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Aug 20, 2008 -- GrooveShark offers legit free music downloads, streaming

One of Clark's beloved free online music sites -- Pandora.com -- might be getting ready to go the way of the dodo. They're going broke because of some obscure rulings concerning compensation for artists and labels. In essence, they're being hit with "tariffs" on every song that are prohibitively high.

Pandora has long offered a free legal alternative to stealing music. The website uses artificial intelligence to play an endless stream of music suited to your personal tastes.

But as one door closes, a window opens. GrooveShark.com is another site Clark has discovered that allows you to both listen to and download music online for free. (Editor's note: EMI Records has filed suit against Grooveshark over the issue of licensing agreements for the use of EMI's catalog. We'll keep you updated on this pending litigation.)

For those who just want to listen to music -- but not own it -- there's GrooveShark Lite. This jukebox-style option allows you to stream music on your computer for free -- similar to Pandora.

Unlike Pandora, however, GrooveShark gives you the option to download free music via a credit system. For every song you upload, GrooveShark gives you credits that can be used to "pay" for downloading songs that others may have available. The rarer the track you upload, the more credits you'll receive.

No music in your collection to upload? No worries. You can just pay 99 cents/song -- much like iTunes -- for every download.

With GrooveShark, you get to own everything you download. They handle all the compensation for artists, labels and uploaders.

Here's Clark's take on the whole GrooveShark issue: In an era where 99% of all downloaded songs are stolen, this gives you another opportunity to do the right thing. He suggests parents use GrooveShark to teach their children right from wrong when it comes to Internet music piracy.


Unfortunately, Clark won't be able to answer any questions submitted via commenting. If you have a question, please try posting it to our message boards.

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What others are saying

  • Music
    Thank you for sharing the music links. I love Pandora. I have enjoyed Grooveshark too. It is nice to have music available as I teach school in various areas... Thanks for being there.
  • Vinnie Cent
    How do I upload my music to the site? And if I do, I get free downloads, right?
  • how exactly do you download from this site
    this site doens't seem to be all that user friendly...how do you actually select to downlaod a song?
  • music downloads
    I bought 65 songs from grooveshark but had to quit using it as it started taking my money and not giving me music.
    I lost $11.00 before giving up.
  • Free Music Downloads
    Help! I don't get how any of the websites work. Are they compatable with the iPod? I really need to find a website...I have a list of songs I want to get!
  • New Melodies is far better (all free, no dumb credits or payments and fair rewarding for artists thanks to sponsors)
    In order to offer free legit music downloads with a fair payment for the artists you need to have major sponsoring behind. That's what New Melodies is doing. Those guys show a little TV spot before every download and so the artist gets a fix pay on every download and no one ever has to pay for anything. It just seems a lot better and certainly fair for everyone. BTW, I know they also have a radio coming, so it is certainly something to look forward to. Everyone can join in, both as artists and users. No dumb credit systems like Grooveshark, no payments, and the only one who pays a fair amount on every download. I'm there and I'm lovin it. Check it out, point your browser to newmelodies dot com
  • Pandora
    Recently Pandora has released a free application which is available through Apple which allows us to create our favorites through ipods and the iphone. My hope is they remain solvent as I Iike and appreciate what they are doing.
  • grooveshark
    I, too, hate to see Pandora in trouble but find Grooveshark to have more options. However, I disagree that it's easy to use. Grooveshark makes it more difficult to form playlists, and you basically have to go in knowing what you want to do. Also, I don't find the Autoplay very good at determining what I like and don't like. Usually after 10-15 songs, Pandora got it down, but Grooveshark's Autoplay takes much longer.
  • Get CD's for free at your library
    Anyone ever placed a hold on most any current or past CD's from the local Library? Yes, maybe you have to wait a few weeks if it is in demand. I pay a fair chunk of my taxes for my local library. My district does keep a good archive and keeps up with new releases.
    DVD's too. Oh, and remember books?
  • Truly free music
    for truly free music, audio books, pod casts and such go to Archive.org Archive's audio and MP3 library. This library contains over a hundred thousand free digital recordings ranging from alternative news programming, to Grateful Dead concerts, to Old Time Radio shows, to book and poetry readings, to original music uploaded by our users. Many of these audios and MP3s are available for free download. http://www.archive.org/details/audio
  • free music downloads???
    I am just wondering if grooveshark.com is compatible with ipods? Cuz SpiralFrog is not. It contains wma protected music, that won't play on my ipod! :(
  • Grooveshark
    www.slacker.com is much better than Pandora. I've never had any problems with them, like I use to with Pandora. They actually sell a player if you want to be able to get the same great music on the go, like an iPod. Can't download. The computer works for me though.
  • @ Curt: Grooveshark licensing
    Hi Curt- You may be interested in reading how Grooveshark protects the legality of all music downloaded and streamed from their site. This is not a regular peer-to-peer site; they've created a new business model to ensure all parties get paid. Their FAQ is here: http://www.grooveshark.com/faq

    Excerpts: For every song sold in our network, we first pay the label (or artist), then we pay you, then we pay ourselves.

    Grooveshark has licenses with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC for the rights to fully stream all songs under their umbrella.
  • GrooveShark
    Sorry Clark, if you're uploading your music, then you are effectively breaking the law by sharing it with others, period. The fact that you are being compensated with credits makes it that much more illegal. I'm very surprised that you would endorse such a site let alone encourage its use as a teaching tool.
  • Downloads
    Spiral Frog is another free music download site,but, You cannot copy the songs to a cd.
  • Uploading
    I have a rather extensive collection, some 30,000 tracks. Presumably there are tracks that will have already been uploaded by others. Is there credit still given for uploading those ones?
    Being that they are uploads, then future users will not be tapping into my hard drive, correct?
    Thanks for your help!
  • grooveshark.com
    GROOVY!
  • Grooveshark.com
    Clark, you should know better! This "exchange" of allowing uploads of music in your collection for free downloads is what has been consired illegal time and again. People have been taken to court for this. Check it out
  • Legit? May Not Be!
    If the service is not paying the artist and label for the song, it is NOT legit. That is the law.
  • Grooveshark
    How do I know that music I am listening to from other people is legitimate. Did they buy it or download it legally
  • Free Music
    beethoven.com out of Hartford CT is a great site for free classical music to listen to on your computer.
  • A great site to listen not download music
    www.slacker.com is great. You can make your own staion with your own artist. Pick 15 or more and it will suffle between each one.
  • It would be a great tragedy if we lost Pandora
    Pandora is a great service but shows the clear differential between the expected economics of the Music world and the real economics of the Advertising world. In the last 12 months the music world has become much more optimistic and open in accepting new models such as Pandora and We7, and as a result we are seeing increasing numbers of examples of new digital services expanding. Ad funded models are hailed as a significant revenue source to the industry and this can clearly be true but it does need further latitude by the industry on the long term rates at both a licensing and collection society level. This does not mean just accepting smaller payments it means working with companies such as Pandora and We7 to understand the true economics of what will make ad funded models pay and then allow them to scale. It is the scaling which will make the micropayment models work and show a very valuable and exciting ARPU (annual Revenue per user). Steve Purdham
  • Another alternative - lala.com
    For another great alternative try lala.com. First listen is free, Web songs are then 10 cents and unlimited streaming. Plus get your own library online to share with your friends!
  • hmm
    Sorry Clark I question your math that 99% of all dowloaded songs are stolen. You then must explain how iTunes has sold over 4 billon songs.
  • Power issues @ home
    Clark,
    After hearing the problems your are having with power @ home affecting your electronics. My first thought was something is wrong with your grounding. Perhaps you could hire a "professional Engineer" who works in Power & grounding to do an audit of your power?? (Rick @ 1cabinman@bellsouth.net)
  • to John:
    You actually need to type in the name of a song or artist in the search box. (for reggae, type "Jimmy Cliff" or "One Love", for example.) Their site isn't set up to search phrases such as the one you cited. Good luck.
  • Some Other Good Music Sites
    http://www.slacker.com/

    http://www.archive.org/details/etree

    Both of them legal!
  • Grooveshark
    Grooveshark still has a ways to go:
    Typed in "favorite Reggae music to listen to" and Elton
    John and Christina Aguilera popped up as choices. Right now it's a dumbshark.
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