Is soundcloud ruined?

[yur2die4]

I don't want to make or spend money. And I strongly dislike ads. I always saw it as just this audio billboard that people could plop stuff onto and share with others. Or a promotional tool.

It gradually became about money through multiple avenues. The legal aspect of people using others' work, and what I call the 'musicians taking themselves too seriously and always trying to take over a medium for monetary purposes' factor.

I think it is cool that people value their own hard work and they do deserve to be compensated fairly. But sometimes they step in on a harmless, casual thing and start making it too serious. Then it goes from 'hey check out this remix of my rabbit farting' to 'I'm not making enough money so I am unhappy, and kind of hungry. Your fucking website affects the unattainable prospects that I fantasize about".

[TomViolenz]

Did I miss something re: Soundcloud?!

[beats me]

Not sure what you are going on about here but free access to [whatever] ruined everything, but it’s too late to go back now.

[H20nly]

Taylor Swift hates soundcloud because she doesn't get any money for plays.

[Stromkraft]

Is soundcloud ruined?

No, it's not.

[yur2die4]

Soundcloud is kind of leaning towards the direction of Pandora. But not entirely. They offer free accounts for uploaders (3 hrs), but streaming will either have commercials or you can pay for an account for the commercial free experience.

They will be working very closely with Warner, and probably offer a large assortment of their catalog. I get the feeling that they will take your assumed tastes and cram their catalog down your throat. Plus tighten restrictions on mixes and sampling.

On the bright side, artists can use the service to be compensated for playback of their music. That's probably if they have a pay account. I don't know if Warner will try to claim rights on future uploads or anything, but the whole commercials thing really taints the future experience.

[Stromkraft]

. I don't know if Warner will try to claim rights on future uploads or anything.

The main problem with all services like Soundcloud, Youtube and so on, is that they cater for companies that claim copyright on your original songs, even if they can be proven to not to have any copyright what so ever.
These companies must be named, targeted to be killed off, circumvented and boycotted. The same for the people running them and working in them. They are the real thieves in the musical world.

[yur2die4]

Imagine the utility of a 'public' billboard. Not a corporately owned one. On a public billboard, individuals have to actively claim their voice. When they pin something onto it, they fully intend to present whatever is on that piece of paper to the best of their ability. Their reputation clings on this. Also, a public billboard can be time sensitive.

However, when Company X gets involved, they could bombard this billboard with their own information. They could post a huge poster of an event which might be in a different country, with this huge headliner, and have this plopped onto every billboard on the street for miles. It is alienating. Now Jay has less room to tell you he works on cars, Gary's mystical seance parties are buried, and Lolita's Olive Oil shop hidden off on the corner doesn't have a place to remind you they exist. Most relevant to performers, they might have relevant and up-to-date information on gifs at coffee houses and bars for the next couple weeks. These will either be confined in their reachability, or restricted due to not agreeing with Company X's policies. Or Company X will want a cut. As they also have McDonalds and Geico insurance totally suck away any creative energy and mystique that the classic community billboard would otherwise convey.

http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/11/s ... rner-mean/

[beatz01]

In short, yes Soundcloud is ruining itself.

The whole ad/premium partner idea will backfire in the long run and people will move elsewhere just like they did after Myspace.

Oh well this happens if you don't have a real business model right at the beginning.

[TomViolenz]

Soundcloud is kind of leaning towards the direction of Pandora. But not entirely. They offer free accounts for uploaders (3 hrs), but streaming will either have commercials or you can pay for an account for the commercial free experience.

I guess they have to make money somehow. The question for me would be, can I pay for an account so that my listeners have a commercial free experience?
And if so, how much?

They will be working very closely with Warner, and probably offer a large assortment of their catalog. I get the feeling that they will take your assumed tastes and cram their catalog down your throat. Plus tighten restrictions on mixes and sampling.

Yeah that's bad news. For me Soundcloud was never about being a music distribution service for established acts, but for beginners and as such for people to discover new acts. Otherwise Soundcloud as a Warner stream service is not wanted nor needed.
I'm fine with the restrictions on mixing and sampling though. There have been way to many "remixes" and shitty DJsets lately instead of original music.

On the bright side, artists can use the service to be compensated for playback of their music. That's probably if they have a pay account.

As I mentioned above, if it's opt-in I have no problem with it.
If they want to be revolutionary, they can also add a payment option to the account, so that I could opt to show my music commercial free, but people can choose to donate money.

I don't know if Warner will try to claim rights on future uploads or anything

If that happens I'm out

What are alternatives to Soundcloud?

[TomViolenz]

In short, yes Soundcloud is ruining itself.

The whole ad/premium partner idea will backfire in the long run and people will move elsewhere just like they did after Myspace.

Oh well this happens if you don't have a real business model right at the beginning.

Didn't Myspace do a relaunch as a platform for musicians?

I looked at it back then, and it it looked quite good. Is anyone here using it?

[beats me]

In short, yes Soundcloud is ruining itself.

The whole ad/premium partner idea will backfire in the long run and people will move elsewhere just like they did after Myspace.

Oh well this happens if you don't have a real business model right at the beginning.

Didn't Myspace do a relaunch as a platform for musicians?

I looked at it back then, and it it looked quite good. Is anyone here using it?

Justin Timberlake bought it. Looks nice but nobody uses it.


Unfortunately FREE has made digital creativity a nomadic endeavor. Use up all the available resources until it becomes an annoyance to the producer or the viewer/listener. Soon after something else will come along that offers FREE resources. Rinse and repeat.

At best maybe a “don’t need the money” corporation like Apple or Google that celebrates creativity will offer something they don’t later destroy by trying to monetize it.

[yur2die4]

There have to be ways to generate revenue without audible snippets.

Soundcloud roulette is one of my favorite pastimes. Search a word and go with the playlist. It is a rare compilation of totally random music/non-music/sounds. It is like someone just sold the rainforest :/ them chainsaws be a-buzzin'

[H20nly]

At best maybe a “don’t need the money” corporation like Apple or Google that celebrates creativity will offer something they don’t later destroy by trying to monetize it.

yeah right. that's not possible. people and their desire for money destroy everything eventually... even nature.

[TomViolenz]

In short, yes Soundcloud is ruining itself.

The whole ad/premium partner idea will backfire in the long run and people will move elsewhere just like they did after Myspace.

Oh well this happens if you don't have a real business model right at the beginning.

Didn't Myspace do a relaunch as a platform for musicians?

I looked at it back then, and it it looked quite good. Is anyone here using it?

Justin Timberlake bought it. Looks nice but nobody uses it.

Hm, I liked Justin Timberlake back in the day. He had that 80s Michael Jackson grooviness going on for a while. Didn't know he was the one who bought Myspace.
Does not speak against using it IMO.

And if it looks good and works, why should I care if others are using it, it's not like the few listens I did have on Soundcloud likely came from Soundcloud itself, but rather my signiture here.

Anything known about their ToS? Could they be an alternative to Soundcloud if that goes to shit?!