Sharing music online rather than by CD, any recommendations?

[rggillespie]

Hi, I suppose like many others on here I'm happily recording songs at home and sharing my own cds with a few pals, but it seems they are moving away from CDs altogether and the time has come to perhaps share online. I'm recording 24/96 and to be honest I would prefer the music was played back at this standard or at least cd standard rather than mp3. I'm unclear on what the options are though, I've heard of SoundCloud I wasn't sure if there are other options and how any of it works? Any pointers would be a great help, seems a pity to record and not share it. Even if the friendly response is not to give up the day job!

[RichardT]

Soundcloud is an option - the downside is listeners won’t get full resolution playback online. If you want them to hear it properly, they’ll need to download it. But it’s quite easy to organise your music there, upload cover art, create playlists etc. I think it would be my first port of call.

Another option is Bandcamp, and another is simply to use a file sharing service.

On Bandcamp you can allow people to stream your music a large number of times before they have to buy it, so it’s certainly a workable option. What I don’t know is what resolution it uses for streamed playback.

[Drew Stephenson]

I understand Tidal streams in high resolution, but honestly, getting listeners is the first challenge. Simplicity trumps quality every time so whilst you can suggest that they might want to download it (from SoundCloud or Bandcamp as mentioned above) to get the best quality, if their preferred listening platform is Spotify then they're unlikely to change that just for you.

[Wonks]

I understand Tidal streams in high resolution, but honestly, getting listeners is the first challenge.

As I read it, the OP is just wanting a good quality platform where they can share tracks with their friends rather than physically have to hand hand out the tracks on CDs.

I don't think this is for the purposes of finding a wider audience (though I could obviously be wrong).

[sonics]

I'll suggest simply using an online storage service with an audio preview facility (e.g. Google Drive, Box). You can create a folder for your music and use a static link instead of a new link for each piece, much like a photo gallery.
I'd suggest 48/24 as your upload format. Anything else may give playback problems.

[rggillespie]

Thanks for the very helpful tips, I'll look into them all asap, I feel having taken the trouble to record things as well as I can within my limitations. I'd like to share them at a certain level of quality. I find comparing a high definition download or cd to say, a Spotify mp3 playback, the difference is marked, all the space and depth has gone with the mp3. Not so important with some kinds of music perhaps but I'd like it to share my own stuff in the best possible light. Having got it to my mates online somehow, how they listen to it is in the lap of the gods I suppose. The person I know who listens to the most music, listens on a little system the size of shoebox with a single speaker.....!

[Martin Walker]

Soundcloud is an option - the downside is listeners won’t get full resolution playback online. If you want them to hear it properly, they’ll need to download it. But it’s quite easy to organise your music there, upload cover art, create playlists etc. I think it would be my first port of call.

Another option is Bandcamp, and another is simply to use a file sharing service.

On Bandcamp you can allow people to stream your music a large number of times before they have to buy it, so it’s certainly a workable option. What I don’t know is what resolution it uses for streamed playback.

+1 for Bandcamp. All my albums are on there.

I still use Soundcloud, but only really for putting demos online (as well as private in-progress stuff for a few selected folk to listen to), whereas Bandcamp is far more focused on being an outlet for finished music.

[rggillespie]

thanks Martin, I'll look into bandcamp tonight and look forward to listening to your album.

[Mike Stranks]

I understand Tidal streams in high resolution, but honestly, getting listeners is the first challenge. Simplicity trumps quality every time so whilst you can suggest that they might want to download it (from SoundCloud or Bandcamp as mentioned above) to get the best quality, if their preferred listening platform is Spotify then they're unlikely to change that just for you.

Good post!

Do you want more people to access your music, or does the retained 'quality' of its storage environment trump that?

Many of us have learnt the hard way, that once the music leaves you - in whatever form - you have zero control over the listening environment. Hours spent labouring getting the mix 'just right' count for nothing when - even CDs - are played on woeful systems with bizarre EQ settings, with one speaker on the floor behind the sofa and another on the window-sill or on dubious headphones with EQ-shaping built-in. And so on...

Of course, the key is to get the source right so those who will appreciate it will be able to. The rest is pure chance...

[tea for two]

Hi, I suppose like many others on here I'm happily recording songs at home and sharing my own cds with a few pals, but it seems they are moving away from CDs altogether and the time has come to perhaps share online. I'm recording 24/96 and to be honest I would prefer the music was played back at this standard or at least cd standard rather than mp3.

Hi there RG
If you don't want to sell the music nor draw any commercial interests to it then : Google drive is one avenue. This is what I use to then send a link to the uploaded music.

::

Many of us have learnt the hard way, that once the music leaves you - in whatever form - you have zero control over the listening environment. Hours spent labouring getting the mix 'just right' count for nothing when - even CDs - are played on woeful systems with bizarre EQ settings, with one speaker on the floor behind the sofa and another on the window-sill or on dubious headphones with EQ-shaping built-in. And so on...

Of course, the key is to get the source right so those who will appreciate it will be able to. The rest is pure chance...

I share some of my completed albums with a school chum I met when we were 11.
He listens on Beats headphones on his mobile.
Considering most of my music doesn't have beats it sounds way too Bass heavy on Beats headphones, relegating the other sounds to a kind of mushiness.
I haven't said anything to this chum. If I had funds I'd get chum K712 to listen on.

[Sam Spoons]

You could lend him a pair of better cans, they don't need to be 712s, maybe your spare studio cans will be significantly better than his Beats? Then maybe he'll buy himself some better ones?

[rockydennis]

You could try something like Google Drive - you could store your audio as 320k mp3 (the highest bitrate), and when your friends click on the files, it'll automatically stream for them to listen to.

[rockydennis]

On Bandcamp you can allow people to stream your music a large number of times before they have to buy it, so it’s certainly a workable option. What I don’t know is what resolution it uses for streamed playback.

The free stream via Bandcamp is 128k mp3.

[tea for two]

You could try something like Google Drive - you could store your audio as 320k mp3 (the highest bitrate), and when your friends click on the files, it'll automatically stream for them to listen to.

This is what I do. Also as 320k mp3 even though it's approx 1/4 CD kbps.
I haven't uploaded 1GB wav as yet.

::

You could lend him a pair of better cans, they don't need to be 712s, maybe your spare studio cans will be significantly better than his Beats? Then maybe he'll buy himself some better ones?

I should for the sake of his hearing.
Although I get the "all about that bass no treble" lol.

[rggillespie]

'If you don't want to sell the music nor draw any commercial interests to it then : Google drive is one avenue. This is what I use to then send a link to the uploaded music.'
Thanks for this, so If I have my music in reaper, I would render it to a stereo track and then what format would I put it to upload it into a google drive? Most of my mates seems to either have Spotify or iTunes for their music consumption. I'm not sure how they would get it from a google drive into those formats?

[Wonks]

If you click on the uploaded track, your default computer music player will load it and start playing.

Unless all your friends have AIs or specialised soundcards, you’ll probably need to provide some alternate file formats for download as well as the 24/96 you prefer. Whilst a lot of players may now convert higher resolution files to say a 16/44.1 format on the fly, others won’t, and you’ll provide better sound quality with a properly dithered and rate changed 16/44.1 file than letting player software convert it to that (or similar) as it goes along. And a 320bps MP3 or Hi-Res AAC version may make it easier for some.

FLAC versions will reduce file size and download times for those with slow connections whilst maintaining full sonic integrity.

I’d give it a go on one tune, and see what the feedback is from your friends and what format they find best, or what they have issues with, then provide the other tunes in the preferred formats.

[RichardT]

You can’t get your own music onto Spotify unless you go through a ‘distributor’ such as CDBaby. It’s a whole new level of complexity!

If your friends download your music from where you’ve put it, they will be able to add it to Apple Music by double clicking on it.

[James Perrett]

It is always a good idea to provide a lower resolution file on Google Drive as well as a high resolution file because Google Drive often comes up with an error message saying something like "Cannot scan file for viruses - file too big" if you try to stream a large file.

[Gone To Lunch]

Is Wordpress any good for music hosting?

I am thinking I need just a minimalist bio and contact details, and then some downloadable tracks.

This is instrumental music intended for sync usage, and I just want somewhere to introduce myself and make my stuff hearable for those whose commercial interest I seek.

[rggillespie]

Thanks for the guidance, I'll try it this weekend. There are some many formats you can't help but feel whichever one you go, that may be become obsolete somewhere down the line. That's why I like the physical nature of a cd, but even they seem to be headed to the knackers yard. I was told to use FLAC a while back so I'll start there with google drive.

[ef37a]

Slightly OT but only a bit...there was a BBC documentary a few days ago about the massive growth of Data Centres. These are the places where your "Cloud" data resides and they use enormous quantities of electricity and water for cooling. There are several centres in Ireland for example and more proposed and it has been estimated that in a decade DCs will account for over 30% of Ireland's electricity consumption.

Every time data goes to the Cloud it stays there until the owner deletes it. Billions of gigs of photos no one will ever see again.

You can put many hours of 24/96 music on a thumbnail sized memory card or give them a USB stick?

Never such a thing as a free lunch.

Dave.

[RichardT]

Slightly OT but only a bit...there was a BBC documentary a few days ago about the massive growth of Data Centres. These are the places where your "Cloud" data resides and they use enormous quantities of electricity and water for cooling. There are several centres in Ireland for example and more proposed and it has been estimated that in a decade DCs will account for over 30% of Ireland's electricity consumption.

Every time data goes to the Cloud it stays there until the owner deletes it. Billions of gigs of photos no one will ever see again.

You can put many hours of 24/96 music on a thumbnail sized memory card or give them a USB stick?

Never such a thing as a free lunch.

Dave.

a very good point Dave!

[Wonks]

However, data centres don’t just provide cloud storage. And if that data wasn’t stored in a data centre where the equipment can be very efficiently cooled, it would have to be stored in data centres in office buildings where cooling would be less efficient. The electricity consumption to operate the servers would be the same.

Given that we need data storage, there are advantages to well designed and implemented data centres.

But how many server farms are there running solely to provide for crypto currencies? If you want to start throwing stones, I’d start there.

[BWC]

...will account for over 30% of Ireland's electricity consumption.

...Never such a thing as a free lunch.

Dave.

a very good point Dave!

Indeed, I used to do some work on some of the big data center switches. Made me think of one particular big box (two would completely occupy a 7' tall 19" rack), dual redundant 6000W power supplies. Two boxes (four supplies) to a rack, a giant room full of racks...