Add Rdio to the list of Apple haters, but do the rules change for the rich kid?
Just ahead of the weekend, Rdio CEO Drew Larner joined the highly-vocal protest against upcoming subscription app fees. “I would echo what the heads of some of my competing companies have said," Larner told paidContent. “From a financial standpoint, that fee is certainly untenable for us, that's obvious. If it creates a situation where it's not financially possible for us to be in the environment, that's a loss for consumers and I don't think that's a good thing."
The comments come just days after Rdio refreshed its iPhone app, though the wheels on that update were spinning before the Jobs announcement. Still, the timing was imperfect, just like an insanely-huge, $17.5 million funding round from Mangrove Capital Partners. That could make it more difficult for Rdio to seek relaxed licensing fees on smartphone platforms, if that route is pursued, though there are certainly lots of moving parts here.
Meanwhile, sources have told Digital Music News that the 30 percent cut is hardly set in stone, though we're not sure exactly how this will affect ongoing discussions related to the cloud-based iTunes launch.
Just ahead of the weekend, Rdio CEO Drew Larner joined the highly-vocal protest against upcoming subscription app fees. “I would echo what the heads of some of my competing companies have said," Larner told paidContent. “From a financial standpoint, that fee is certainly untenable for us, that's obvious. If it creates a situation where it's not financially possible for us to be in the environment, that's a loss for consumers and I don't think that's a good thing."
The comments come just days after Rdio refreshed its iPhone app, though the wheels on that update were spinning before the Jobs announcement. Still, the timing was imperfect, just like an insanely-huge, $17.5 million funding round from Mangrove Capital Partners. That could make it more difficult for Rdio to seek relaxed licensing fees on smartphone platforms, if that route is pursued, though there are certainly lots of moving parts here.
Meanwhile, sources have told Digital Music News that the 30 percent cut is hardly set in stone, though we're not sure exactly how this will affect ongoing discussions related to the cloud-based iTunes launch.
