Grooveshark Retools, Asks Fans To Do What Lawsuits Say They Don’t: Pay Musicians Fairly
Grooveshark is in court with several major music companies, banned from Facebook and kicked off Apple and Google's app stores, principally because of how the company pays (or doesn't pay) for music. But that hasn't stopped the controversial free music streamer from evolving; and today Grooveshark soft-launched a more social version including a tip jar that ironically encourages fans to do something that many believe the site doesn't – adequately compensate music creators.
Through an integration with micropayments site Flattr, fans can now make donations directly to artists on Grooveshark, as well as "follow" them to stay on top of tour dates via Songkick and news. Artists can now also claim their own profile to add or remove tracks, and other content. An expanded artist dashboard offers analytics and direct-to-fan communications.
The site overhaul also includes a new design and recommendation engine, more social sharing options and a drag-and-drop interface that allows users to curate an online music collection without cost or restrictions.
The new Grooveshark will roll out to all users by November 1st. Until then, you can try the new site here.
Artists grovel for tips while Grooveshark pockets 100% of the money from the advertising plastered all over the site. Way to go Grooveshark!
@TJR: Whatever, dude.
Q: Do radio station owners (Clear Channel, Etc.) care about real artists?
A: Clearly not.
The current industry standards are so entrenched in for-profit BS, only characters with mediocre skills and a willingness to sell out (Creed, Justin Bieber) get backed with capital. It’s truly a sorry state of affairs.
Q: Who gets most of the $?
A: Old White guys, most of the time.
Q: What does it mean culturally, that the definition of “artist” has become sapped of it’s truth and now refers to capitalist robots?
Q: How responsible are any of us for this obvious decline in quality of real art, music, etc.?