Tuning in to the Rdio iPad App Page 2

I got a chance to play with a release candidate of the Rdio app, currently waiting on approval by Apple before it becomes available the App Store. Keep in mind that the version you encounter there may well differ significantly from the version I'm discussing - things change fast in the world of mobile apps.

My initial reaction (well, at least following my shock that somebody hadn't done this already) was that a scrolling, touchable, graphically rich interface is absolutely the nicest way to browse an unfamiliar music library - it's about the closest you'll get to digging through crates of LPs without leaving the comfort of your own couch.

Once you've gotten over that, you'll find that most of the functionality and features of Rdio's desktop applications have been ported over to the iPad application. The app is heavily social (your own "Collection" - your library of favorite tracks - is the third option in the left-hand navigation menu; personal recommendations the last); a simplified top navigation bar lets you switch easily between looking at your own playlists, collection, and activity, those of the people you follow, or the entire Rdio universe.

As I mentioned, browsing within the app is based - wisely - on cover art; touching an album flips it over, where you'll find a tracklist, a button to access more music by your selected artist, and options to add the album and its tracks to your Collection or playlists. It actually makes for a nicer browsing experience than Rdio's desktop app (which provides that information in a pop-up window), in that it more closely approximates the way in which you'd interact with a piece of physical media.

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