Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 131 posts

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#11

Post by adrianpike »

sarreph wrote: post #6

For all those looking to make a SoundCloud clone: What is HN's opinion on its failings (from a user perspective) — i.e. how would you make SoundCloud better right now? Also interested to hear those who can balance with commercial viability.

Many are admittedly hard challenges, but;

  > Give me a non-browser client.
  > Make the browser client not leak memory.
  > Don't interleave Soundcloud Go previews with free music.
  > Give me reasonable discovery of similar music.
Until Go happened, Soundcloud was my everyday work listening. Now I only use it for long mixes that I can't find (or am too lazy to find) elsewhere.

The challenge for any clone isn't going to be features, it's going to be content.

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#12

Post by ghaff »

sarreph wrote: post #6

For all those looking to make a SoundCloud clone: What is HN's opinion on its failings (from a user perspective) — i.e. how would you make SoundCloud better right now? Also interested to hear those who can balance with commercial viability.

There's no real evidence that there is a profitable business model for streaming music except insofar as subsidies from other parts of the business make sense overall. Just because a lot of people like something doesn't mean that there is a path to making money with it.

I don't have strong feelings about what's good and bad about their UI, etc. Their main failing is that they're probably not going to exist much longer unless Apple, Google, or someone along those lines snaps them up at fire sale prices and is OK with losing money on them.

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#14

Post by paulcole »

sarreph wrote: post #6

For all those looking to make a SoundCloud clone: What is HN's opinion on its failings (from a user perspective) — i.e. how would you make SoundCloud better right now? Also interested to hear those who can balance with commercial viability.

Pardon my ignorance but why would someone clone a business that tried for years and failed? Wouldn't it be like cloning Groupon?

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#15

Post by matt4077 »

sarreph wrote: post #6

For all those looking to make a SoundCloud clone: What is HN's opinion on its failings (from a user perspective) — i.e. how would you make SoundCloud better right now? Also interested to hear those who can balance with commercial viability.

Get copyright laws changed to allow free sampling, as long as the new work has a creative identity that is distinct from all the samples it contains.

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#16

Post by Insanity »

reillyse wrote: post #2

What a messed up article. I don't know this CEO but using a picture taken at a festival two years ago as proof of incompetence seems very cheap.

I agree. I do not see how going to a festival is such a bad thing to do. It's actually a good thing to be able to still do something in your free time that you like..

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#17

Post by toomuchtodo »

cbhl wrote: post #7
esaym wrote: post #3

> Now it’s asking investors for $169.5 million at a pre-money enterprise valuation of just $150 million Ouch. I hope they get the money. I really don't want it to go away. I have not found an alternative that has so many 1+ hour long megamixes :(

What about the Internet Archive?

An organization would need to be formed that existed and operated outside of jurisdictions friendly to copyright law. Maybe Turkey?

Re: SoundCloud faces do-or-die vote by investors

#19

Post by bcherny »

claudfuen wrote: post #18

Being in the music industry, I always had a negative experience using SoundCloud - It's not surprising that by neglecting their user's needs they are systematically imploding.

Could you elaborate? I was under the impression that SoundCloud is one of the few platforms that treats musicians well, and lets fans discover really small bands/djs.
Post reply on HN