Using a free service such as Mixcloud will take the complication out of hosting your mix online.
In the last two parts, we looked at setting up your accounts and customising your pages on both Facebook and Twitter.
In this part, we’ll look at getting your mix ready for promotion by uploading it to a free mix hosting service. For the purpose of this series, we’ll use one of the most popular mix hosting services online, London-based Mixcloud.
Why Mixcloud? Well, Mixclouud is dedicated to DJ mixes, and has agreements in place with record labels, so unlike other services (such as Soundcloud), there’s not much likelihood of there being any problems with your mix being removed for copyright reasons.
That being said, Mixcloud only allows mix streaming – you can’t let your listeners download your mix from the service.
How to do it
So go ahead and sign up at Mixcloud. You’ll need your MP3 (100MB or lower in size, and with eight tracks or more) and a track listing.
To add tracks, you can type them in manually, add a Traktor or a Serato file, or cut and paste your tracklist in – it’s completely up to you. Be sure to add tags and a mix description, which will help site visitors to find your mix.
You should definitely add a photo to your mix (use a square one or the service will crop it).
When a listener is checking out your mix, they can see where in the mix they are…
Mixcloud has a cool feature called “timestamping”. With timestamping, you tell Mixcloud where in the mix your individual tracks lie. That way, when a listener is checking out your mix, they can see where in the mix they are.
Once your mix is uploaded to Mixcloud, it’s time to start promoting it using your social media profiles – which is what we’ll be looking at in next week’s video.
This week’s video
Where do you host your mixes online? How have you got along with Mixcloud? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Now go to:
Using Facebook & Twitter To Promote Your DJing, Pt 4
Using Facebook & Twitter To Promote Your DJing, Pt 1
Using Facebook & Twitter To Promote Your DJing, Pt 2
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Tags: facebook, mixcloud, social media, twitter
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Mixcloud is pretty good, I remember seeing their stall at BPM 2009 when they were in beta phase. It’s come on some way since then and there’s a Mixcloud app which means anyone (with an iDevice) anywhere can potentially listen to your mix!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mixcloud/id401206431?mt=8&ls=1
There are other mix hosting websites, but Mixcloud seems to have the right approach – even though you can’t download the mixes.
[ link ]There’s no 100mb limit anymore on mixcloud uploads FYI
[ link ]I love mixcloud! Met a bunch of cool interesting people on there and have been using it for a while with no problems with mixes getting deleted for copyrights or anything, GREAT SITE!
[ link ]The 100meg limit has been binned now, there is no size limit
[ link ]That’s awesome – one more tick for Mixcloud.
[ link ]I’ve been using MixCloud for some time and I’m slowly getting more and more followers. You have to be patient and follow other people, otherwise it’s hard for people to find your mixes against the ones getting several hundred plays.
[ link ]I don’t really use mixcloud because my mixes would get virtually no plays at all. With soundcloud its a completely different story, so I take the risk of my mix being taking down, just so it can be heard.
[ link ]Can always post to both services after all.
[ link ]These articles really help. I knew how to do most of the things mentioned on my own but getting my ideas confirmed just makes it even better that I was right.
http://www.facebook.com/lewislace
[ link ]Why not combine all 3 posts into one single one, since these articles are so short?
[ link ]I love mixcloud its a great place to post your mixes!
[ link ]I love mixcloud its a great place to post your mixes
[ link ]