Getting a second wind, Grooveshark CEO forecasts live concert streaming

Grooveshark, considered by many to be a bad boy of music streaming platforms, may be gradually emerging from a tangle of legal assaults. Last month the service scored a licensing agreement with Sony/ATV. A previous agreement with EMI was undermined by the label’s accusation that Grooveshark failed to produce accounting statements, but that complaint was settled, and the deal resumed last month (as noted in RAIN here).

The source of legal claims from the major labels (some of which are still in process) centers around Grooveshark hosting song files uploaded by users. Although the company purportedly responds to takedown requests, operating a business under continual DMCA shelter is like living in a tent during a hailstorm — the protection is inadequate and you spend all your time repairing damage.

In an interview published in Business Insider, Grooveshark CEO Sam Tarantino forecast the future in terms of “a 360-degree consumer experience.” His particular focus is live concert transmissions, and Tarantino compares the economics of selling record products to high ticket prices of concert shows. The logic is that there is a sweet monetization spot around distributing live acts online, at lower cost to the listener, while building a more complete fan-artist relationship.

Read the complete interview at Business Insider here.

Brad Hill