Plug.dj
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social media, Music streaming |
| Founded | February 29, 2012 |
| Founder | Steven Sacks, Alex Reinlieb, Jason Grunstra |
| Defunct | January 28, 2021 |
| Fate | Shut down due to financial difficulties |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | Rowl, Inc. |
plug.dj operated as an engaging online social music streaming service headquartered in Los Angeles, under the ownership of Rowl, Inc. The platform emphasized fostering supportive global communities centered around music sharing and exploration. Established on February 29, 2012, by Steven Sacks, Alex Reinlieb, and Jason Grunstra, it provided a complimentary service supplemented by microtransactions and attracted more than 3 million registered members.
Overview
The platform featured virtual chat rooms known as "communities," which users could create at will. Within these communities, participants queued to DJ by playing tracks or videos sourced from YouTube or SoundCloud, or they could simply listen without interaction. Users had the ability to vote on songs and save preferred tracks to their personal playlists. Engaged users earned experience points (XP) and plug points (PP), which could be exchanged for custom avatars and badges.
Communities were often dedicated to particular musical styles, mainly various EDM subgenres like Trap, Dubstep, Electro, and Drum'n'Bass; however, genres such as rock, jazz, death metal, and classical music were also present. Community founders had the option to assign moderators responsible for upholding community guidelines and fostering a positive atmosphere. Moreover, volunteer global moderators called "Brand Ambassadors" assisted in managing the platform-wide community standards.
In April 2015, plug.dj launched a subscription service offering exclusive avatars and badges without requiring PP currency expenditure. This monetization approach was intended to broaden revenue sources while increasing user involvement.
2015 shutdown
On September 14, 2015, plug.dj declared that it would cease operations unless adequate funding was secured by September 28 through a fundraising campaign. To reduce expenses, the company sold its office space and transitioned developers to remote work. Additional cost-cutting measures included introducing a new subscription tier, rewriting backend components in Go (replacing Python for improved performance), and reducing staff numbers; nonetheless, these efforts were insufficient to maintain viability. Failing to meet the financial target resulted in plug.dj going offline on September 28, 2015, which also led to the dissolution of its parent company, Plug DJ Inc.
2016 relaunch
On December 10, 2015, plug.dj suggested a return via Facebook updates and by February 2016 announced intentions for a relaunch under new ownership. The platform was acquired by Rowl, Inc and officially resumed service on May 31, 2016, reinstating existing user accounts and playlists. This acquisition aimed to preserve user data and reclaim presence within the social music streaming sector.
2021 shutdown
Unexpectedly on January 28, 2021, plug.dj went offline. The official Twitter account confirmed the outage and communicated ongoing efforts to resolve the issue promptly. After a period of twelve days, the company announced a shutdown citing financial difficulties but expressed intentions to restart operations at an undetermined future time.
See also
- Cord.DJ
- Turntable.fm
- Pubby.club
- QueUp.net
- TT.fm
- JQBX
External links
- Internet properties established in 2012
- 2012 establishments in the United States
- 2012 establishments in California
- American companies established in 2012
- Companies based in Los Angeles
- Social media companies of the United States
- Instant messaging
- American music websites
- Domain hacks
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment