SoundCloud is a unique service for music lovers who want to keep up to date with their favorite authors, as well as keep abreast of the latest trends. The name "Soundcloud" literally translates as "music cloud" (sound - music, cloud - cloud). Indeed, this is a huge repository of music available for free. In addition, this is an opportunity for novice performers to find a new audience.
Service Benefits
Among the huge list of features that distinguish the service, the main ones can be distinguished:
- real social network for music lovers. It stores an incredible range of compositions, absolutely any genre, which are added by the performers themselves. Keeping up with updates is very easy thanks to the feed, in which reposts and new audio recordings of channels that the user subscribes to appear.
- Automatic selection music according to the user's preferences. Those who choose the soundcloud will never experience a shortage of new audio recordings. A daily selection of tracks based on previously listened songs will help expand your music library, while recommendations and stations will allow you to find tracks that are similar in style to those that the user prefers.
- By uploading your own composition to the service, anyone can feel like a celebrity, hear criticism and get an opinion about their own masterpiece from users from all over the world. Who knows, maybe this is your chance for fame.
How to become a member of SoundCloud
The application allows extract music files from any popular services such as YouTube and SoundCloud. Just paste the link to the audio recording, and the program will immediately start downloading the selected files. Works with Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu and macOS.
Sound Cloud Downloader
Extension link in Chrome store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/soundcloud-downloader-fre/libedajeiljdoodmokbppgapcfbignci?hl=ru
Installed on the Chrome browser, the extension adds a key " Download» directly to the service page. 
The extension installed on the PC will also work on gadgets that are signed in to the same Google account. The only thing to consider is the service no mobile version site, it immediately offers to install the application on the corresponding OS. In order to download the full version of the site in Chrome on a mobile device, you need to go to the menu and check the box in the “Full version” item.
SC Downloader
Savefrom.net
The service https://en.savefrom.net/1-how-to-download-youtube-video/ works similarly
To install the Chrome extension, you need to click on the "Install" link located at the top of the page, then run the downloaded file and add it to your browser. 
peggo
Application for OS Android that allows you to get music in mp3 format from services such as YouTube and SoundCloud. The main difference application is the ability to download not only the entire file, but also a separate fragment of it, which allows you to set it as a ringtone or alarm clock. Download link: https://peggo.ru.uptodown.com/android
SoundCloud Automator
Recently, the SoundCloud Automator application appeared on the network. According to the developers, the application allows you to “wind up” the number of plays and reposts, as well as increase the number of subscribers. 
This is a useful utility for those who decide to gain popularity on the service and promote their creativity. However, not a single buyer has yet spoken positively about the application. It is worth noting that we did not find any negative reviews about the program. In general, there is very little information about this utility, and we cannot guarantee its performance and effectiveness. Is it worth the $77 risk? Decide for yourself. Link to developer site:
But first, a brief historical digression:
SoundCloud started back in 2008 as a service for publishing and sharing music. Initially, it was intended for musicians, who now have the opportunity to conveniently share their sound recordings and publish them. The service was rapidly gaining popularity: in 2010, the number of users reached one million, and in 2013 it exceeded 40 million (with the number of listeners per month exceeding 170 million). However, SoundCloud continued to be exclusively a way for musicians to distribute own music, and copyrighted music could not be loaded onto it. Negotiations with music companies for a long time were unsuccessful. In 2014, they managed to conclude an agreement with Warner Music Group, but the labels were very skeptical about SoundCloud. It wasn't until 2016 that SoundCloud finally partnered with the other two members of the Big Three, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, to increase the amount of content available to over 150 million tracks and launch the SoundCloud Go music service (currently available in the US, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand) that allows you to listen to licensed content.
So, in recent years, the global desire in the IT field to simplify everything and everything has led, among other things, to the fact that people have simply become lazy to download music from trackers, file exchangers, etc. (everyone has already forgotten about buying disks) - after all it's easier to type the name of the track into the search for VK, YouTube, Yandex.Music, etc., press the Play button and don't worry about anything else.
But since each music service has its own troubles regarding copyrights, paid / free content, restrictions, and so on. (alas, the days when everything was free in VK are gone), the number of alternatives continues to grow. One of these alternatives is SoundCloud, whose proprietary features are displaying the track progress bar in the form of a stylized oscillogram, the ability to add comments with time reference, as well as the ability to embed tracks on Twitter, Facebook, and generally any pages (using the API).
I've never used SoundCloud before, but I was recently sent a link to a nice mix that was posted on YouTube. I looked at the list of formats available for download, found Opus there and was about to download / listen, but then I noticed a link to SoundCloud in the description - supposedly the mix was originally laid out there. I decided that it was better, as they say, to turn to the source, and followed the link.
By clicking on the Download button, courtesy of the SaveFrom.net plugin (which I also use for YouTube, by the way), I downloaded the first track - unfortunately it turned out to be a 128 kbps MP3 - and compared it with the Opus downloaded from YouTube:
The spectrograms are very different - Opus has a wider spectrum, which means that the downloaded 128-kbit MP3 is not the original source.
But where is the source then? Is it available for download at all? For example, Google has Takeout, which allows you to download the originals of videos uploaded to your Youtube channel (see my article).
I registered on SoundCloud and uploaded the RightMark Audio Analyzer test signal there in 24bit/96kHz FLAC format:
By the way, PCM, FLAC, ALAC, OGG (Vorbis, Opus), MP3, AAC, and WMA are available for downloading from HQ formats (we don’t take AMR and MP2 into account) - the lack of additional lossless formats (Monkey's Audio, WavPack) is somewhat disappointing ) .
After unloading, I downloaded the track with the same button - also downloaded MP3 128 kbps. I checked and found out that this is exactly the material that is streamed when you start playing. By the way, it would still be better to play it after downloading and running it, for example, in foobar2000 (provided that the settings are correct) - this way you will insure yourself against additional quantization noise (the browser decodes in 16-bit PCM, foobar2000 - in 32-bit float ) and clipping (musicians are encouraged to normalize tracks to -3dBFS before uploading to SC, but not everyone does this).
I also found out that SC converts absolutely everything - even if you upload an MP3 encoded by it to it, it will still re-encode it.
After digging on the Internet, I found out that in order to be able to download the original of my track, you need to have a Pro account. But, as it turned out, you can still download the original - for this you need to enable the ability to download the track in the Permissions section. Then the download of the original becomes available to everyone, including the owner:
You can do this for both private and public records.
Well, that's already fun. But there are very few records on the service for which the download option is enabled, so in most cases we will have to be content with MP3. Let's take a closer look at what we have.
With the help of a test sample, Adobe Audition, EncSpot and some other tricks (which I described in detail once in my article), I managed to find out that SoundCloud is currently using LAME version 3.99.3 (weird, because 3.99.5 has been available for 5 years already , and recently released 3.100) with preliminary resampling of the material up to 44.1 kHz. In this case, resampling is performed by an algorithm that is clearly better than the one built into LAME. On the spectrogram of the sample I encoded (parameter --resample 44.1), aliasing is visible, but the sample with SC does not have it:
Well, at least you can thank the developers for this.
Otherwise, the results are, to put it mildly, not very good. Based on the noise (about -87 dBFS) in areas where there was initially silence, we can conclude that processing and encoding were performed with 16-bit precision (this led to increased quantization noise). For LAME, only the -b 128 parameter was used - encoding in CBR 128 kbps with the quality of the algorithms equal to 3 (the highest quality is 0).
The conclusions may be as follows:
1. The developers did not use more efficient modes - VBR - because VBR V2 and V3 give a bit rate much higher than 128 kbps, and at lower bit rates the VBR model is not so efficient and often even loses CBR. That is, in this case, the choice was made in favor of saving disk space, rather than encoding speed (VBR is encoded faster).
2. To save speed, the developers did not improve the quality of the algorithms (at least to -q 2) and, apparently, for the same reason, they included an alternative resampler - the built-in LAME works rather slowly.
However, it may well be that no one thought of anything like that at all, and they just drove in the parameter for encoding at 128 kbps, following the popular opinion about the transparency threshold at a given bitrate.
But what is for sure is the reluctance to introduce new technologies. The currently leading Opus Codec encodes at least twice as fast MP3, gives 128 kbit / s (or even 80-96) full sound transparency and is already supported by all modern browsers (and its implementation on mobile platforms, due to its openness, is not will be laborious).
What we have now is low-quality MP3 audio, which sounds with audible distortion on any even slightly high-quality material and equipment. As a result, a paradox emerges: the decision to post music on YouTube that was not intended for this will be better than posting it on a specially created SoundCloud.
But I still hope that the guys from SoundCloud will cope with the financial difficulties they are currently experiencing, will come to their senses and correct such annoying shortcomings.
P.S. And here the musicians themselves complain about the sound quality of SC:
August 19, 2018SoundCloud is a social music platform that everyone can join to share and listen to audio files for free. Users familiar with other popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter might think of Soundcloud as a similar service for music lovers of all kinds. This article will show you how to use SoundCloud on iPhone, Android and PC.
Account Login
The mobile application of the service is available for mobile devices on the iOS and Android platforms.
How to use SoundCloud if you don't have an account yet? You need to create a new one. This can be done free of charge by registering on the service website through Facebook, Google+ or by e-mail.
The music service platform is best used on mobile devices, although the Android and iOS apps 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 discussed below.
Application navigation
The "Home Page" is a personalized newsfeed showing recordings posted and forwarded by other members of the Soundcloud music social network that the account holder has signed up to follow. Any track here can be listened to, published, marked as liked or added to a playlist. In addition, you can start playing the station right from the news feed.
"Search" is useful for those who are looking for a specific user, artist or song. This feature will allow you to find what you want to listen to at the moment.
"Collection" is a tab where you can access all the songs you have liked, recent stations and playlists. There is also a link to the user profile here. It can be accessed by clicking on the three dots in the top 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's playing while browsing other app tabs. In the Next Up tab, you can view the next songs in the playlist, change their order or delete them, and add any audio service. There is a full range of shuffle and loop playback modes. It is possible to block the addition of similar music to the broadcast of the station.
The Stream option on the tab gives you a quick look at the latest trends in music and audio. Here you can select the desired genre and form of audio content.
Options for working with the program
You can use the SoundCloud app however you like, but the following are the main ways to efficiently recycle music service services that are most useful.
- Keeping track of individual member's favorite tracks gives you the opportunity to discover new music. If you click on a username, you can go to their profile and see what kind of music they publish and what playlists they have. Their activities can be followed like any other social network, and the tracks they post or repost are displayed on the user's home page.
- The service allows you to create your own playlists. After listening to your favorite music track, you can click on the three dots and add it to any of your playlists. The user can create as many as they want. Playlists are available either for everyone or for private listening.
- Starting 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 right tracks in your playlists, you can simply click on the same three dots on any piece you like to have the app play the station with similar tracks. At the same time, you always have access to recent radio stations from your profile.
What can be done only in the web interface?
The music service's mobile app features a simple, user-friendly design that isn't overwhelming with too many features. Regardless, some may be wondering how to enjoy SoundCloud more fully. The following are additional functionality available when logging into the service from a browser.
Under some music tracks, next to the Distribute button, there is a Download or Buy link that does not appear in the mobile app. Many works can either be downloaded or purchased for free. This feature is not available for mobile device owners, except for SoundCloudGo subscribers (in some countries).
The cloud service is a social platform, which means that everyone can share their music or audio tracks. It is not yet possible to use SoundCloud as a springboard for your musical career from a mobile application. The function is available in the web version of the service interface by clicking 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 this may change with future updates. In the meantime, you can send messages to other users only on the service website.
The user can join SoundCloud groups 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.
Like any other social network, you can exchange messages here. You can also use SoundCloud as a means of communication 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 signed up 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 installations. This is one of the few free music services that combines the listening experience with a social component. You can use the SoundCloud app on both iPhone and Android, but the maximum functionality is available only on the service's web page.
SoundCloud is a social music platform that everyone can join to share and listen to audio files for free. Users familiar with other popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter might think of Soundcloud as a similar service for music lovers of all kinds. This article will show you how to use SoundCloud on iPhone, Android and PC.
Account Login
The mobile application of the service is available for mobile devices on the iOS and Android platforms.
How to use SoundCloud if you don't have an account yet? You need to create a new one. This can be done free of charge by registering on the service website through Facebook, Google+ or by e-mail.
The music service platform is best used on mobile devices, although the Android and iOS apps 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 discussed below.
Application navigation
The "Home Page" is a personalized newsfeed showing recordings posted and forwarded by other members of the Soundcloud music social network that the account holder has signed up to follow. Any track here can be listened to, published, marked as liked or added to a playlist. In addition, you can start playing the station right from the news feed.
"Search" is useful for those who are looking for a specific user, artist or song. This feature will allow you to find what you want to listen to at the moment.
"Collection" is a tab where you can access all the songs you have liked, recent stations and playlists. There is also a link to the user profile here. It can be accessed by clicking on the three dots in the top 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's playing while browsing other app tabs. In the Next Up tab, you can view the next songs in the playlist, change their order or delete them, and add any audio service. There is a full range of shuffle and loop playback modes. It is possible to block the addition of similar music to the broadcast of the station.
The Stream option on the tab gives you a quick look at the latest trends in music and audio. Here you can select the desired genre and form of audio content.
Options for working with the program
You can use the SoundCloud app however you like, but the following are the main ways to efficiently recycle music service services that are most useful.
- Keeping track of individual member's favorite tracks gives you the opportunity to discover new music. If you click on a username, you can go to their profile and see what kind of music they publish and what playlists they have. Their activities can be followed like any other social network, and the tracks they post or repost are displayed on the user's home page.
- The service allows you to create your own playlists. After listening to your favorite music track, you can click on the three dots and add it to any of your playlists. The user can create as many as they want. Playlists are available either for everyone or for private listening.
- Starting 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 right tracks in your playlists, you can simply click on the same three dots on any piece you like to have the app play the station with similar tracks. At the same time, you always have access to recent radio stations from your profile.
What can be done only in the web interface?
The music service's mobile app features a simple, user-friendly design that isn't overwhelming with too many features. Regardless, some may be wondering how to enjoy SoundCloud more fully. The following are additional functionality available when logging into the service from a browser.
Under some music tracks, next to the Distribute button, there is a Download or Buy link that does not appear in the mobile app. Many works can either be downloaded or purchased for free. This feature is not available for mobile device owners, except for SoundCloudGo subscribers (in some countries).
The cloud service is a social platform, which means that everyone can share their music or audio tracks. It is not yet possible to use SoundCloud as a springboard for your musical career from a mobile application. The function is available in the service 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 this may change with future updates. In the meantime, you can send messages to other users only on the service website.
The user can join SoundCloud groups 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.
Like any other social network, you can exchange messages here. You can also use SoundCloud as a means of communication 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 signed up 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 installations. This is one of the few free music services that combines the listening experience with a social component. You can use the SoundCloud app on both iPhone and Android, but the maximum functionality is available only on the service's web page.
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