Music sharing platforms come and go frequently. Some stay longer than others, but most are generally the same. That is, until SoundCloud came around. SoundCloud is a different kind of platform that promotes artists and makes music easier to listen to. Due to SoundCloud’s unique interface, new artists are using this platform more than any other.

SoundCloud cleverly mixes social media style with music. In addition, this program makes it simple to share music with friends across a number of networks. SoundCloud is packed with hidden tools and innovative ways to connect with the outside world. At the time of this writing, SoundCloud was also a free program for all users.

Note: it is possible that SoundCloud no longer exists or is no longer free. For the sake of starved musicians everywhere, we hope that neither of these things is true. SoundCloud is expected to grow by leaps and bounds over the next couple of years. This review was written in 2011.

Critiques

The main reason why SoundCloud stands out is the interaction allowed between listeners and musicians. As SoundCloud is streaming a song, users can comment on any portion of the song. These comments stay with the track, and allow other users to view them. As a result, musicians can also view user comments.

This kind of marketing information is invaluable to new musicians. Gaining feedback from listeners before a song hits the wider market is vital. This way, musicians can change a certain portion of a song or scrap a track altogether.

Interface

SoundCloud has a completely unique interface. Unlike other platforms, SoundCloud songs stream in a horizontal manner. Users can view high notes and low notes alike, which allows for a lot more user interaction.

Downloading a song from SoundCloud is also easy. To download a track, simply click the “download” button and choose your media player. You can stop a song at any time, and you can comment whenever you want to.

Other Users

Most of the other users on SoundCloud are musicians. Clicking on the name of a user will bring you to that person’s own page. From there, you can listen to tracks that a person has uploaded or you can find out who those people follow. Following users can turn into a neat cobweb of unusual sounds.

Sharing

SoundCloud is particularly unique, since it allows you to share with your Facebook, Twitter, FourSquare, and other friends. To share, all you have to do is allow SoundCloud to connect to your network account of choice. As soon as you connect, the song you want to share will be posted.

SoundCloud also connects to more than 100 different apps. Listening to any kind of music at any time is really simple with this program. In many ways, SoundCloud is a lot like a social network and music platform combined. The result is a program that’s easy to use, enjoyable, and filled to the brim with excellent new music that you probably haven’t heard about yet.