Mixcloud has always been a smart choice for DJs who want to stream their DJ sets to the world. It is 100% legal, to start with, meaning DJs needn’t worry about their work being taken down. It is also one of the more reliable names in the industry, meaning the chances of it just disappearing one day are relatively low.
Lower than ever, in fact, because the platform has just secured $11.5m of funding to help it to achieve its longer-term goals. Mixcloud tells us that while there will be no immediate change to the way the platform works for DJs (DJs will continue to get free, unlimited uploads, for instance), there are big improvements coming down the line.
Two of the areas people often say they want to see improved are the search functions, and the mobile app. The good news is that both are in line for fixes: the discovery and recommendation parts of the platform will be getting new features, and likewise Mixcloud’s mobile apps are top of the pile for updates, the company has confirmed to us.
As you will know if you’ve ever uploaded a mix to Mixcloud, it can be quite laborious – and for good reason, because the platform’s legality rests on accurate reporting of the tracks contained in the mixes it hosts. However, happily another big area earmarked for improvement is the uploading experience for content creators.
Meanwhile, behind the scenes the technology that “fingerprints” mixes to keep the royalty lobby happy (Mixcloud’s proprietary “TrackMatch Content ID” process) is being further refined, which should lead to more scalability, in turn increasing the platform’s size and reach.
“Overall our focus remains the same – to continue to build a safe and sustainable home for DJs online,” Mixcloud tells us.
Here at Digital DJ Tips, we’ve always rated Mixcloud for its legality and reliability, while acknowledging a downside of it not having the reach of SoundCloud, which is one of the reason DJs have often risked SoundCloud takedowns by uploading mixes there.
But with more than 12 million DJ sets, radio shows, and podcasts now hosted on the Mixcloud, and a community of more than 1.2 million people uploading more than 1,000 hours of content a day, this funding and the roadmap it enables should see Mixcloud continue to grow, giving DJs an ever-more safe, reputable and effective place to host their mixes.
Do you use Mixcloud? what do you love most about it? Where do you think it should work to improve? Let us know your thoughts below.
Phil Morse
