Rdio and Indie Record Labels Association (AIR) deepen partnership

Rdio and the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) have announced a partnership to make Rdio AIR’s official digital music streaming partner.

Rdio is already the major partnerfor AIR’s Carlton Dry Independent Music Awards in 2014 but this year will collaborate with AIR on initiatives that support the local music industry.

AIR’s new CEO Dan Nevin told TMN Rdio will continue as partner for its next awards and will help widen the reach of AIR’s national independentcharts.

“AIR's Carlton Dry Independent Music Charts are an important asset for our independent music sector and AIR's partnership with Rdio will help further promote the Charts and highlight the strength of independent music,” Nevin told TMN.

Rdio Australia and New Zealand Head of Territory Colin Blake told TMN the media and public "touch points" it uses to help expose local artists will be a key part of how Rdio works with AIR.

“In Australia Rdio has always utilised our media partners and social media base to promote local artists. That has been sometimes in the form of helping market tours and festivals we have been involved in, or pushing interest in exclusive or key local releases,” Blake told TMN.

“Plus, we are just so stoked on the state of Aussie independent music right now,” Blake added. “Tkay Maidza, DZ Deathrays, Safia, Kite String Tangle are all in heavy rotation in the office at the moment. It is a pleasure to do anything that supports hot Aussie music.”

Rdio has been heavily involved with the local independent sector since its Australian launch in 2012. Rdio presented tours from acts including Sydney DJ duo The Faders, festivals including Stereosonic, exclusive streams from The Presets and One day and is the presenting partner for next month’s Laneway Festival.

“Although we are certainly a music service that appeals to any music listener, Rdio has always been proud of our efforts to ensure our catalogue is as best filled with all the local and independent music possible from around the world. Here in Australia we have always enjoyed a strong relationship with local indie artists and labels. Globally we are in such a strong position to help expose Aussie acts,” Blake told TMN.

Rdio is in unique place within the streaming market where it is fully licensed and active in more markets than most of its global competitors. In fact, Rdio went live in India overnight.

Blake hopes the partnership with AIR will further Rdio’s growth:“I believe Rdio as a product and a brand has connected with local music lovers and passionate Aussie music fans,” he told TMN. “The AIR partnership continues this connection.

“As a platform Rdio allows the opportunity for engaged fans to "follow" and communicate with artists they love and other like minded fans that are also using our service. We create the opportunity to listen to "stations" based on local artists – I am actually listening to the Chet Faker station right now. All this adds up to Rdio continuing to grow as the preferred digital music service for engaged fans. The artists within the AIR community generally have dedicated fanbases, so hopefully if those fans haven't discovered and fallen in love with Rdio yet, AIR will help that connection happen.”

Next weekAnthony Bay, the CEO of leading global music streaming service at Rdio, and Rdio’s President of International, Scott Bagby will be in Sydney.

Rdio offers a catalogue of over 32 million songs in 61countries worldwide.