Creating and Sharing Sound in the Music Classroom

SoundCloud

Although SoundCloud has been a discussion topic with my colleagues previously as a way to share and find new music, my interest was peaked even more when my fourth grader came home wanting to set up an account. This caused an investigation of the platform immediately, including but not limited to, the security features of the platform.

The app is free and is available on both App Store for Apple and Google Play for Android. It is easy to create an account on SoundCloud. Only an email address and a password are needed; it is also possible to sign up with either Facebook or Google. Once logged in, a user can begin searching available tracks for free using the app. A user can find and select songs from various sources, some of which are the actual artist; other tracks may be songs reposted by other users from various artists. “Official profiles” are often labeled as such and marked with a white star surrounded by an orange circle. Songs may be complete, or they may be previews of the artist’s work. While listening to the track, a user can post comments, which will be timestamped at the second in the song when the request to make a comment was made. A user can choose to follow the artist or any other user of SoundCloud and make comments on their songs. In the app version of SoundCloud, the updates from the followed artists or users will show up in the “Stream,” which looks very similar to a feed on various other platforms (i.e., Facebook). Tracks can also be “liked” by a user, which will show up in the “Library” in addition to any playlists, followed artists/users, and stations “liked” in SoundCloud.

Any changes to the account must be made on the SoundCloud website (https://soundcloud.com). Once there, the user can choose a unique username, see how many followers they have, and send messages to their followers. A user can also see any comments made by any of their followers; it is possible to see both the comment and the track about which the comment was made. It is not possible to interact with followers on the app, which may be a consideration if SoundCloud is used in the public school setting. However, users can only upload new files using the website as well. For those using SoundCloud to promote new music, there is a companion app to the SoundCloud app called Pulse. The Pulse app allows a user to see notifications for new followers, basic statistics of what their followers think about their tracks, as well as to manage already uploaded tracks. Even with the Pulse app, new tracks must be uploaded through the website. A user can upload up to 180 minutes of audio to SoundCloud for free; additional tools and minutes are available with a paid subscription.

The SoundCloud website has great information for those wanting to share and create music or Podcasts. Many of the tools suggested by SoundCloud require a subscription. The site also contains detailed information about copyright, including a checklist for music uploads and other recordings (see http://soundcloud.com/pages/copyright for more information). After using SoundCloud in a pilot study, Birch (2017) states “. . . SoundCloud is an appropriate tool to facilitate music learning within formal high school contexts” as “encouraging mobile musicianship within formal music classes provides a synergy between the students’ love for music which they actively engage in outside the classroom, and creative musical behavior which represents authentic musicianship in the 21st century” (p. 38). SoundCloud is a way for students to create and share sound, while allowing the opportunity to interact with the sounds of others. This allows for many possibilities in the music classroom, especially for students at the secondary level where mobile devices become more prevalent.

SoundTrap

Where SoundCloud is for sharing and interacting with uploaded tracks, SoundTrap is a platform specifically for creating sound. SoundTrap was acquired by Spotify in 2017 according to the SoundTrap website (https://www.soundtrap.com). Like SoundCloud, SoundTrap also works on any device; this cloud-based platform also integrates with a variety of other platforms, such as Google Classroom, Canvas (a learning management platform), and Noteflight, among others. Like SoundCloud, SoundTrap can also be used for Podcasting; because of its connection to Spotify, Podcast recordings made through SoundTrap can be uploaded directly to Spotify. Although it is possible to access SoundTrap on the web, and it also has an app available on App Store. Unlike SoundCloud, it does not appear to have an app available in Google Play despite being a Google Partner for Education. According to the Terms of Use, those registering for an account should be 13 years old or older. This means the platform would be most appropriate for secondary music classrooms.

Creating an account for SoundTrap was very easy. On opening the app and entering the “studio” for the first time, tutorials were readily available to show how to use the platform efficiently. It was amazing how easy it was to create a loop and add additional tracks after watching the 8-minute “Crash Course” tutorial. SoundTrap has hundreds of premade loops, all of which can be adjusted by the composer. However, it is also possible to record using the device’s microphone or plugging in external devices such as a keyboard or guitar amp for recording purposes. If the composer has an idea to record quickly, there is also a “Quick Record” function that allows the composer to record and save an idea using the device’s microphone. If the composer is having a difficult time putting a project together, the composer can invite other users to collaborate on the project. Anyone that is invited to collaborate will see the project on their screen; the collaborators are also able to type messages to each other in a chat dialogue box or video chat.

The free version of SoundTrap allows the composer to save five songs/projects. The composer can record live sound and has access to 750 loops and 151 instruments/sounds. Subscriptions are available with more tools being included for $5 and $10 per month; there is a slight discount if the user pays by the year as opposed to by the month. Education packages with yearly subscriptions are also available. After working with SoundTrap, this platform is very user-friendly. Tracks can be added and manipulated quickly and easily. Students would be able to create and collaborate in sound using this very intuitive platform.

Conclusions

Although there are similarities, both SoundCloud and SoundTrap could serve very different functions in the music classroom. Both allow for quick and easy account creations; both allow for a variety of interactions with sound. Depending on the objectives for the day, both these platforms will allow students to explore sound in meaningful ways.