Rdio Australia launching Artist to Watch initiative

Music streaming service Rdio Australia is launching a new program called Artist To Watch, to provide additional focus for local acts.

The show was launched in the US earlier this year, where the likes of BANKS, Haerts and Strange Talk acted as hosts, discussing their influences and providing an insight into their songs.

The Australian version goes live in January, with rapper MC Tkay Maidza taking the reins.

“Rdio has long been a champion for local Australian artists and over the years it has focused on unique initiatives that support Australian talent and help propel these acts into the spotlight,” the company said.

In its Australian year-end charts for 2014, Peking Duk, Sia, 5 Seconds of Summer and Chet Faker figured well in the top album and top track charts. In addition, Iggy Azalea’s The New Classic was the most listened to album globally in the 60 countries it operates in, while Fancy romped in as the eighth most listened to track.

Ed Sheeran was Rdio Australia listeners’ favourite artist, at #1 in the Top Artist list and x was top album. Pharrell Williams’ Happy was the Top Song.

The Top albums of 2014 saw the 100 Hot Songs Of Today compilation at #2, followed by Chet Faker’s Built On Glass, Sam Smith’s The Lonely Hour, Iggy Azalea’s The New Classic, Pharrell Williams’ G.I.R.L., MKTO’s MKTO, 5 Seconds of Summer’s 5 Seconds Of Summer, Sia’s 1000 Forms Of Fear and alt-J’s This Is All Yours rounding off the Top 10.

The other most listened to tracks through 2014 were Sia’s Chandelier, Milky Chance’s Stolen Dance, Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne’s Rather Be, Ariana Grande’s Problem, Rudimental feat. Ariana Grande’s Free, Nico & Vinz’s Am I Wrong, Avicii’s Addicted To You, Jason Derulo’s Trumpets and Peking Duk’s High.

The Rdio Covers series, which features exclusive covers of the year’s biggest hits, included baroque pop performer and triple j announcer Brendan MacLean’s take on Fancy, and The Griswolds cover of Magic!’s Rude.