SoundCloud has a New Streaming Service

When you woke up today, we know your first thought was you needed a new streaming service. Good news, SoundCloud thinks that too. They launched a new tier of service this week called SoundCloud Go. The cost is $9.99 which is in a similar range to other options. 

The new service is built into the existing app with premium options available via an in-app purchase. Many of the features are comparable to Spotify such as offline listening. We love SoundCloud for the access it give to independents and gems we don't find elsewhere. The thing is we're unsure how this service lures someone away from the already entrenched players. It's unclear why a typical music listener would switch. It is clear, however, that the music industry continues to make deals with anyone they can not named Spotify or Apple.

Will you check out the trial of SoundCloud Go and give it a chance? Let us know in the comments. 

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SoundCloud Go on the App Store

New Year's Eve Broadcast Guide

There's many better options for entertainment on New Year's Eve than washed up actors making attempts at witty banter. We've included some good options below. 

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What: New York Philharmonic

Where to listen/watch: PBS

Program

Orpheus in the Underworld Overture-Offenbach

“Ah! que j’aime les militaires” from The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein-Offenbach

Carnival of the Animals-Saint Saens

Pavane pour une Infante défunte-Ravel

“C’est ça la vie, c’est ça l’amour” from Toi c’est moi-Simons

"La Vie en rose"-Piaf & Louiguy

Selections from Gaîté Parisienne-Offenbach/Orch. Rosenthal

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What: Detroit Symphony

Where to listen/watch: Livestream

Program

“Enjoy an evening of classics with Music Director Leonard Slatkin; and timeless R&B Soul hits from Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik and American Idol finalist Michael Lynche!”

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What: Berlin Philharmonic

Where to listen/watch: Digital Concert Hall

Program

Overture to L'Étoile-Chabrier

Introduction et Rondo capriccioso for violin and orchestra in A minor-Saint-Saens

Pieces for orchestra from Le Cid (Suite)-Massanet

Tzigane-Ravel

Les Biches, Ballet Suite-Poulenc

La Valse-Ravel

iTunes is still bad, but slightly better now

To be clear, we still hate iTunes with the intense heat of a thousand suns. That being said, a recent update has made it easier to sort and search. Up until now, iTunes limited you to sorting by artist. 

“This update allows you to see works, composers, and performers while browsing Classical music in the Apple Music catalog. It also includes stability and performance improvements.”

— iTunes 12.3.2

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Download iTunes

Google is Combining Virtual Reality with Concerts

Google is experimenting with quasi virtual reality and performances. Google's Cultural Institute has recorded some performances from a number of groups like the Berlin Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra. 

It looks just like a YouTube video, but you can manipulate the camera angle (with your mouse) and look like around as if you were there. We must admit we enjoyed feeling like we were sitting in front of the Low Brass section while listening to Peer Gynt. This is very early days for the experiment, but it could be interesting to see where this leads and what it might mean for attending a concert someday. 

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Google Cultural Institute

RIP: RDIO

Another music streaming service is leaving us. Rdio has declared bankruptcy and intends to shutdown. We liked Rdio and we'll be sad to see it go. This continues to be a competitive space and there may still be some services that don't make it. Pandora is acquiring what will be left of Rdio after bankruptcy is complete so it might result in an interesting change for Pandora. Until then, The Verge has an interesting take on the downfall of Rdio. 

“From the start, though, Rdio was in trouble. Even in late 2010, when it began to spread among design-savvy early adopters in San Francisco, people were already talking about the coming launch of Spotify.”

— Casey Newton from The Verge

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Why Rdio Died

What is SoundCloud?

Do you need another music service in your life? You might. 

SoundCloud is different from services like Spotify or Pandora. It's different in an interesting way. In a crowded field of music streaming services, it's nice to see a company trying to be different. 

Who can upload?

Anyone can upload audio. We'll talk more in a moment about why we said audio and not just music. SoundCloud has a free version and options that require a fee. A free account will allow you to upload, although paid versions increase your options as well as how much you can upload. Free accounts get to listen to anything. All the common file formats are supported including WAVE, FLAC, MP3, and many others. 

What is there to listen to?

There's lots to listen to and plenty of variety. For our tastes there's everything from Wynton to the London Symphony Orchestra. Beyond music, a number of users upload podcasts and other spoken word works. As far what you listen to, that will vary quite a bit by the artist. Wynton, for example, will upload full tracks. The Chicago Symphony, by contrast, usually uploads excerpts as a promotional tool. 

Where do I listen?

Pretty much anywhere. There's an app for all the major platforms or you can listen in the browser on your PC. 

Should I try it?

SoundCloud is worth checking out, especially since it's free to listen. You might find something interesting like we have. 

Will you try SoundCloud? Let us know in the comments. 

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SoundCloud.com