News Byte

Rdio Killed the Vdio Star

Not even a year old, and already Vdio is taking a dirt nap. Rdio said on Friday that it is scrapping the nascent video-streaming platform with which it had hoped to take on Netflix and Hulu. “Despite our efforts, we were not able to deliver the differentiated customer experience we had hoped for, and so Vdio is now closed,” the company said in a message to users of the service. Evidently, Rdio’s bottom line has taken precedence over its dreams of becoming a global entertainment streaming platform.

News Byte

Rdio Names New CEO

Music subscription service Rdio has a new CEO: Anthony Bay, a tech executive who most recently headed up Amazon’s digital video business. Former CEO Drew Larner, who has run the four-year-old company for most of its history, will become a vice chairman.

Twitter Likely to Kill Its Music App

Nice knowing you, Twitter #Music.

Voices

Seismic Shifts Remake the Radio Industry

Broadcasters can’t afford to dismiss competitors.

Google Music iOS App Reportedly Launching This Month

After a long delay, the Google Music iOS app could finally be on its way.

iTunes Radio: Sleek, but Not the Best DJ

iTunes Radio provides a sleek and easy way to create custom music stations, but its track selection needs some fine-tuning.

Voices

The Race to Become the New EPG for Media

There are increasing signs that Twitter could get there first.

Twitter Takes On Music Discovery, but Comes Up Short

Behind Twitter Music’s well-designed interface is a music discovery app that’s too limiting. #NeedsMoreCowbell

Beats’ Jimmy Iovine on Steve Jobs, Spotify and Why He Can Make Subscriptions Work

Why can’t the tech guys make music subscriptions work? Because they’re tech guys, says the music kingpin.

Facebook Pushes Out Gifts to All U.S. Users (Complete With Holiday Booze)

Time to make room under the tree.

BlackBerry Launches Its $5 Music Service

BlackBerry Music: $5 a Month, 50 Songs