Rdio Makes “Stations” Feature Free For All Users

In a move that doesn’t come as a surprise following Apple’s entrance in the online radio space with iTunes Radio, music streaming Rdio is announcing today that the “Stations” feature will be free for all non-subscribers. Until today, people could try out Rdio’s full feature set for 14 days, then sign up at $9.99 per month; after today, Stations will remain always available – without the 14-day limitation – in Rdio’s mobile apps.

We’re inviting everyone to listen to all of Rdio’s stations, drawing from over 20 million songs, through our mobile apps for iOS and Android without ever pulling out the plastic. Even if your subscription or trial has ended, you’ll be able to choose from 10 different station types — including stations based on artist, song, and over 400 genres plus You FM, a personalized station based on your listening habits — so you can keep the music playing for as long as you want at no cost to you.

Casey Newton has an interview with Rdio’s Chris Becherer at The Verge:

To get the complete Rdio service, which includes on-demand listening of tracks and offline song storage, the user still has to pay $9.99 a month. But executives hope that if the people who complete the free trial continue listening to Stations, they’ll be more likely to subscribe in the long run. “We don’t need you to subscribe right away,” says Chris Becherer, vice president for product, in an interview with The Verge. “You can live inside Stations for a long time. We think that over time, you’ll start building up your collection, building up your favorites. And whenever you do subscribe, all that stuff is ready to go.

The new free radio feature is available for users in the US, Canada, and Australia. More details on how it works from Rdio:

By combining The Echo Nest’s Taste Profiling technology with Rdio’s beautifully dynamic design and rich data on listening history, we’ve unlocked an unprecedented personal radio experience for all mobile users to enjoy for free.

I have been listening to Rdio Stations for the past few months, and the quality of their recommendations is impressive. The “Your FM” personalized station has been particularly accurate in the songs and artists it recommends, and I believe that if Rdio can scale well enough to accomodate free users on Stations without sacrificing quality, the feature could help in selling more subscriptions. It’ll be interesting to see the repercussions of Apple’s iTunes Radio and Rdio’s new free option in a few months.

Rdio for iOS can be found here.