MUMBAI: BlackBerry has announced that its BBM music service will shut down with effect from 2 June, and current customers can listen to music from the third-party music service Rdio for 30 days for free.

The announcement was made via an email sent to subscribers today: “BBM Music service will be discontinued as of June 2, 2013*.

For paying customers, April is the last month that you will be billed. In May, as your BBM contacts stop using the service, songs in your playlists will begin to turn grey and will no longer be available.

Though BBM Music is going away, you can still listen to great music on your BlackBerry. We’re giving you a 30-day pass to Rdio, which gives you unlimited, on-demand access to more than 18 million songs, including the latest hits and classic albums.”

After the service is discontinued, the company recommends to delete the app from the BlackBerry smartphone.

The company states that after a strategic business review, it was decided that BlackBerry will no longer develop or provide support for BBM Music. Customers currently subscribed to BBM Music will have access to the Rdio music service for 30 days for free.

BlackBerry will end the music service from 2 June, although the email from the company admits the date is 'subject to change'.

In August 2011, Blackberry had taken their step towards including music services in BBM by the BBM Music app.

Skype Co-founder Janus Friis had created Rdio, a subscriber based music services which was launched in August 2010. Recently, subscription music provider Rdio has launched the company’s new video service - Vdio - boasting deals from major networks and studios. It will work on computers and Apple's iPad for now; Britain and US will be the first users.

This is a service message sent by or on behalf of Research In Motion Limited (“RIM”).