The streaming-music startup announced its free, on-demand music offering Thursday, touting it as the only ad-free, zero-cost plan available in the U.S. market.
Members can now stream any of Rdio's more then 12 million tracks free of charge -- until they cross an undefined threshold for the month. A green meter atop the user profile will track usage and give the user a visual, albeit mostly ambiguous rendering of how much free streaming she has left each month.
The amount of free music will vary per user and will depend on a number of factors, Rdio says.
Rdio's free access plan is available to users on the web and via its desktop application. Users can choose to upgrade to the Rdio Web plan for unlimited streaming via browser or desktop for $4.99 a month, or they can purchase Rdio Unlimited for $9.99 a month and receive mobile streaming privileges as well.