14
Jan 2010
Jan 2010
Streaming music isn’t a new idea, it’s been around for as long as I can remember being on the internet. However, the platform in which it is delivered and how you can customize it to your own preferences is another story. We’ve heard of the other sites, Pandora, Last.fm, etc. They do a fine job, but there is something about Grooveshark.com that just makes it….. Better. Maybe it’s the simplicity of the layout, how you can customize it and the mass amounts of music available to stream. I don’t endorse very many products, mainly only the ones I truly swear by, so as my favorite songs blare on my speakers from the Grooveshark VIP desktop application, I can say I really do like this product, a lot.
I used to be an avid Winamp Shoutcast listener, where I would download a file that would stream a stations own playlist, plays lots of songs I didn’t care to hear. Something about the radio feature in Grooveshark is like a radio cast, but only playing the songs you want to hear. You can like and dislike songs and the system will adjust new songs according to your taste. For example, I was listening to some old school 2Pac and some newer heavier CKY rock. It would throw some random songs at me to test my liking and within 5-10 songs, it was starting to play songs I really liked or some that I hadn’t heard in awhile or never heard before. The deeper you get into your songs and keep up with liking and disliking, the better it gets.
New for VIP members is the desktop application (see screenshots below) which uses the Adobe AIR application, it looks nearly identical to the website version, without having to have a browser open using less resources. If you love your Crackberry and Android phone and love listening to music on the go or just anywhere, there is an app for that, sorry iPhone users, no Grooveshark App for you yet. Another cool feature of the application, which a lot of other applications (music or non-music related) is the minimize to the taskbar function. It neatly hides the app from taking over your desktop leaving you with more room.
I’m still getting into the application itself, saving playlists, and favorite songs. I’m sure it will grow on me more and more and I was told there are more features to come!
My only wish – Make it more customizable and let some menus be transparent. I would love to throw my own designs or photos up on the background for the app, or skin it to match my other apps.
