Rdio inks deals for in-car music streaming

Through an exclusive global partnership, Rdio, automotive parts and systems supplier Bosch, and manufacturers Jaguar and Land Rover have inked a deal to see Rdio enter the connected car battle embraced by streaming services.

Rdio’s partnership with Jaguar and Land Rover, where users can interact with Rdio’s online and offline features through the InControl Apps platform, makes Rdio both manufacturers’ first in-car on-demand music streaming service.

The integration of Rdio’s unlimited music subscription service into dashboards of vehicles – via Bosch’s mySPIN platform –marks yet another music partnership for mySPIN. The platform for enabling mobile applications from smartphones on automotive dashboards has existing partnerships with Pandora and Spotify.

Both partnerships were announced this week alongside the announcement of its deals with DTS, Google, Hisense and LG Electronics to see Rdio extend its presence on connected home devices. Rdio already has deals with wireless speaker products from Sonos, Samsung Shape and Bluesound devices by Lenbrook.

“Rdio is committed to delivering the best streaming experience wherever our customers listen to music,” said Anthony Bay, CEO, Rdio. “Rdio on InControl Apps underscores our effort to simplify how people listen to music by providing them with the most convenient access to our massive catalogue.”

US research firm Gartner Research released insights last year which found that by 2016, revenue from connected car apps and services is expected to overtake broadcast revenue by $US283 million.

Rdio was founded by Skype co-founder Janus Friis in 2010, it boasts 30 million tracks and is available in 60 countries with a launch in India expected early this year.