Skype founders taking on Spotify with Rdio streaming music service

And it will be available to both web and mobile users.

Skype founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom have unveiled their new Big Idea: Rdio. It's a subscription-based streaming music service, due to launch early next year in the US.

That means it'll be going head-to-head with Spotify, which is planning its own US launch either late this year or early next. Competition will also come from services like Pandora, MySpace Music, Rhapsody and Grooveshark.

According to Bloomberg, Rdio will let users stream music via their web browsers, but also to mobile devices. "The idea is to create a subscription streaming service that’s between desktop and mobile," says CEO Drew Larner.

Rdio hasn't announced details of pricing, and it seems it has yet to sign licensing deals with the major record labels - a process which could take a long time.

"We have watched many ad-supported music businesses come and go," says Friis. "We felt the time was right to revisit this space, this time with a compelling offering and a sustainable subscription model."