Streamwaves

Streamwaves Inc. was founded in 1999,{{cite web |title=About Us |url=http://www.streamwaves.com/aboutus_test.asp |website=Streamwaves |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204052209/http://www.streamwaves.com/aboutus_test.asp |archive-date=2005-02-04}} when Jeff Tribble and Daniel Hexter began work on a legal alternative to illegal file sharing services such as Napster and Kazaa. The final product was a web-based streaming service that did not require users to download any software to play music or save playlists.{{cite news |title=Now Hear This |url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/now-hear-this-6389757 |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=Dallas Observer |date=2002-08-15}} In November 2000, EMI became the first major label to license a portion of its music catalog to Streamwaves.{{cite news |last=Rohde |first=Laura |title=EMI, Streamwaves to launch streaming music service |url=https://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/11/21/emi.streamwaves.idg/index.html |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=CNN |date=2000-11-21}} The two companies launched a separate music service, HigherWaves, on August 13, 2001, offering 10,000 Christian songs by more than 350 musicians.{{cite news |last=Healey |first=Jon |title=FullAudio Makes Its 1st Deal With a Major Label |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jul-16-fi-22898-story.html |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2001-07-16}}{{cite magazine |last=Shachtman |first=Noah |title=Christ's Music Shalt Stream First |url=https://www.wired.com/2001/08/christs-music-shalt-stream-first/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=2021-10-12 |date=2001-08-14}}{{cite news |title=EMI CG, Streamwaves team to offer online music subscriber service |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2001/08/13/daily1.html |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=Nashville Business Journal |date=2001-08-13}}{{cite magazine |last=Garrity |first=Brian |title=Streamwaves Streaks Ahead In On-Demand Race |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_hMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2021-10-12 |date=2001-08-25}} It was the first label-supported music subscription service.{{cite news |title=10,000-title Internet jukebox |url=https://nl.newsbank.com |website=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=2021-10-12 |date=2002-01-19 |url-access=subscription |via=NewsLibrary|quote=Dallas-based Streamwaves became the first major label music subscription service on the Internet last year when it launched Higherwaves.com.}}

The next major label was Universal Music Group, which signed a licensing agreement with Streamwaves in June 2002.{{cite news |last=Sieroty |first=Chris H. |title=Universal Cuts Online Music Deal |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2002/06/11/On-the-Net/7541023768000/ |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=UPI |date=2002-06-11}}{{cite news|last=Gwendolyn |first=Mariano |title=Universal offers songs to Streamwaves | publisher=ZDNet News |date=2002-06-05 |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/universal-offers-songs-to-streamwaves/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009111303/http://www.zdnet.com/news/universal-offers-songs-to-streamwaves/123222 |archive-date=2012-10-09}} Three months later, Warner Music Group became the third major label to license content to Streamwaves, which now offered over 150,000 digital songs and albums in its collection. Subsequent deals with other labels, including Sony Music Entertainment, Harry Fox Agency, BMI and others brought the size of Streamwaves' library to over 450,000 songs and albums.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} In 2005, the Streamwaves service was merged with the Rhapsody music service.{{cite web |title=Streamwaves Joins the Rhapsody Revolution |url=http://streamwaves.com/ |website=Streamwaves |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050507134946/http://streamwaves.com/ |archive-date=2005-05-07}}

Being a browser-based service, Streamwaves did not have most of the compatibility problems other services encountered. The Streamwaves jukebox worked on Windows and Macintosh computers alike. The company lured Macintosh users and members of Mac user communities through discounts on the monthly subscription fee.{{Cite web

| last = Washlesky

| first = Mike

| title = Streamwaves.com Discounts Service For Mac Users

| url=http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/Streamwaves.com_Discounts_Service_For_Mac_Users/

| date = 2003-01-26

| accessdate = 2009-06-02 }}

Streamwaves marketed its service online and through traditional brick and mortar stores such as FYE and CompUSA stores, among others. Hewlett-Packard offered 30-day trials to users of its myhpclub.com and mypresarioclub.com websites.{{cite news |title=Streamwaves has its eye on void left by Napster |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/03/17/streamwaves-has-its-eye-on-void-left-by-napster/ |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=2003-03-17}} In 2003, Streamwaves took to the task of converting Kazaa users to paying, legal customers. Partnering with Altnet, Streamwaves offered searchers on KaZaA free 30-second samples of songs for which they were searching and directed them to sign up for the full-featured service.{{cite news

| last = Healey

| first = Jon

| title = Streamwaves Aims to Get Kazaa Users to Pay

| work = Los Angeles Times

| date = 2003-06-24

| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jun-24-fi-stream24-story.html

| access-date = 2009-06-02 }}

Also in 2003, Streamwaves partnered with Excite to provide a co-branded online streaming music store to Excite customers.{{cite news |title=Streamwaves inks deal with Excite |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2003/03/17/daily11.html |access-date=2021-10-12 |work=Dallas Business Journal |date=2003-03-18}}{{cite press release

| title = Streamwaves Partners With The Excite Network to Launch Subscription Music Services on Excite and iWon Websites.

| publisher = PRNewswire

| date = 2003-03-17

| url = http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-2566008/Streamwaves-Partners-With-The-Excite.html

| accessdate = 2009-06-03 }} CD3 Storage Systems, Inc. partnered with Streamwaves to offer free music on all of its Discgear products for the 2004 holiday season.{{cite press release

| title = CD3 Storage Systems, Inc. Partners With Streamwaves Inc. for the 2004 Holiday Season

| publisher = PRWeb

| date = 2004-10-22

| url = http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb170301.htm

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041126093611/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/10/prweb170301.htm

| url-status = dead

| archive-date = November 26, 2004

| accessdate = 2009-06-02 }}

• iTunes
• Zune

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.streamwaves.com/ Streamwaves]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.streamwaves.com Internet Archive: Streamwaves]

{{Music digital distribution platforms}}

Category:Online music stores of the United States