Rdio Becomes an Official Music Sponsor of the 2015 JUNO Awards

Rdio to Celebrate the Best in Canadian Music by Offering Curated Playlists and Custom Stations

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, March 11, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts Sciences (CARAS) and Rdio (www.rdio.com) one of the world's largest licensed music services, announced that it is an Official Music Sponsor of the 2015 JUNO Awards, celebrating the best in Canadian music. Rdio will be providing listeners with a rich content hub of curated stations and playlists to accompany this year's JUNO Award nominees and winners. Additionally, some of Canada's top artists such as Hedley (Dave Rosin), LIGHTS, Sam Roberts and Dallas Green of You+Me will be providing playlists specially curated for Rdio.

Rdio is also fully integrated into the official 2015 JUNO Awards App music experience. iOS and Android users who download the JUNO Awards app can preview songs from nominated artists and connect directly to Rdio to experience full tracks.

Inside of Rdio, listeners can experience a rich variety of exclusive JUNO-related programming. Follow the JUNO Awards account and listen to over 35 curated playlists related to award categories. A special 'JUNO Radio Station' category houses thematic stations around the evening's most anticipated prizes.

Specific JUNO stations highlighting this year's awards include:

• 2015 JUNO Award Nominees : A selection of nominees at this year's JUNO Awards.
• JUNO Fan Choice Award Presented by TD: A station highlighting the 10 Canadian artists nominated for the only fan voted award. This year's nominees include Arcade Fire, Drake and Leonard Cohen.

Specific JUNO playlists highlighting some of this year's JUNO Award nominees and performers include:

• Single of the Year: The biggest hits from some of Canada's hottest artists, which include Drake, Kiesza and MAGIC!
• International Album of the Year: From Katy Perry to Sam Smith, listen to an international collection of albums that Canadians couldn't stop listening to.  
• Artist of the Year: Celebrates some of Canada's most shining musical stars, including The Weeknd, deadmau5 and Bryan Adams.
• Breakthrough Artist of the Year: From Shawn Mendes to Mac DeMarco, this award honors artists who have made their mark over the year.

Fans can access the 2015 JUNO Award stations at www.rdio.com or directly from the JUNO Awards website at www.junoawards.ca. Follow @RdioCA for news on the ground during JUNO Week March 9-15. After The 2015 JUNO Awards Broadcast airs on Sunday, March 15, Rdio will also feature winner stations and exclusive Rdio content.

"Canada is one of our most important markets, so we're thrilled to be an Official Sponsor for the most celebrated music awards in the country," said Scott Bagby, President of International at Rdio. "These Rdio stations and playlists allow all Canadians to explore this year's exceptional nominees beyond the actual awards show and experience Canada's rich music culture in a new way."

"From vinyl and 8-track to compact disc and downloads, the JUNOS have been there. This year, we are proud to be working with leading music streaming service Rdio," said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. "Together, we aim to promote and foster discovery of the incredible artists our nation produces."

Visit the 2015 JUNO Awards on Rdio here and tune in to the show on CTV on Sunday, March 15, broadcast live from Hamilton, Ontario. To listen to all of Rdio's 2015 JUNO Award stations, both before and after the show, visit www.rdio.ca

ABOUT RDIO
Rdio, one of the world's largest licensed music services, offers a catalog of over 32 million songs in more than 85 countries worldwide. Rdio's mission is to provide access to every song, on every device, anywhere in the world instantly, online or offline — tuned to you. Rdio's critically acclaimed applications combine the best of personal choice, social engagement, human curation, algorithmic personalization, and programming from tastemakers. Music fans can enjoy Rdio as either a free, personalized stations-first Internet radio experience or as a full on-demand subscription service. Founded by Janus Friis, co-creator of Skype, in August 2010, Rdio is headquartered in San Francisco. More information on Rdio is available at: www.rdio.com

About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'académie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music industry and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of ongoing opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards and other year-round initiatives. For more information on the 44th Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

SOURCE Rdio

Image with caption: "Top 10 Canadian Artists on Rdio (CNW Group/Rdio)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150311_C6092_PHOTO_EN_13053.jpg

For more information on Rdio contact: Kiel Hume, [email protected], 416-969-2807; For more information on the 2015 JUNO Awards contact: Adrienne Kakoullis, [email protected], 416-628-5610