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More countries can Shazam songs and listen on Rdio

The companies expand their partnership to 29 new nations, including much of Western Europe and South America, so you can immediately switch to Rdio to hear songs you tag in Shazam.

Joan E. Solsman Former Senior Reporter
Joan E. Solsman was CNET's senior media reporter, covering the intersection of entertainment and technology. She's reported from locations spanning from Disneyland to Serbian refugee camps, and she previously wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. She bikes to get almost everywhere and has been doored only once.
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Joan E. Solsman
2 min read

Rdio

Music subscription service Rdio and song-recognition app Shazam are expanding their partnership that connects songs you Shazam to an instant, full-length play in Rdio and builds a playlist based on what you tag.

The companies announced that the feature in Shazam -- users of the Shazam app in iOS and Android can listen to entire songs after tagging them by clicking a "Listen Free on Rdio" link within the app -- would be available in 35 countries, including most of Western Europe and South America.

New Rdio users can listen to the tracks free with a two-week mobile trial. After that, they can upgrade to one of Rdio's subscription plans -- a plan for $9.99 a month allows unlimited mobile listening -- for their streams or simply listen for free on the Web.

The partnership began in the US in 2012, and moved it to Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and the UK the following year.

Starting Tuesday, it's available also in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and Venezuela.

Last year, Rdio sealed an agreement with radio station operator Cumulus that allowed the subscription service to offer a free, ad-supported version. It also trimmed staff to save money, and it named Anthony Bay -- a former Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple exec -- as chief executive.

For its part, Shazam's recent history has been marked by partnerships with companies like Rdio and expanding its integration with TV shows "The Voice" and music awards presentations. It has also homed in on becoming a alert vehicle for fans of particular artists.