Grooveshark Gets a Makeover

Posted on 26. Oct, 2009 by refe in NEWS, TECHNOLOGY

One of the new custom 'VIP' themes

The music streaming market is quickly heating up, even as many question the financial sustainability of the streaming model. Spotify seems to be the golden boy of the press (it also happens to be my personal preference) but it certainly isn’t the only contender. Only a few weeks ago Grooveshark made the headlines as the first streaming platform to ink a deal with a major label in the US – an important first step in offering a comprehensive catalogue of legally licensed music.

Today Grooveshark re-launches their popular online music streaming service with a brand new look and a number of nifty performance enhancements.

Grooveshark, which is an online platform, has adopted a more ‘desktop’ look and feel with this update. This is a good move, and I would argue that it’s also necessary to meet the competition on their level. It feels more stable, more solid, but retains the benefit of being accessible from any machine with an internet connection. That’s a big plus, and addresses something that often annoys me about Spotify.

Windows can now be re-sized to fit your screen, and the side navigator has been updated to be much more intuitive. Users can also now choose from a library of custom themes to give their account a more personalized ambiance.

The most important changes are behind the scenes. Grooveshark has seriously revamped the platform’s back-end. The result is faster loading times, fewer buffering hiccups, and enhanced seeking capabilities. Songs in the que now pre-load, getting upcoming songs ready while you listen to avoid awkward delays.

Grooveshark has made a good platform better. It isn’t perfect – I have still found quite a few holes in the catalogue, for example. These updates are big step in the right direction, however. Either way, it’s exciting to watch competition heat up. What service do you prefer? Have you had a chance to check out the updates? What are your thoughts?

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