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Groups with SoundCloud
GROUPS IN SOUNDCLOUD CAN BE USED IN TWO WAYS—you can join an existing group or create your own (or both). We keep talking about SoundCloud’s community-centered core, and groups are another way of reaffirming this intention. Whether you’re a member, a collaborator, a moderator, or a creator of a group, groups provide another way for you to interact with fellow musicians and fans. Let’s take a closer look.
Joining Groups
First click on the search bar at the top of your screen. We’re going to use Folk as our example, but you can type any keyword or genre into this bar. When you press Enter, a new page will load. You’ll notice some headings on your left. These help to filter your results. Click on Groups, as shown in Figure 9.1. Now your search results will be based on SoundCloud groups focused on or tagged with folk.
Figure 9.1 Searching for groups.
Source : SoundCloud®.
A brief description may appear below each group’s title. You’ll also be able to see the number of tracks in that particular group, plus how many members it has. Below that is the Join button. If you’re happy with what you read, click Join. The button will turn blue to indicate that you are now a member of that group, as shown in Figure 9.2.
Source: SoundCloud®.
If you want to find out a little more about a group before joining, simply click on the group’s name to go to its page. There you will see more detailed information, including what tracks have been uploaded to the group. If you’d still like to join, click on the Join button that now appears on the left. Clicking on the Share button will open a number of options where you can share the group’s details via a number of channels, or you can embed the group in a blog post or email the link to the group.
Uploading Your Tracks to Groups
Joining a group with like-minded artists and musicians is another way for you to connect, share, and engage. By joining a group, either you are actively committing to liking the topic as a member—and hopefully commenting on and sharing the tracks you enjoy—or you want to add your own content and become a contributor—not only liking other work, but also putting your work out to an audience that already has shared common interests as far as styles and genres go.
An orange Upload button on the group’s page is your ticket to adding your track to the group. Remember to upload only content that is relevant to that particular group, and if there are any specifications, keep them in mind. For example, some groups require original content only, no remixes or covers. Others specify the genre or style.
If you find that the group you’ve joined is one you like but isn’t necessarily right for your specific style, instead find a group that fits your track for uploading. You can always remain a member of the first group to stay connected with musicians whose work you enjoy. You may also find someone you’d like to collaborate with or someone who inspires you, so keep an open mind and have fun exploring SoundCloud’s groups.
There is a limit of 75 on the number of groups you can upload a track to. And you may want to note that adding an already-uploaded private track to a group does affect its privacy settings. Any tracks in a group are public, so if your intention is to keep that track as private, then groups are not the forum for you to use for that particular track.
In a moderated group, your content needs to be approved before it is added. This allows for a certain amount of quality control in a group, and ensures that group guidelines are followed. To see a group’s moderator, look at the top right of the group’s page. The moderator decides the moderation time of a track—you will receive a notification once your track has been added to the group. If a period of time has passed and your track has not been added, you can ask the group moderator about the track’s status, but again, keep a group’s guidelines in mind—they may just help you avoid an unnecessary and lengthy wait if you’re trying to upload a song that doesn’t fit the group’s criteria.
If you need to find the list of groups you’ve joined, click on your profile picture. You’ll see Groups on the drop-down menu. You also have the option of searching for more groups from the Groups page in your profile. To unjoin a group, click on the blue Joined button again, and it will return to the original gray color.
Creating Groups in SoundCloud
If you’d like to contribute to the SoundCloud community by creating a group, you’ll need to navigate to this page: http://soundcloud.com/groups/new (see Figure 9.3).
Source: SoundCloud®.
You’ll need to name your group and remember the importance of a good description—both the long and short versions. If there is anything you want members to know, the description is a good place to add this. For example, “This is a group for up-and-coming musicians sharing original content only, no covers.” At this stage you can also upload an image for your group. You will notice that the Instagram option isn’t available for this particular image, so whatever picture you’d like to use needs to already be saved on your computer. Navigate to where it is and upload it from there. Alternatively, create your group first, and once it has been created, you’ll be able to upload an image— and this time the Instagram option will be available.
The Automatically Approve Tracks Added to This Group option is important. Leaving that box checked means that any content uploaded by a user becomes live on your group. Unchecking it gives you, as the moderator (an automatic role because you are the group creator), the option of accepting or rejecting a track and ensuring that any sounds in your group abide by your prerequisites and the group’s theme.
Clicking on the button marked Moderate, shown in Figure 9.4, will load a screen showing you which sounds have been uploaded and whether any need to be moderated. Checking the box Notify Me by Email about Tracks to Moderate will allow you to receive notices in your inbox regarding uploads.
Figure 9.4 Moderating your group.
Source: SoundCloud®.
If you’d like to share the moderator title, simply click on Edit Members, as shown in Figure 9.5, and you’ll be able to add a member from the group as a moderator.
Figure 9.5 Adding a moderator from your members.
Source: SoundCloud®.
When you’re happy with the content in your group and you’d like to build momentum for it, remember to share it—and if you’ve added other moderators, ask them to do the same. Also remember that all groups are public—and private tracks automatically become public.
NOTE: You can only create one group with a standard SoundCloud account.
Groups are another way in which SoundCloud encourages you to participate in its community—whether you’re actively uploading content or commenting, liking, and sharing tracks within a group. If you’d like to be the moderator of your own group, then create one and remember to manage it well. Stay on top of the tracks that need moderation, ensure quality control with the tracks you allow to be uploaded, and actively engage with those who decide that your group is where they want to be. Welcome new members, add comments to their sounds, and maintain a creative space where like-minded artists, musicians, and DJs can come together with a common interest.