New Music Biz 101: Online Radio – Grooveshark
posted in: Features
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be focusing on online radio. The major players in this arena are Pandora, Grooveshark and Jango. Although these businesses are similar externally, they’re very different in regards to evaluating the ROI.
Each service allows its listeners to stream music from their respective Web sites, offering a large selection of different styles and genres. If your willing and able to get your music onto one of these sites, then you have a new way for potential fans to discover your music. These platforms place your music next to popular artists of similar styles, allowing you to tap into a rather targeted fan base.
Today, let’s tackle Grooveshark. When you enter the Grooveshark Web site, the simplicity of the platform becomes instantly apparent with its flash-based design. The interface is straightforward for both the music listener and the artist. Similar to YouTube, the content on this service is user-sourced which creates constant growth of the library. Grooveshark is entirely on demand, meaning fans can choose to listen to particular songs.
Here are a few key features relevant to artist:
- Listening analytics
- Targeting based on similar artists
- Links to purchase music when an artist’s music is playing.
- HTML flexibility in customized site themed campaigns
- Fans ability to rate your music
Grooveshark is set up as a DIY platform, allowing users to signup for their promotional campaigns without much human interaction. This allows Grooveshark to keep their costs down and their promotions affordable. This service is definitely worth testing out considering the low cost to get started!
If you’ve had any successes or failures with this platform, comment and let us know. As always, send your suggestions on effective platforms used to expand your music business!