Grooveshark has expanded its mobile streaming website to include all mobile devices, including tablets.
The announcement came after a series of setbacks for the music streaming website including being barred from the Apple App Store and a shaky existence with the Google app store. Grooveshark released its mobile streaming website earlier this semester and announced the expansion last week.
Grooveshark was previously available on Android devices through direct install, but it was not available on any Apple products, said Sam Tarantino, CEO and co-founder of Grooveshark.
“No company that we’ve seen has created a fully functioning streaming service that is completely Web-based without the need to download an app,” said Tarantino, 25.
Grooveshark hasn’t been able to develop an application for iOS software because Apple is still blocking it from the app store, he said. The Web-based streaming system was the site’s way around that.
He said the mobile site is also helpful to international Grooveshark users who may use less common devices.
The company has been developing this method of access by developing the site by using HTML5, the fifth revised edition of HTML, since October 2011, said Nikola Arabadjiev, a Grooveshark mobile developer.
The developers have worked hard in getting a Queue feature and login access for those with Grooveshark accounts implemented in the Web-based system, he said.
Grooveshark’s Web-based streaming is not available in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Brazil and Canada. Tarantino said Grooveshark is using this launch as a base to go global, making sure the technical kinks are worked out and translations are made to benefit those countries before it launches to the rest of the world.
He said Grooveshark’s use of the Web browser makes accessing music even easier for those looking for a quick music fix.
“Web browsers are still more universal than mobile apps,” said James Oliverio, executive director of the Digital Worlds Institute at UF. “They’re convenient for people who want to connect instantly to what they are looking for.”
Using streaming media through a Web browser is a good marketing tool for Grooveshark because it cuts down the amount of time needed for the user to get the music, he said.
It can take several minutes just to search for any given app and then download it, said Oliverio, a digital arts and sciences professor.
“Apps come with too many startup glitches and updates,” said Sterling Monroe, a 19-year-old criminology sophomore. “With Web access, Grooveshark’s music is available instantly. With all the free Wi-Fi available these days, I’m set.”
Grooveshark’s website can now be streamed on all devices, including tablets, through www.grooveshark.com. The announcement is an expansion of its mobile streaming website.
