We’ve just gotten tipped off that streaming service Pulselocker has been quietly telling its customers today that they are shutting down operations. The service abruptly went down today and sent out notifications to all of their customers – without any previous notice. Keep reading for what we know so far.
So Long, Pulselocker
Despite relaunching in late 2015, gaining built-in integration in Serato, Rekordbox, and Virtual DJ, and building their own iOS app earlier this year, the service has come to a close. Here’s the email sent out to all of Pulselocker Customers about an hour ago – concurrent with a complete stop in service.
Dear Pulselocker Customer,
It is with an incredibly heavy heart that we have to send this message. As of today, November 10th, 2017, Pulselocker is ceasing operations.
Six years ago we set out to provide a unique service to the DJ community—we believe we succeeded in providing something truly revolutionary that was well received by all of you. Due to a combination of market circumstances and financial constraints, we must re-organize our current structure if we are to successfully serve you in the future. After exhaustively searching for alternatives, we have made the extremely hard decision to shut down our operations.
We realize this news comes incredibly fast and we are truly sorry for the inconveniences this may cause. Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts for the support you’ve shown Pulselocker and our deepest apologies for the speed and inconvenience of this announcement.
We will continue to search for ways to bring the service back to you in a bigger and better way. We are proud of the community that rallied behind our technology and thank you for your support and patronage.
Sincerely,
The Pulselocker Team
Sadly, instead of sunsetting the product naturally and allowing users to migrate or find new solutions, the company shut down their service today as well. If you’re were DJ relying on using the service this weekend, you’re screwed. Some Reddit users are even reporting that they were just charged their regular monthly subscription as recently as yesterday:
At time of press, Pulselocker hasn’t responded to a request for details about their shutdown. They have posted the above letter to customers on their official status page.
Editor’s Update: Wow. Some customers really in a lurch as a result:
The End Of The Streaming Experiment – For Now?
What’s incredible is that the industry seemed to really stand behind Pulselocker. Adding integration into Serato DJ and Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox software would have taken serious negotiations. These two companies would likely have made a serious assessment about how much work integration would have taken – and not added the service without relative confidence. Now they’ll have to remove the integration – and it will likely mean less trust in future streaming services that crop up.
For Virtual DJ, this makes the second streaming service that their users have lost access to in just a few months. Spotify became unavailable in Virtual DJ in mid-September.
[…] were certain that Pulselocker was done – having suddenly shut down operations with zero warning to users in November 2017. But today, major news as electronic music giant Beatport announces that they have acquired the […]
[…] were certain that Pulselocker was done – having suddenly shut down operations with zero warning to users in November 2017. But today, major news as electronic music giant Beatport announces that they have acquired the […]
Yeah because Pulselocker sucked from the start and was too damned expensive. The fact that they did some billing shenanigans just proves what a crap team they were.
[…] Integration (Post-Pulselocker): Serato just lost their fully-integrated streaming music library, Pulselocker. Wouldn’t it be amazing if they turned around and cut a deal with Spotify, like what […]
I never really did inform myself about any Streaming Option in my Software.
I just made the move from working with CDs to Controllerism this Summer.
So if I got the whole Thing right, the Softwares have implemented Streaming Providers now, that means I have to be connected to the Internet anyway to use that Service no?
We (Controllerists) have to handle already enough technological things like:
– Reliably working Notebook (Cache Problems, having enough RAM, etc…)
– Software Stability (OS Version Compatibility, New Service Packs killing it, etc…)
– Tracks Quality (poor MP3 Quality, Datas no compatible, etc…)
– etc…
Don’t we already have to handle enough of that stuff (that can be extremly annoying), to Add the Need of stable working Highspeed Internet Connection and the Trust in an external Streaming Service???
Only reasons why Some use Streaming Services are:
– They feel that they need every single Song that People possibly could request, they are afraid of saying to someone “Hey sorry I don’t have that one”. That might be super Service oriented but at same time it’s over Service oriented, Freaks You are the DJ not a Jukebox you made a certain song selection in advance.
– Streaming is cheaper than buying. And there Comes the point: This industry became accessible to too many People in very short time. I started 18 years ago and had to build up my Library thru the years.
Even Nowadays I cannot Play every request but Hey Who cares…Nobody will die because I can’t Play that song.
Well so my opinion everyone who uses those Services does it at his/her own risk.
Real professional DJs do own their tracks and have them physically (Cd or Vynil) or Digitally (MP3, Flac, etc..)
[…] most recent setbacks were last week’s unexpected Pulselocker implosion. Before that, it was Spotify pulling support from Virtual DJ. (It’s worth noting that in VDJ, […]
[…] most recent setbacks were last week’s unexpected Pulselocker implosion. Before that, it was Spotify pulling support from Virtual DJ. (It’s worth noting that in VDJ, […]
Streaming in dj software over, no, in Serato, yes.
DJayPro is an amazing software with native pioneer support and streaming from Spotify, I use their software, its what Serato used to be, simple, to the point and for dj’s. The software even includes add-ons like video playback for free.
Serato, you’re breakin my heart lately, you used to be the kings of dj software…some dj’s used to dream of owning an SL box.
Get it together, every since scratch live falls apart, Itch, Bridge, now you team up with companies like Pulselocker which apparently couldn’t handle the workload. People spend thousands of dollars to buy hardware compatible with your software still, but why is that a $50 app (DJay Pro) can give us what we want/need and actually work.
Disc-Jockeys who aren’t using discs ain’t disc-jockeys. These clowns should call themselves Entertainers or if they turn jog-wheels they can call themselves Jog-Jockeys or CUNTrollerists…Geez the kids nowadays
Sounds pretty sketch to me. There has to be more to this story than what we are seeing.
PCDJ also used pulselocker and I just checked the site…same issue…. I will also add that Mixvbiess Cross has soundcloud and RUNS SMOOTH AS ICE, but no updates to the program in awhile. Spotify has the best hold as of right now with the streaming service (paid). That’s what I see from my bird’s eye view.
Way to early to have started with a service like that. Try again in 5 to 10 years.
If Pulselocker’s API are still functioning you can use Soundiiz to migrate asap. That’s the advise I got this evening from Soundiiz
It should be noted that the article needs to be corrected Dan because Virtualdj still has its own content unlimited service which they started with and still offer. So to answer the question not streaming is not dead and Virtualdj still offers a package for video audio and karaoke. They also said from the beginning that Spotify and the like were not really professional solution. They don’t control if a partner decides to suspend service.
Streaming is not dead you are correct and soundcloud can still be used and spotify but apple has a binding contract with them.
The method in which they folded – by yanking their service abruptly the day before the weekend, and billing people the day before, should mean one thing: The individual staff members at Pulselocker in charge of the operation should never be trusted or allowed to work in the industry again. Shame on any company who hires or promotes any service from any of the leadership team members ever again,
What did the contract say when you signed up?? There was a binding agreement. That’s why I ALWAYS READ before anything.
Oh I’m sure they’re well within their contract rights, but there’s a difference between effectively and respectfully running a company and simply staying within your contract rights. Personally, as a customer, I look for more from a company than merely “staying within the contract.”
Castiel hits it on the head, ownership of your music, especially in supporting the livelihood of a business, is paramount. Here is an article I wrote on the subject: https://pariscreative.com/own-your-library/
Dj who dont own their music are idiots
You don’t own music only the artist or rights holder does. You just have the right to play it which can be taken away at any time as well.
Yup… I am still waiting on some of the labels to come get some of this NON HIT promo vinyl in my basement….
: )
Are they able to delete a non drm musicfile from my USB-Stick over the air or sratch my CDs? 😉
Even if there are strange laws like you say, (i don’t know your local law), I know it would be without any effect for a Dj with an upcomming gig, because the data or physical medium would still exist…
I know but i have my music on my ssd, no one can take it away from me
> “For Virtual DJ, this makes the second streaming service that their users have lost access”.
It’s worth to note that VirtualDJ had 7 different streaming services to choose from to begin with, so it still has 5 now (while Serato or Recordbox have zero).
(admittedly 1 of the 5 remaining is also going to close at the end of the year so it’ll be down to 4 soon, but still)
Not sure its the end of music streaming, Pulselocker was a new kid on the block, relaunched just 2 years ago. While it means the end of online streaming for Recordbox and Serato, VirtualDJ has several streaming platforms still – for both music, video and karaoke – from reliable sources that been around since the 80s.
Any “DJs” (and I use the term loosely) moaning about not being able to gig because all their tracks were rented – well it’s your own $£&%*& fault for relying totally on rented music.
Seriously, if you’re taking money from people, and they believe they’re hiring a professional, you should AT THE VERY LEAST have a core library of tracks that you’ve BOUGHT and own. IMO it’s incredibly foolish of you to rely 100% on rented music.
Unbelievable
That was my reaction exactly. I don’t like renting or buying “digital only” music or movies. I’ve loosened up a bit in recent years, but I still don’t fit in with the Spotify generation.
Pulselocker contacted me in 2014 to implement their service in DJ Player. I thought it’s a great idea, so i helped them with their first API and integrated in DJ Player. Yes, an internal build of DJ Player had Pulselocker back in 2014.
1-2 weeks before the release they changed their team and the API concept, so i had the re-implement everything from scratch. It wasn’t nice.
And _again_, just 1-2 weeks before the release (early 2015) they changed everything _again_, so i told them i’ll hold off with Pulselocker integration as i did a lot of free work already without any benefit.
Since then, i put Pulselocker requests in my not-so-important bin, because i saw the instability of the company. It’s sad that they couldn’t stabilize. It was a great concept.
I would have happily used it if it was available in my territory =/
[…] post Pulselocker Folds: Is Streaming In DJ Software Over? appeared first on DJ […]
The issue is that the streaming model is similar to an “airline model” – no matter if you fly empty or full, certain costs/overheads are already incurred. So therefore, it’s a real numbers game to drive subscriptions above a certain to make profit.
What makes it worse than the “airline model”, is that as more people stream, some of your previously fixed costs have to scale up, such as server space and bandwidth.
When the dust is settled, I think we will see one or two streaming services left catering a high priced tier for heavy users like DJs.
Just my 2c.
RD
*in reply to main thread
Absolutely no sympathy for DJs that had no physical or local backup of their music and relying solely on an experimental technology for their professional work.
great insight and comment!