From iPads to desktop, apps have been adding SoundCloud integration. But this plug-in goes one better: you can navigate SoundCloud from an in-DAW browser, then drag and drop sounds to hosts like Ableton Live. (You can upload, too, also via drag-and-drop.) The plug-in is free for native hosts on Mac and Windows.
One major criticism: without the ability to see SoundCloud’s licensing terms, you can’t be sure if the samples you’re grabbing are something someone wants you to use. Unless I’m missing something, it’d be great to have Creative Commons search support – indeed, it’d help people who do want their music and sounds shared to make it happen, and the plug-in could even assist with metadata so you can properly credit them when the track is done.
But this does provide a glimpse of the kind of workflows that could combine online collaboration with work in the DAW. Give it a go and let us know what you think.
http://www.stagecraftsoftware.com/download/