PLEASE stay on Spotify with the rest of the uncultured world.

*I swear Rdio isn’t paying me for this*