Rdio

Senior Software Engineer · 2014–2015 · San Francisco

Senior Software Engineer on the Device Integrations team, building living-room, TV, home, and automotive integrations across Chromecast, Roku, partner APIs, auth, and JavaScript playback surfaces.

This was 2014–2015, when streaming was moving from phones to the connected home and car. Chromecast was new, Roku was consolidating TV, and partner integrations were becoming a major way listeners expected music services to show up. The engineering challenge was making Rdio work across many device contexts with reliable auth, playback control, and platform-specific behavior. I shipped five production surfaces from that work, keeping playback reliable up to the company's shutdown in late 2015.

• Python
• Django
• Backbone

• Device apps

  Built Chromecast and Roku integrations from platform constraints through production support.

• Partner APIs

  Built JavaScript SDK and integration patterns for playback, discovery, and partner features.

• Integration breadth

  Worked in a four-person department covering TV, home, automotive, partner, and web playback surfaces.

1. 

   Chromecast audio streaming

   Chromecast

   Built Rdio's Chromecast integration, including Cast protocol implementation, session state management, and remote-control playback. Shipped to production and maintained across Rdio's broader device ecosystem.

   SourcesRdioPandora Media to Pay $75 Million for Assets of Bankrupt Rdio
2. 

   Roku integration

   Smart speakers

   Built Rdio app for Roku (XD/S models) with custom on-device UI and gesture-based remote navigation. Shipped to certification and managed persistent application state and set-top box platform constraints.

   SourcesRdioPandora Buys Rdio To Become A Global Streaming Powerhouse
3. 

   JavaScript SDK

   Developer platform

   Designed and shipped public JavaScript SDK enabling third-party developers to embed Rdio playback. Established integration patterns for error handling and API stability, enabling partners to build on the platform.

   SourcesRdioRdio TastemakerX App
4. 

   Developer auth flows

   Authentication

   Built authentication infrastructure for third-party developers to log users into Rdio via SDK. Designed OAuth-like flows with session token management and cross-device token validity, enabling partners to integrate Rdio playback securely.

   SourcesRdio

About Rdio

Rdio was a popular online music streaming service founded in 2008 by the creators of Skype. It allowed users to stream millions of songs, share playlists, and see what friends were listening to. The company went bankrupt and shut down in late 2015 after selling parts of its technology to Pandora.

Related context

• Rdio adds sharing features and Songkick integration

  The Next Web • March 2015: public coverage of Rdio sharing, discovery, and Songkick tour-info integration.

• Rdio announces new sharing and music discovery features at SXSW

  Hypebot • March 2015: user-supplied citation for the SXSW feature announcement.

• Pandora Media to Pay $75 Million for Assets of Bankrupt Rdio

  Wall Street Journal • November 2015: Acquisition of Rdio assets after bankruptcy

• Pandora Buys Rdio To Become A Global Streaming Powerhouse

  Music Industry Blog • November 2015: Analysis of Pandora's acquisition strategy and Rdio's technology

• Rdio Crunchbase profile

  Public company context for Rdio.