For the past several years, Clark has been telling you about SpiralFrog.com. This site offered free ad-supported music downloads from major label partners like Universal and EMI.
Well, now SpiralFrog.com has
entered the graveyard of companies Clark loved that have gone bust.
In the music arena, it's been so difficult to get people to pay for music after they've become accustomed to stealing it.
Last year, senior producer Kim told Clark about
GrooveShark.com, a still thriving option for free music. (
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.com.
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.
And with GrooveShark, you get to own everything you download. They handle all the compensation for artists, labels and uploaders.
The main limitation to both GrooveShark and Pandora is that you can't download to an MP3 player. Pandora is available on the iPhone, but Clark's too cheap to own one. Yet as technology advances and new devices become more affordable, anything is possible.
Meanwhile, associate producer Joel recommends you check out the
Avett Brothers right now if you're looking for some new tunes to rock your world!