What is going on with SoundCloud? • Hacker News Board

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#31

Post by ChrisArgyle » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:33 PM UTC

deng wrote: post #3

It's a shame, really. SoundCloud used to be good service for independent musicians, and I really liked the social aspects of it and the integration into Ableton. But next thing you know, you read about deals with Warner and 100M funding and whatnot. Let's just hope Bandcamp keeps its focus; it's currently my favourite site for discovering new music.

SoundCloud's take-down algorithms are only targeting musicians who rely on sampling copyrighted works. This, clearly, is a large chunk of SoundCloud's current user base but I honestly think this will result in a net increase in quality.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#32

Post by iphoneseventeen » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:34 PM UTC

tel wrote: post #20

deng wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self-hosting is a huge PITA, especially if you don't want to give away your music for free: setting up and maintaining a streaming server and payment system is not trivial at all. Also, if you're not already a big name, self-hosting will make it unlikely for people to discover your music. This was the big thing about SoundCloud: you followed people you like and saw what they liked. The solution is what Bandcamp does:…

So you're saying there's space for a "DIY self-hosting" product which integrates with a promotion network?

A thousand times YES!!!

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#33

Post by brador » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:38 PM UTC

tel wrote: post #20

deng wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self-hosting is a huge PITA, especially if you don't want to give away your music for free: setting up and maintaining a streaming server and payment system is not trivial at all. Also, if you're not already a big name, self-hosting will make it unlikely for people to discover your music. This was the big thing about SoundCloud: you followed people you like and saw what they liked. The solution is what Bandcamp does:…

So you're saying there's space for a "DIY self-hosting" product which integrates with a promotion network?

Building out that promotion network is the hard part.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#34

Post by Sir_Cmpwn » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:39 PM UTC

TylerE wrote: post #29

Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but you can cite fair use. The problem isn't with stolen music, it's with things like mashups being taken down.

Eh? Mashups are "stolen music" by any reasonable definition.

No, they clearly fall under fair use.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#35

Post by kuschku » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:40 PM UTC

theseatoms wrote: post #17

Doesn't the fact that they're based in Germany protect them from DMCA takedowns? I always figured that locating there was a calculated move, giving them a strategic advantage on this front.

Thanks to recent international treaties and safe-harbor regulations, they are forced to comply with DMCA. Even if a song is legal in Germany, if any of the parties involved (in this case, Warner Music) is in the US, US right, with DMCA, applies.

The US is quite literally forcing its laws on the rest of the world, and it gets worse every day.

This is also why so many are against TTIP. Trade treaty with China? No problem. With Japan? No problem. With the US? Fuck it.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#36

Post by sp4ke » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:42 PM UTC

Goodbye soundcloud, I really enjoyed discovering music on their service but I cannot support this kind of behaviours. It was made me quit Deezer, and now quitting SoundCloud.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#37

Post by bitL » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:44 PM UTC

Basically there is no way a new "The KLF" could spawn nowadays...

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#38

Post by mrottenkolber » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:46 PM UTC

DrJokepu wrote: post #30

mrottenkolber wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No idea about the legal situation. And to be frank I don't care. I have no economic incentive for my hobby. I consider it an art and a means of expression along the lines of singing and dancing. For all I care I am doing commercial musicians a favor for promoting their work, but really that's just an unintended side effect. SoundCloud was profiting of me giving away free content. Its people like me that enabled its b…

Surely, infringers of the GPL could cite the same argument?

I am sure RMS is with me on this one.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#39

Post by _pmf_ » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:47 PM UTC

theseatoms wrote: post #17

Doesn't the fact that they're based in Germany protect them from DMCA takedowns? I always figured that locating there was a calculated move, giving them a strategic advantage on this front.

Germany has Abmahnanwälte; you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. The DMCA is downright reasonable and consumer friendly when compared to our system.

Re: What is going on with SoundCloud?

#40

Post by coderdude » Mon, Aug 17, 2015, 1:48 PM UTC

tel wrote: post #20

deng wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self-hosting is a huge PITA, especially if you don't want to give away your music for free: setting up and maintaining a streaming server and payment system is not trivial at all. Also, if you're not already a big name, self-hosting will make it unlikely for people to discover your music. This was the big thing about SoundCloud: you followed people you like and saw what they liked. The solution is what Bandcamp does:…

So you're saying there's space for a "DIY self-hosting" product which integrates with a promotion network?

Sounds like this is something Gumroad could do if they added a marketplace to list the items for sale on their platform. Difficult to categorize all those items but worth it. I'd browse.