Can Grooveo Disrupt the Digital DJ Market?
“DJs just push play” has become the resounding misunderstanding when discussing today’s DJ culture. While digital technology has given way to huge creative strides in DJing, it has also opened up a world plagued with knob-twiddling and button-pushing accusations against DJs. Grooveo, a newly launched, interactive live-streaming platform, is seeking to change the zeitgeist and to elevate the very DJs who are driving the culture forward from the ground floor. By offering users an exclusive look inside the DJ booths and studios of artists from all levels throughout dance music, Grooveo hopes a new market can emerge where rights-holders and performers are ensured proper credit and compensation for their work.
Grooveo allows artists to stream DJ sets live from their home studios or directly from events. It also offers the option to stream live studio sessions and production tutorials. Hosts are allowed to use multiple webcam views to flex their skills in a way that studio mixes uploaded to other streaming platforms simply cannot. Since users are performing on a small screen, every blend, mix and scratch can be seen, proving that all knobs serve a purpose. The audio is linked directly into the host’s mixer or soundcard and streams via Open Broadcast Software, an open-source streaming platform that can be used across all services that support livestreams.
From its inception, Grooveo’s goal has remained intact: to put the power to create squarely in the hands of the creators themselves. Grooveo allows fans to support their favorite artists directly via in-software donations called BeatCoins. And in the short time it’s been in operation, Grooveo has allowed DJs to showcase their talents, grow their audiences, and increase their bookings.
To get familiar with Grooveo, we sat down with cofounder Bjorn Niclas to find out what makes the platform so different from other streaming networks and to discuss the ways it can be used to educate the DJs and producers of tomorrow.
Paying rights-holders for streams is something that separates Grooveo from the rest. What else about the company makes it different from other streaming DJ sites?
We spent a lot of time planning and building the ultimate platform for DJs to livestream their sets. There are already a few great platforms out for live-streaming big shows, such at BE-AT.TV and Boiler Room. However, we wanted to build something anyone on any budget could use to easily livestream their DJ sets in high-quality audio and video from anywhere. On Grooveo, not only can the DJ chat with fans, but they can also receive direct monetary donations (BeatCoins) from the viewers and fans around the world. In doing so, artists are able to recognize who their top supporters are from all over the world.
Do you envision the platform being used as a positive disruptive force in the music industry?
We certainly hope so! I think everyone knows just how difficult it is to make it as a successful DJ. Competition is fierce, and the DJ industry is hotter than ever. It is becoming much more difficult to break through and get noticed. In today’s world of [purchased] followers, plays, likes, and even comments, it is very difficult to find true and real talent. We built Grooveo in hopes that DJs at any level can not only perform live, but can also connect with viewers and fans on a more intimate level. Engaging with real fans is more important than ever, and it can help DJs gain more exposure to help further their careers. We built Grooveo to be the springboard for that to happen.
What inspired Grooveo’s conception?
Grooveo was founded by a couple of veteran music and technology professionals with a shared passion for music. We noticed just how difficult it is for someone to get discovered. Most DJs play gigs on the weekends to make a living, but not everyone is fortunate enough to book gigs every weekend. There are so many undiscovered [artists] out there. We wanted to build something special that would change the system. We are already seeing DJs on Grooveo finding success by winning over new fans, earning real money and booking new gigs, simply by live-streaming for an audience whenever they want!
Why is it important for artists to be paid for their time and work, and why did you include that aspect in the platform?
In my opinion, the music industry seems somewhat broken. In today’s society, there is no monetary value in selling music. Artists are being compensated fractions of a penny when their songs are streamed. Unless you’re an A-list DJ and producer, it’s very difficult to make a living selling music. The majority of any artist’s income comes from playing gigs. We wanted to create a unique platform where both the DJ performing live and the rights-holders of the songs being played would receive compensation.
What are Grooveo’s plans for becoming an educational platform in the future?
We quickly discovered that DJs are hosting live production tutorials on Grooveo and have been very successful. Before Grooveo, aspiring DJs and producers were turning to YouTube for tutorial videos on how to use music production software. [Through] live tutorial sessions, fans from around the world can tune in real time to ask questions using the chat function while watching the shared screen and live commentary. It’s a great new tool for people to learn, and for the instructor to get paid to teach!
What about using it in a live setting? I see it has already been used at Exchange LA in Downtown Los Angeles, where you’re a talent buyer. What are your plans for expanding to other clubs, festivals, etc.?
Our current focus is to give anyone and everyone the opportunity to livestream. DJs have live-streamed their sets from clubs like Exchange LA, which will eventually be a growing category on the platform. Grooveo is so easy to use. Club and festival sets can be live-streamed by using a laptop with a couple of webcams and internet connection or connecting our Grooveo mobile app directly to the mixer for high-quality sound. The ease of setting up a livestream on Grooveo will be appealing in any setting, whether it’s at a club or in someone’s living room!
Can you tell us about a few success stories on Grooveo?
Where do I start?! There are a ton of DJs who stream regularly on Grooveo and who have gained great success. Take for example Niko Zografos, a DJ and producer from San Francisco who has been a part of our early beta testing team. He played his own original tracks during his livestreams and ended up signing a few of them to Future Sound of Egypt, which is Aly & Fila’s record label. Since then, Armin van Buuren [has regularly supported] his tracks, and his career is taking off. Then there is Spencer Hardwick, who was also part of our early beta testing team. He won a DJ competition we hosted on Grooveo, where his unique style of mixing and energetic presence landed him gigs at Exchange LA and Phoria Events in San Francisco and Kansas City. One of the office’s favorite DJs, Chuck Bradshaw, has been sending his Grooveo livestreams, [dubbed the] Ground Beat Sessions, to promoters/club owners and has been gaining a lot of interest from the industry.
I think it’s fascinating that there is finally a better way to discover new talent and communicate with your favorite artists on a personal level. This goes way beyond listening to someone’s perfectly mixed (in Ableton) DJ mix on SoundCloud or a prerecorded audio podcast. Perhaps Grooveo is the evolution of the audio-only podcast: seeing the DJ mix the tracks live while engaging with fans from around the world—talking with them and answering questions—and taking requests, all in real time.
Grooveo Mobile is available on the App Store.
Alexander Dias gets his groove on in the mornings before breakfast. Follow him on Twitter.
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