SoundCloud have been gradually adding or restoring features to mobile users – and now uploading is available on iOS (and soon, Android).
I remember at some point, the fear of things like instant SoundCloud uploads was that users would dump a ton of horrible music on the service. But that really misses the point of a lot of why a lot of people presumably want this. (Well, plus, horrible music is not really something that can be avoided – let’s focus on where the good stuff goes.)
Uploads
Let’s say you’re working on a project on the go, and want to send a bounce to a friend or a client. Or you’ve recorded some interviews, and you share with someone doing transcriptions. Oddly, the original purpose of SoundCloud when it launched eons ago was stuff like this – it was an escape from what was at the time using FTP and other draconian solutions.
Here’s how it works:
Uploads are now in the release of the SoundCloud app that’s out today for iOS; we’re waiting on an Android version.
But even if you don’t use that, SoundCloud have been fixing other features.
Track and profile management
January updates on iOS added other missing, oft-requested features – the ability to edit tracks, the ability to edit your profile, and the ability to change what’s in your Spotlight.
This stuff is really invaluable. I can’t count the number of times I bounced a master, sent it to someone via SoundCloud (so they had a quick player, which they don’t get if I use WeTransfer, for instance), and then needed to make an edit.
I’ve already been using this from essentially the day it came out. It’s not in the main SoundCloud app on Android yet, but was delivered at some point on SoundCloud Pulse, the creator-side app. (I just tried to check version history, but it’s fairly impossible to find. I do remember the SoundCloud app and Pulse app being frustrating when they both lacked this.)
The same is true of managing your profile and spotlight. With so many platforms to juggle, and many of them (cough, Facebook) a total pain, the ability to quickly tweak your profile or what’s in your spotlight while you’re waiting for a bus is great.
(Note – waiting for a bus. Please don’t do this on the toilet. Gross.)
I’ve asked SoundCloud to let us know when to expect this on Android, and what the added features on the SoundCloud app itself mean for the Pulse app.
For now, Pulse remains useful for keeping tabs on interactions from other users and looking at stats.
SoundCloud hasn’t had the pace of innovation that marked its early years – nor, for that matter, would we say that I think of most of the social platforms we now use online. So I do suspect we’ll continue to hear some user gripes about the brand, particularly when we shell out money each month. On the other hand, some of that innovation was even more disruptive – like the removal of groups. I’m keen to hear more from what our neighbors in Berlin are up to, and whether it can serve what producers really want.