SoundCloud
Group 4
Who and What is Soundcloud?
Soundcloud is our example of a prosumer community that allows
the producer and user (consumer) to participate in the creation,
of making and using sound. It was established in 2007 in (Berlin,
Germany) and ever since has remained popular . There are
about 10 million users .
Soundcloud is an online audio distribution platform that allows
musicians to collaborate, promote and distribute their music. it is
easy to share and promote sounds to anyone and anywhere
around the world by connecting your account with Twitter,
Facebook, Tumblr & other neat services.
It is popular ,not just for the fact that music is shared but also
photos can be shared.
Who works for them
• Ideally it is employees of Sound Cloud who work behind the
scenes
• However, music producers are real employees
• Act as Prosumers who make the website what it is
• Share and upload own music and allows audiences viewing the
website to listen to it
• This helps to promote the artist because the music can also be
shared through other websites.
How they get their word out
Soundcloud has a key feature that lets artists upload their music
with a distinctive Uniform resource locator (URL).By allowing
sound files to be embedded anywhere, Soundcloud can be
combined with social networks like Facebook and twitter to let
the audience get their music effectively.
This brings out the idea of what the people does with the media
and not what the media does to the people. Sound cloud also has
an Application Program Interface(API) that allows other
applications or smartphones to upload or download music and
sound files.
Sound cloud depicts audio tracks geographically as waveforms
and allows users to comment on specific parts of the track.
Cultural Practices of Textual
Production
Prosumers of Soundcloud are people who have high interest in music and other audio
related work. Prosumers would use various equipment such as e.g. adobe audition, pro
tool, beatcraft and other software to produce their cultural work.
Users of Soundcloud usually upload their work which they produce on their software's for
instance a instrumental beat, they upload it on the website and wait for other users to
comment on it, LIKE and share. Most of the time people will remix two artists tracks
together and combine them. After they would add in another instrumental of their own
into the mix making something new and transformative. We hear a lot of dub step music
remix's at this current time in clubs and in general and is a genre numerous amount of
people upload and share.
Others use soundcloud to search for instrumental beats which they want to record vocals
over and they would negotiate with the producer if they can give the permission to do so,
or the producer may as for ask for cash or something in return
Licenses
As we have learned in the last lecture about the Gift economy and how we can use it in the digital
media, but there are many things we have to consider about it when we sharing our records of sounds
such as the licences and copy rights. I have tried to discover some weaknesses at the licences in the
SOUNDCLOUD website comparing with other websites (Grooveshark, Last.fm, MOG and MySpace)
that have a similar functions and I have found that the following points is missed:
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You do not allow modifying the site.
Any musical work made available via the Service is intended for Streaming only.
Illegal and/or unauthorized use of the Service, including collecting usernames, email addresses or
User Content of other Users by electronic or other means for the purpose of sending unsolicited
email, unauthorized framing of or linking to the Site or other illegal purposes will be investigated.
You may not use any Website’s logo or other proprietary graphic or trademark as part of the link
without express written permission.
Do not allow or aid or abet any third party (whether or not for your benefit) to, copy or adapt the
object code of the Website or Services.
Their licenses
• Creative Commons licenses
• Allows the creator to dictate the amount of freedom #
• Doesn’t allow for direct profitable advertisement for users,
however gives an option for people to pay for a user
subscription.
‘Creative Commons develops, supports, and stewards legal
and technical infrastructure that maximizes digital creativity,
sharing, and innovation.’
Conclusion
• Soundcloud is an active market where the
consumer manufactures the product
• The platform is a “value co-creation” because of
it’s user generated content
• Based on it’s content production policy
Soundcloud does not seek to control how the
prosumers use their accounts
• It’s API and sharing modes create a more easier
access to the site’s information
• It can be seen as an early adopter for the new
capitalism