PRODUCTION/CONSUMPTION

Circuit of Culture

This section will analyze how SoundCloud functions as a production of culture. Studying production is not only studying how the subject is produced technically as an artifact. Production examines how the artifact produces cultural meaning, and how the inherent structure, features, or character of the artifact produces culture. What about the process of production has cultural meaning?

This section will also delve into the nature of consumption on SoundCloud and the implications it has had for the consumption of music. Studying consumption involves studying how consumers actively create meaning in an artifact in the ways they use it in their daily lives. 

How does SoundCloud facilitate the production and consumption of music?

SoundCloud is a unique audio sharing service because it has provided a platform to aspiring artists who would have otherwise not had one. Its unique structure and accessibility make it a hotbed of young talent. 

SoundCloud has certain features that make it a breeding ground for successful musicians. Special aspects make SoundCloud unique. These features include:

1. Listening is unlimited—even for users with free membership.
2. Tracks are displayed as sound waves in real time, which allows listeners to comment on a particular part of the track as the song is played. These are called “timed comments” and are visible to all users listening to the audio.
3. Users can like, comment on, and share tracks. Users can create their own playlists, which enables music discovery and makes SoundCloud a very social space. They also have the ability to follow other users and artists they like most. They have unlimited access to these users’ music and playlists they have created.
4. The design of SoundCloud is geared toward creators of music. Creators can view statistics on their audio or music, including listens, shares, comments, likes, and reposts, which adds to SoundCloud as a very social space. Creators can use commenting features to reply to other users and their listeners. They can also manage uploads and receive and respond to feedback from listeners.

The “Democratization of Music” is the phenomenon characterized by the expansion of the music industry. It involves the creation of opportunities for artists who do not come from elite musical backgrounds, and artists who do not have access to expensive resources or recording studios. SoundCloud is part of the “democratization of music” because it provides a platform and a creative outlet for artists attempting to launch their careers without requiring a hefty cost. Creators have liberal access to an audience for their music. It has transformed the culture of musical production and consumption because it has opened up millions of listeners to artists they would have never discovered otherwise.

The “Culture of Connectivity” refers to the nature of SoundCloud as a social space. SoundCloud’s uniqueness is inextricable from this phenomenon. The service cannot work without the interaction between creators and listeners. Inherent to what makes SoundCloud a platform form for musical production and consumption is the way it connects its users. Features like commenting and sharing make it a a social space that transforms and facilitates the consumption of music.

Below is a track released by Lil Uzi Vert on SoundCloud in 2017 called “XO TOUR Llif3.” This was the first version of the track that Lil Uzi Vert released, but the song is now one of his biggest hits and one of the most popular songs in the Rap/Hip-Hop genre in recent years. If you play the track, you will be able to see the “timed comments” as you listen to it.

IDENTITY

Circuit of Culture

This section will examine the identity of SoundCloud in the public sphere. Studying identity involves the analysis of how SoundCloud’s identity is constantly being reinvented and reimagined and how it possesses cultural meaning. SoundCloud’s cultural identity functions as a form of social media.  

SoundCloud’s Identity as Social Media

SoundCloud functions uniquely because it is not only a music streaming and sharing service. Since its conception in 2007, it has evolved to function as a quasi-social media service as well. On SoundCloud, creators are able to build and develop their very own network of users, similar to how social media influencers build a following and fan base. Following, liking, and commenting on SoundCloud have made it a conducive environment for community building and socialization. Creators and listeners are able to connect with others in ways that are not necessarily possible on other music streaming and sharing services like Apple Music and Spotify. Individual users on SoundCloud can produce and consume the content of their choice while also feeling part of a crowd of listeners. The service also uses a suggestion algorithm that can be used to connect users to new music and new artists. 

This aspect of the service has also allowed artists to launch their careers. Most commenting on the app is positive commentary on the track or artist, but is also used by creators to interact with their listeners.

REGULATION

Circuit of Culture

This section will focus on both the regulation of SoundCloud and SoundCloud’s impact upon the regulation of culture. Studying regulation is studying how the artifact transformed or challenged what was once culturally “traditional” or “standard.”

Regulation and Financial Strain 

REPRESENTATION

Circuit of Culture

This section will analyze the ways in which SoundCloud is represented. Studying representation involves asking questions like: how is SoundCloud represented and who represents it? It also involves studying how it is represented in different environments, and what its representations mean for broader culture. 

Representation: Who Represents SoundCloud?

SoundCloud is overwhelmingly represented as a platform for independent artists and musicians. It has become an outlet for creative expression and platform for success in the music industry. Many successful artists credit some of their success to SoundCloud, and have shared that it was an instrumental aspect of launching their careers as artists. Among successful artists who began their careers on SoundCloud include Lil Uzi Vert (mentioned above), Khalid, Chance The Rapper, and Post Malone. Between these artists are twenty-three Grammy nominations, three Grammy wins, and several platinum albums. Lil Uzi Vert first released “XO TOUR Llif3” as a single on SoundCloud in 2017. The song peaked at number seven on the Billboard music charts two months after its release and is arguably Lil Uzi Vert’s most popular song, among his own fans and fans of the Rap/Hip-Hop genre. Additionally, the song has accumulated over one billion streams on Spotify. SoundCloud facilitated the explosion of “XO TOUR Llife3” and the explosion of Lil Uzi Vert as an artist. He is now highly regarded as a staple of his genre and one of the newest, most interesting artists in the music industry. 

These artists represent SoundCloud and function as a symbol of SoundCloud as a creative platform and social space capable of launching musical careers. Below is a Tweet published by Khalid expressing gratitude for SoundCloud, as well as a video tracking Khalid’s rise to popularity as an artist.