SoundCloud

SoundCloud is an online music community where users can upload audio files in any common file type and any size on to their profile. The primary target is musicians, labels and music producers. Soundcloud has been said to be "the Flickr for music".
History
SoundCloud was founded in Berlin by Eric Wahlforss (see Forss) and Alexander Ljung in 2007. After one year of beta version testing the site went public in October 2008. At the end of the beta testing period the site had 18 000 users and after the launch it had in 41 000 users (November 2008).
Features
Accounts
Soundcloud has four different types of accounts. One free and three "pro accounts" from 9 to €59 per month. With the free account you can use most of the features on the web site. With Pro you get access to more features and you get to upload more songs, have more stats options, receive more songs in the dropbox etc.
Uploading and sending music
Users can upload audio files in any common file type and any size. When users uploads a file he or she can choose to make it public or share it privately to chosen users on soundcloud or to e-mail addresses. When users makes a file public it will appear on his or hers SoundCloud profile page where anyone can listen to it. When shared privatley it will only be visible to those he or she shared it to.
Receiving Music
Users on Soundcloud has a so called DropBox. The DropBox gives anyone the ability to send a file in any common format and any size to a SoundCloud user. The user receives an e-mail when someone sent a file and can listen to it on Soundcloud or download the file to a computer.
Soundcloud users can embed a Widget with a link to their DropBox on a blog, Myspace, Facebook and other web-sites.
Users with PRO Standard and PRO Max accounts can customize their dropbox with different fonts, colours and pictures.
Interaction and compatibility
Soundcloud has an API that allows independent programmers to expands its services.
The core functionality of the site relies on Javascript and Flash and is compatible with most modern web browsers.
Users can make timed comment at a certain time in a song.
Users can make a song favorite and it will appear under favorites in their account.
Users can start follow other users and get information when they have uploaded a new track, made a comment or made a song a favorite. The followed users will also be in the followers network and can be selected when sharing a private track.
Licensing
Soundcloud offer users to license their tracks under certain common usage licenses. The licensing option is a Creative Commons licensing which allows the user to choose between different types of licensing, although jurisdiction and version-specific licenses cannot be selected.
Awards
SIME award for best technical innovation 2008.

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See Also

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