6 Reasons DJs Will Love The New SoundCloud

It wil be easier to find great new music for your DJ sets thanks to faster searching, the ability to stream new music continuously, and better access to what other people are loving..

We thoroughly recommend you avoid SoundCloud for posting your DJ sets – unless you want to struggle to get them accepted in the first place, or don’t mind seeing your work disappear without notice at any time, of course. Trust us: It’s not a good place to post DJ sets.

What SoundCloud does better than any other music website, though, is offer a place for producers to post their original work, thus making it an excellent tool for DJs on the lookout for fresh new sounds for their sets – not least because many are freely and legally downloadable. And it’s all about to get better still, with a whole host of new features announced today that represent the biggest overhaul of the service since it launched. Let’s find out what we should be getting excited about:

New features DJs will love

1. You’ll be able to build full DJ sets – Playlists are out – “sets” are in. The big idea here is that you can build a set in one waveform. It’s a bit like 8tracks – but “sets” can be shared, liked and reposted as if they were tracks. Of course you can’t “mix” the tracks, but as an auditioning tool this is going to be awesome
2. It will be easier to find out what other people think of tracks you discover – There is more room for comments on waveforms, meaning it’s going to be simpler to scan through what other people say about tracks you’re previewing, which should speed up your new music discovery process
3. You’ll be able to find out which other DJs have also discovered your latest “big thing” – Found an amazing new producer? Assuming you’re following people you admire already on SoundCloud (you should be), the new SoundCloud will show you which of your friends (read: other DJs and producers) are already following people you “discover”. This we’ll help give you a sense of whether an artist is blowing up across your scene, or it’s just you so far who’s on it…
4. It will keep music playing in the background while you do other things – Music discovery is all about letting stuff seep into your consciousness, and the new SoundCloud will let you play your stream in the background as you explore other parts of the site. You can always click a little waveform icon to get back to what you’re hearing if something jumps out at you
5. You’ll be able to share new discoveries with your followers – If you’re a DJ/producer using SoundCloud to showcase your work, you can keep your followers loyal by posting stuff you find that you like directly to their streams, using a new “repost” button. The more useful you are to your followers, the more they’ll come back to hear your own work
6. It’ll be easier to use – We’re all about productivity (you only get so many hours to practise DJing and discover new music, after all), and the inclusion of a whole host of new keyboard shortcuts, instant intuitive search across people and sounds, plus a much-needed volume control onsite will make the whole thing faster to use

Playing to its strengths…

SoundCloud has always been a service where stuff that producers upload actually gets heard, and so as a DJ using it to discover new sounds, you can be pretty sure sure that the best new stuff will blow up on the site.

SoundCloud has always been a service where stuff that producers upload actually gets heard…

The new-look SoundCloud will help with that as it will make everything more shareable (thus this organic, crowdsourced auditioning will become even more trustworthy), and also it will simply be easier and faster to use, making it more popular and thus even more reliable as a dependable source of new sounds. And anything that helps DJs find more great new music gets a big thumbs up from us.

• New SoundCloud is in private beta right now, but you can sign up for an invite when they become available, and find out more about the new features, here.

Is SoundCloud part of your music discovery system? How do you use it as a DJ? What have your experiences with SoundCloud been so far? Please share your thoughts on the service in general and the new features in the comments below.

Now go to:
Why You Shouldn’t Post Your Mixes On SoundCloud
4 SoundCloud Alternatives For Hosting DJ Mixes
Review: Until AM, Virtual Turntables In Your Browser

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Tags: digital cratedigging, music discovery, soundcloud

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