Rdio launches free app to pump your favorite tunes to your home speakers

Rdio is the latest major music service to launch a native application for Google’s Chromecast media streaming stick.

The app, which is available for free today, lets you access the streaming music service from your mobile device and then push the experience to your TV — or more importantly, your home entertainment setup’s speakers. All you need to do is fire up the Rdio mobile app and cast it to your Chromecast-enabled TV.

Like with most Chromecast apps, the beauty is in the navigation, which will definitely be a good thing for a service like Rdio that requires you to shuffle the media you’re consuming often. Rdio launched functionality for a free ad-supported radio version of its service, which may require users to “fine tune” their musical preferences over the course of time. And having your phone handle the navigation (but not the audio), will be a good thing.

The new Chromecast app’s functionality is, of course, built into other mobile apps for iOS and Android, and should be available later today for all users — meaning those who subscribe to Rdio’s premium music service as well as users accessing the free radio service.