- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Webware
- Date added: March 02, 2008
- Total Visits: 628
- Visits last week: 11
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 3 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on August 26, 2009
In the turbulent, choppy waters where P2P networks and copyright law chomp at each other's fins for dominance, there's at least one beast that thinks it has a solution to keep everybody happy. Its name: Grooveshark. Grooveshark is a free online jukebox service where users can search for tracks and listen to them through a Web-based player that can be controlled just like a software jukebox application. The best part, however, is that Grooveshark manages to keep itself lawsuit-free by making sure that everyone gets paid.
As content distribution has mutated from analog to digital, the companies that came into existence to control the distribution have panicked and floundered. Grooveshark's solution is to secure distribution rights from the copyright holders, but then to also reimburse those who upload content. Throw in free streaming and DRM-free downloads for 99 cents a song, garnish with community forums and outreach to independent musicians, serve with a side of cross-platform use that includes the Big Three of Windows, Mac, and multiple flavors of Linux, and we may be looking at the future of file sharing.
As you can tell from its Web site, Grooveshark includes all the major music discovery tools. There's a player in the upper-right corner; a centralized search bar; uncluttered tabs for keeping your friends and tunes organized; recommendation tools; tagging capability; private messaging; applications for MySpace, Facebook, and the iPhone; and the all-important account for watching your funds dwindle as you blow beaucoup de bucks on digital music. Sure, there may be ads, but this ensures you that someone is getting paid, which--along with the fact that Grooveshark's been operating for more than two years--reduces the chance that you'll suddenly find it gone overnight. All in all, we see no reason why you shouldn't give this Web service a shot.
Publisher's description
From Grooveshark :Grooveshark is an online music sharing community that rewards you for sharing your music. It allows you to safely and legally downloads high quality MP3s, and there is a social networking aspect to the site, where music lovers interact with each other. Users can stream songs for free, but also have the ability to buy and download songs. If a song you have uploaded is bought, the site rewards you by giving you a cut of the profits for each song you sell.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 0 stars Not yet available
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Showing 3 of 3 user reviewsSee all 3 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Grooveshark
"Free viruses with your music."
Pros: The features and funtionality don't matter if you want to keep your computer virus-free.
Cons: I spent my whole night restoring my laptop.
Summary: I used Grooveshark for a few days and got infected with viruses twice. I did my research first and it seemed safe but apparently not- don't use it. I hadn't had a virus for years before Grooveshark- now I remember why I don't use services like this ... read more >>
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Version: Grooveshark
"Great selection, improved with new version, love it"
Pros: Great selection, great interface, favorites saves time. This is essentially a very clean, quality youtube for music from all sources. If they don't have what you already own and would like to listen to, then you can upload your own tunes.
Cons: You can not favorite albums with a free account. Sometimes the site isn't 100% reliable. At the time of writing this I am unaware of a Grooveshark iTunes app. If you don't own the music and it's not on there then you can't listen to it. Duh.
Summary: I have known about Grooveshark for about 4 months, and when I first started using it was a bit clunky. In the last month, though, the programming team released a new version of the site that has massively improved, you can make playlists and keep f... read more >>
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Version: Grooveshark
"Gives who a cut of the profits?"
Pros: Online streaming music is great. I pay for mine, $36/year isn't too much to ask. The 'sharks would have to swallow their pride before they went into these waters 'cause they said they were above charging for their music exchange/listening service.
Cons: Grooveshark told those who joined that they were different than other start-ups and would make sure that artists and their labels got paid. Apparently the advertising dollars they pulled in didn't get any further than their own bank account.
Summary: "...the site rewards you by giving you a cut of the profits for each song you sell." - Nice in theory, but it can't be working or else 'Greedshark' wouldn't be getting sued by other record companies.
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