We noted earlier this month that things weren’t looking good for long-running online radio service Live365. The problems the company is facing have turned out to be more than it could handle and Live365 will be shutting down completely on January 31, 2016. Last week, Live365 issued this statement to all of its registered users:
Dear Live365 Broadcasters,
You should have already received our notification and link to the press release regarding two issues that have affected Live365 in the last few weeks.
- The CRB ruling handed down in December, 2015 did NOT renew or address the expiration of the small webcaster percentage of revenue plans. At this time there is no small webcaster options except for full CRB rates.
- Live365’s long time investors have stopped funding us. As a result, we are no longer able to sustain our service.
We are sad that we are closing our doors at the end of this month. There are always possibilities that we can come back in one form or another, but at this point in time, January 31, 2016 is the last day that Live365’s streaming servers and website will be maintained and supported.
This is a surprise to us as it is to all of you. We are proud that Live365 was a pioneer in the streaming music business and have provided a platform to hundreds of thousands of broadcasters to have a voice over the years.
Unfortunately, we have to say good bye.
Along with this announcement, Live365 has recommended StreamLicensing.com and StreamGuys to users who’d like to continue running their online stations. Live365 is suggesting that users who migrate to either of these service let the new services know that they’re coming from Live365.
I truly HATE that this is happening. I only learned of LIVE365 in 2011, and since that time I have been a VIP user (paid subscriber). I simply LOVE LIVE365 and cannot find anything that is very similar. I just love the “anyone can be a broadcaster” format, and live streaming is my favorite way to listen to music/talk/entertainment. Of course there are many other live-streaming apps out there, but I just love the listener-curated stations that are created by the average user. Another reason that this stinks for myself is that most stations that I listen to on LIVE365 are Old Time Radio Stations, which play non-copyrighted material that is in the public domain. Therefore, for the station owners of those small OTR stations the high rates imposed by the RIAA is mostly a non issue, but they get nixed along with all of the other LIVE365 channels. I’ve talked with some station owners, and they said to be on the lookout for more small to moderate online music services to go bye-bye (…rdio).
LIVE365 has been around SO long, since 1999, so it is truly a shame that they are closing. I do hope that sometime in the future that LIVE365 can find a way to come back in some or any capacity.
Thanks for the article, as almost none other exist about this. 😉