nugs Launches Play Dead App For Hi-Res Streaming Of Grateful Dead Vault
The new app offers exclusive access to newly transferred and mastered recordings from the Grateful Dead’s live archive, with new vault releases every Tuesday.
By Team JamBase Apr 16, 2026 • 7:00 am PDT
Grateful Dead fans now have a new way to explore the band’s extensive live archive. nugs launched Play Dead, a dedicated app for streaming the Grateful Dead vault in high-resolution audio.
Play Dead gives listeners access to newly transferred and mastered vault recordings, many of which have never been released. The app launched with 20 previously unreleased shows, and two new releases will be added each week. Longtime Grateful Dead archivist and legacy manager David Lemieux will curate the weekly releases, with mastering handled by David Glasser.
“Play Dead kicks off the largest tape transfer project in the history of rock ‘n roll,” said nugs CEO and founder Brad Serling. “We are pulling tapes off the shelf of the vault and transferring them at their highest resolution to date, and mastering in the studio for the first time. These tapes were in the room with the band each night, and Play Dead will be the official hi-res streaming home of the vault, browsable chronologically in the order the music was performed. Working with Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino, we are giving listeners unprecedented access to 30 years of live recordings, via one of the greatest live archives ever assembled, with new discoveries coming every single week.”
Play Dead presents live recordings in chronological order by performance date, which is a first for the Grateful Dead catalog. Developed in partnership with Grateful Dead Productions and Rhino Entertainment, the app also makes previously CD-only releases available for streaming for the first time, including Lemieux’s “Dave’s Picks” series.
“Play Dead is the most complete way we’ve ever been able to share the vault,” Lemieux said. “These recordings capture the band’s journey night by night, and bringing them together in chronological order, with newly transferred and mastered audio, gives fans an entirely new way to experience this music. There’s always more to discover in the vault, and I’m excited to share something new every Tuesday.”
Play Dead is available as a standalone subscription for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Existing nugs subscribers can add Play Dead for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. A bundle option for new customers is priced at $17.98 per month or $169.98 per year. The app is available on iOS, Android and on the web at playdead.app.
“Rhino has been proud to steward the Grateful Dead’s catalog for decades,” said Rhino Records President Mark Pinkus. “We’re excited to help Grateful Dead bring the vault to life through nugs and Play Dead, giving fans an official new way to experience these legendary live recordings with the care and sound quality they deserve.”
nugs subscriptions include access to official live recordings by Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Dead & Company, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Billy Strings, Goose and Sturgill Simpson (Johnny Blue Skies), among many others. Along with official concert recordings, nugs subscribers get access to exclusive livestreams and more.
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