Online Radio: How Do the 4 Leading Services Compare?

via Mashable! by Caroline Giegerich on 8/11/11

Caroline Giegerich is the blogstress behind the Daily Marauder and a digital marketing consultant. Follow her on Twitter for more social media and emerging tech insights.

In 1895, Nikola Tesla transmitted a radio signal 50 miles from New York City to West Point, NY in the first test of radio transmission. The golden age of radio took shape from the 1920s through the 1950s.

As traditional radio begins to the see the shadow of online radio, it’s clear that a transitional point is upon us. Last week, Pandora surpassed popular terrestrial radio stations in New York City for the first time. Online services including Pandora, Spotify, Turntable and Rdio have been rapidly growing thanks to the strength and speed of cloud computing and a renewed appetite for online music discovery.

SEE ALSO: Music Subscription Faceoff: How Does Spotify Measure Up? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Each service has carved out a specific niche: Spotify is music on demand, Turntable is social music curation, Pandora is a personalized playlist and Rdio is the leader of the socially connected experience. Here we break down these four pioneers of the online DJ experience and examine some key criteria.