You didnโt think SoundCloud was going to be underground forever, did you?
SoundCloud is one of the worst kept secrets in the music industry in recent years, having propelled indie creators like Lil Peep, 21 Savage, XXXTentacion, and Post Malone from bedroom rappers to global stars seemingly overnight. And the music sharing platform is ready to permeate the mainstream on a whole other level with its latest coup.
Yesterday, SoundCloud announced an ambitious plan to bring an assortment of live shows to a new exclusive channel on Twitch, with programming aimed at aspiring musicians and fans alike. And theyโre putting big emphasis on interactivity and direction in real-time through the appโs built-in chat. If youโre into home studio setups, mixing, and music production in general, this is the community you want to get down with.
This slate of originals kickstarts on Wednesday (May 6th) with โStudio Sessions with Soulectionโ โ a fitting intro as the new enterprise focuses on discovering promising new artists within SoundCloudโs ecosystem. Hosted by Joe Kay, this 90-min show will feature โsurprise guestsโ who have a close affinity to SoundCloud and know how to best to locate these hidden gems.
On Thursday (May 7th) Twitch will air a weekly three-hour series called โCloud Barโ, which will bring together top creators, industry execs, and influencers to break down topics like how to build an independent music career, while fleshing out latest trends in the culture zeitgeist and music distribution. The pilotโs guests include XXLโs Editorial Director Georgette Cline, hip-hop entrepreneur and head of Masked Records Roger Gengo, and Roc Nation rapper/ activist Vic Mensa.
May 11th will see the release of โFresh Pressedโ, where artists and figureheads of the digital music scene give us the weekly scoop on the best new tracks making waves on SoundCloud, and โFast Trackโ, which tasks creatives with making their own beat in 60-minutes or less using mixing software and instrument plug-ins. Watching them sweat should be fun.