A Grooveshark Update: VIP Rates Will Raise

Just as a little update:

The news has been passed around for a while now that one one my favorite online resources (Grooveshark) will be raising its prices for membership. If your are familiar with Grooveshark or if you have read my previous article, then you know that it is a FREE service. The VIP service however gives you more options and perks. The VIP service will run you only $3 a month, so if you are a big Grooveshark junky you might want to consider the “paid” option before the monthly cost jumps up to 10 or more dollars starting in December. T-minus 43 days and counting.

I myself have taken the plunge and paid for a year of Grooveshark VIP for $30 (This also gave me two months free!). I made the switch not necessarily because of the price increase news but mainly because I found out that some networks that I use frequently block Groovesharks online streaming content by disabling certain browser plug-ins. By becoming a VIP member, I now have the ability to download and install the Grooveshark desktop client that runs independently from the browser for a more rich and reliable user experience.

Some of the other advantages of VIP are Last.fm integration, first crack at new features, no advertisements, personalizing your interface with a choice of backgrounds and modifying the layout, and VIP’s are allowed to add 10x more music to their “favorites” list. For more information on what the upgrade provides, check out the registration page at the following link: http://vip.grooveshark.com/

Also, as I mentioned the price will increase from $3 a month to probably $10 or more dollars a month if you compare it with other live music streaming services. If you become a member now then you will lock in a $3 a month service rate for the entirety of your membership. In my personal opinion it would be good to act now because music streaming services are becoming a major trend. There are many online streaming services that charge a higher fee for less (Mog, Rhapsody).  Also expect Apple to offer a music streaming service through their social PING network and also expect the European Spotify music streaming service to be available in the states sometime next year. When this happens, expect music streaming services to become very competitive. Free probably won’t last forever.

CNET also provides a nice brief breakdown of the changes at the following link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-20017633-27.html

Happy Groovesharking!