Specialized genre playlists from across the app’s library are co-curated by TIDAL’s editorial team as well as various guest artists and DJs. The update also includes BPM-specific playlists and instrumentals, acapellas, and other toolkits for DJs of all skill levels. 

The update to its DJ content is a result of Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey recently acquiring a majority ownership stake in TIDAL. The high-fidelity music streaming platform’s original artist co-owners will be the second largest group of shareholders in the company.

Recording artist Jay-Z – the original buyer of TIDAL in 2015 – is also joining Square’s board of directors.

This decision, according to Dorsey, is to “[find] new ways for artists to support their work.”

Square is acquiring a majority ownership stake in TIDAL through a new joint venture, with the original artists becoming the second largest group of shareholders, and JAY-Z joining the Square board. Why would a music streaming company and a financial services company join forces?!

— jack (@jack) March 4, 2021

Software Integration

TIDAL’s leadership has noticed a rise in DJs using the integrated platforms Serato, Rekordbox, and Algoriddim Djay. In the latest update, TIDAL includes new integration with Hercules’ DJUCED software and mobile phone/tablet app Edjing Mix.

TIDAL’s music and video subscription service costs $10 a month. For $20 a month, a TIDAL HiFi subscription offers the highest possible quality of audio.

Find more information on the TIDAL website.

Previously, this feature was only available to premium members. It allows users to stream music while running other apps and while their phone screen is off. Non-premium users will still have to listen to ads while streaming in the background. The new feature applies to personalized radio mixes and the user’s own uploaded content.

In addition to listening to content ad free, premium benefits include offline downloading, as well as the ability to switch between straight audio and music videos.

Google Canada announced the new feature on Twitter, stating, “Music lovers rejoice! Background listening is coming to the YouTube Music app, and Canada will be the first to enjoy this new feature starts Nov 3rd!” Get radio-like listening with your screen off and don’t stop the music!”

Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and TIDAL users already enjoy free background listening, making the announcement welcome news for YouTube users.

When asked about when free background listening will be available to non-premium users in other countries, the company remained vague. “Stay tuned for additional information and expansion plans,” they said.

The station’s name refers to the acupuncture point at the top of the human head. According to a press release on the station’s official website, BAIHUI 百会 is described as “A meeting point for expression, a central crossing to which music fans can open their minds to new sounds,” likening it to that acupuncture point.

“You might have heard me talking about wanting to start a radio station in China since year 2018,” reads an Instagram post by Slowcook announcing the launch. “AND HIIII! This dream has come true!!!”

Listeners can tune in at the official BAIHUI 百会 website. It also features a tab for special DJ set picks, currently from the likes of Mr. Ho, Yu Su, and DJ Zhuozhuo. On June 24th and 27th, BAIHUI 百会 will re-air eight specially selected DJ sets from the Zhaodai On Leave music festival in Aranya in late May, courtesy of Shy Beef, Sanyo, Knopha, Simon Frank, and more.

BAIHUI 百会’s hosts include Hao, Wu Zhuoling, and Cora in Chengdu, DJ Zhuozhuo and Gong Gong Gong in Beijing, Hong Kong’s Mr. Ho, Eating Music Radio in Shanghai, and Canada’s Yu Su. Visit BAIHUI 百会’s official website for more information and the live broadcast schedule.

While the price is not yet known, CNET reports that the upgrade will be “priced competitively with other high-quality-audio streaming tiers,” speculating that it will likely be an additional $10 a month on top of the basic Spotify subscription cost. Spotify HiFi was announced during Spotify’s recent Stream On live stream event.

On an informational page dedicated to the upgrade, Spotify shared that they’ve been working with speaker manufacturers to ensure that HiFi will be available on many devices through the use of their cloud-based Spotify Connect. “Ubiquity is at the core of everything we do at Spotify, and we’re working with some of the world’s biggest speaker manufacturers to make Spotify HiFi accessible to as many fans as possible through Spotify Connect,” it reads.

Spotify HiFi is set to launch to “select markets” sometime in 2021. At the time of writing, neither a specific release date nor information as to what countries will have access are known.

That is, according to Billboard, who cited multiple sources familiar with company operations. SoundCloud, who declined comment, is said to be currently working out the best way to incorporate the feature with plans to formally announce it before the end of Q1 2021.

The payment feature will mark one of the platform’s first major developments since Michael Weissman replaced Kerry Trainor as CEO in December. During Trainor’s tenure, which began in 2017 after co-founder Alex Ljung stepped down, the company introduced DJ gear integrations and other creator-focused tools that brought them to their first profitable quarter in 13 years.

Billboard notes that SoundCloud does not need major record label approval in order to roll out the direct payment feature. It is seen as a potential solution to dilemmas posed by the company’s pro-rata model. At present, a portion of total ad and subscription fees goes to artists based on number of plays without factoring in how much any single user streamed music from any single uploader.

SoundCloud also recently forged a partnership with multiplayer online game Fortnite to host an in-game live stream tournament called SoundCloud Player One on February 18th.

Aloha will use Elk’s Audio OS operating system to provide an ultra low-latency experience – 1ms round-trip, to be exact. A small device provided connects users’ audio instruments to Aloha’s interface. Accompanying software and a phone app will allow video conferencing as well as seamless live streaming capabilities. In a time where isolation is necessary but creative work needs to continue, this is a truly welcome feature.

Aloha’s interface will also work on standard internet connections using an Ethernet cable. 5G wireless connectivity via Swedish mobile giant Ericsson will arrive in late 2021, and as the new technology advances.

True Real-Time

Stockholm’s Elk Audio develops solutions that bridge the gap between musicians and technology. Elk’s Audio OS environment was released in 2018 under the company’s former name, MIND Music Labs. Software developer Steinberg then integrated Elk’s engine future VST3 developments later that year. Elk showcased its Aloha 5G technology concept in 2019 at the Mobile World Congress Exhibition together with Ericsson and British company Vodafone.

Aloha will be commercially available starting mid-2021; registration for beta testing is open now. More information can be found here.

SoundCloud has already verified eight of the platform’s most streamed artists, including Billie Eilish, Wiz Khalifa, and Trippie Redd.

In a blog post, SoundCloud announced that the new check mark feature was launched in an attempt “to help well-known artists stand out and maintain their authenticity, and to help listeners identify these artists more easily.”

Previously, there was confusion amongst users who mistook the orange star badge that identifies SoundCloud Pro subscribers for an artist verification badge. Consequently, many imitation profiles were mistaken for verified artist profiles. The company expects that the new blue check mark badges “will help eliminate that confusion.”

The current criteria for applying for a blue verification badge requires that the artist profile be maintained by a “well-known and/or highly searched-for artist, record label, collective, or curator. Obviously, that implies that the profile must also be unique, and not that of an impersonator or fan page.

The user must also adhere to all SoundCloud terms of service, and the profile requesting verification cannot contain any misleading information. It must have at least one track uploaded, and contain a bio and profile photo.

“We’re excited to continue supporting our community and to help well-known artists stand out on our platform,”  SoundCloud continued in the blog post. “Thanks for keeping it real with us.”

To learn more, check out SoundCloud’s blog post.

In keeping with the brand’s artist-forward approach to music hosting, Bandcamp Live allows content creators to customize their events and access each one’s data. Anyone who follows an account is notified when it goes live, and merchandise can be purchased directly in the stream. Bandcamp will take 10% of admissions with no hidden surcharges, and they’re waiving their cut altogether until March 31st, 2021.

Bandcamp was founded in 2008 by Ethan Diamond, Joe Holt, Shawn Grunberger, and Neal Tucker. By affording content creators the option to set their own prices for music and merchandise purchases, it grew popular among independent artists. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has held numerous “no-fee holidays” starting back in March to waive commission fees for downloads.

Given the company’s folk hero status compared to digital service providers like Spotify, SoundCloud and Apple Music, how they handle copyright disputes on the new live streaming service might prove critical to their reputation.

Facebook has grown controversial among musicians for selectively enforcing its music guidelines, and Twitch has come under fire for failing to penalize users for similar infractions. Bandcamp has not suggested that Bandcamp Live will offer 100% rights-cleared mixes by operating on a license similar to that of Mixcloud Live, so how they navigate the complex legal landscape of the market has yet to be seen.

Bandcamp Live is being gradually rolled out to users with an artist account. More information on the service is available here.

On SoundCloud’s mobile app, the options that appear when a user taps the share icon now include “Share to Snapchat.” According to a blog post, the “Share to Facebook” option will follow shortly. The feature applies to any public track, playlist or album.

“If you’re a creator, sharing your tracks on Snapchat or Facebook Stories is an effortless way to expand your reach and build upon your existing brand,” reads the post. “And if you love discovering new music, be the first in your crew to post about the songs you’re obsessed with — and get everyone else hooked too.”

SoundCloud’s full catalogue comprises over 200 million uploads at the time of writing. The company plans to announce additional hardware and software integrations in the coming months.

Serato, Pioneer DJ, Native Instruments and Denon DJ are a few of the brands that offer SoundCloud DJ integrations. The service costs $19.99 a month, and SoundCloud claims that it’s “the largest catalogue of any offline plan at a lower price than the competition.” The Virtual DJ and Algoriddim integrations also offer in-app track data, and they plan to introduce more tools for DJs in the future.

SoundCloud’s Second Chapter

SoundCloud’s journey to financial success has not been a swift one. Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss founded the company in 2007, but it hemorrhaged money for the first decade of its lifetime. When The Raine Group and Temasek Holdings purchased a dominant share of the company in 2017, Ljung stepped down as CEO to make way for former Vimeo CEO Kerry Trainor to take his place.

Trainor’s tenure has seen SoundCloud add value to its subscription service and amass more paid users as a result. In 2019, the company posted double the revenue ($200 million) and a narrower net loss according to Music Business Worldwide.

More information on SoundCloud DJ can be found in this blog post.

Image credit: Brandon Erlinger-Ford