SoundCloud is a social music platform that anyone can join for free sharing and listening to audio files. Users familiar with other popular social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, can imagine Soundcloud as a similar service designed for music lovers of all kinds. In this article, you will learn how to use SoundCloud on iPhone, Android, and PC.
Account Login
The service’s mobile application is available for mobile devices on the iOS and Android platforms.
How to use SoundCloud if you don’t have an account yet? You must create a new one. This can be done for free by registering on the service’s website via Facebook, Google + or email.
The music service platform is most convenient to use on mobile devices, although the capabilities of applications for Android and iOS are somewhat limited.
After entering the program, you will notice that the application interface consists of several main sections. How to use SoundCloud in each of them is described below.
App navigation
The “Home Page” is a personalized news channel featuring records posted and redirected by other members of the Soundcloud music social network, the actions of which the account holder has subscribed to follow. Any track here can be listened to, published, marked as liked, or added to the playlist. In addition, directly from the news feed, you can start playback of the station.
"Search" is useful to those who are looking for a specific user, artist or song. This function allows you to find what you want to listen to at the moment.
“Collection” is a tab where you can access all the tracks marked as liked by recent stations and playlists. There is also a link to the user profile. You can get into it by clicking on the three dots in the upper right corner of the page.
“Music Player” - a tab that allows you to use SoundCloud as an audio player. It provides quick access to what is being played while viewing other application tabs. In the Next Up tab, you can view the following playlist songs, change their order or delete, and add any audio service. There is a complete set of mixing and looping modes. You can block the addition of similar music to the broadcast station.
The “Stream” option on the tab allows you to quickly get acquainted with the latest trends in music and audio. You can immediately select the desired genre and form of audio content.
Options for working with the program
You can use the SoundCloud application as you like, but the following are the most useful ways to efficiently utilize your music service.
- Tracking your favorite songs by individual members makes it possible to discover new music. If you click on the username, you can go to his profile and see what kind of music he publishes and what playlists he has. Their actions can be monitored, as in any other social network, and the tracks that they publish or repost are displayed on the user's home page.
- The service allows you to create your own playlists. After listening to your favorite song, you can click on three points and add it to any of your playlists. The user can create as many as he wants. Playlists are available either for everyone or for personal listening.
- The launch of the station allows you to hear a series of similar musical compositions. If you don’t have the time or patience to carefully select the desired tracks in your playlists, you can simply click on the same three points on any work you like so that the application plays a station with similar tracks. At the same time, there is always access to recent radio stations from your profile.
What can be done only in the web interface?
The mobile application of the music service has a simple, convenient design, not overwhelming with too many functions. Despite this, some may be wondering how to use SoundCloud more fully. Below are the additional features available when entering the service from a browser.
Under some musical compositions, next to the “Distribute” button is the “Download” or “Buy” link, which is not displayed in the mobile application. Many works can either be downloaded for free or purchased. This feature is not available for mobile device owners, except for SoundCloudGo subscribers (in some countries).
Cloud service is a social platform, which means that everyone can share their music or sound tracks. Using SoundCloud as a springboard for your musical career from a mobile application is not yet possible. The function is available in the web version of the service interface if you click on the Download button located at the top of the page.
Communication with other participants
It’s a little strange that private communication in the Soundcloud app is currently not supported, but perhaps this will change with future updates. In the meantime, you can send messages to other users only on the service website.
The user can join groups in SoundCloud and share their favorite tracks with their members. To gain access, just click on your name in the web version and select the "Groups" menu item.
As with any other social network, you can exchange messages here. You can also use SoundCloud as a means of communicating with other music lovers, but only on the service’s web page. The notification center is located in the top menu of the browser version. Here you can see who subscribed to track user preferences or who sent messages.
Finally
Those who want to constantly discover new music and listen to it for free should add the Soundcloud mobile application to their list of mandatory software installation. This is one of the few free music services that combines the listening process with the social component. You can use the SoundCloud application both on the iPhone and on the Android, but the maximum functionality is available only on the service’s web page.