Each month, users will have a meter on their account showing how much free music they can stream.

The long game for Rdio is - similar to how Spotify gained traction in Europe - use free as a way of coaxing users to test the service and then upsell them to a subscription that offers greater access and flexibility.

Rdio CEO Drew Larner told Music Week, "Free is nothing novel and is a great way to open up the funnel ...