Mixcloud is a website dedicated to streaming music. The main difference is that they focus on radio content as opposed to individual singles. Put simply, in their words, Mixcloud “helps connect radio content to listeners more effectively”. By hosting radio shows, podcasts and DJ mixes in the ‘cloud’ (without software or storage), the audio is available to listen to on-demand and instantly, whereas podcasts require downloading to a hard drive. Uploaded audio is therefore referred to as ‘Cloudcasts’, and saves the owner or listener using slow and restrictive file hosting websites.

Having an efficient and clean uploading process and a strong search function, Mixcloud has the two pronged attack of helping content creators promote and helping listeners discover the audio that they want to hear. I have been using the site myself for nearly a year now, and have found that broadcasting is easy (and free!), and listening and discovering is an enjoyable experience. For more info, check the ‘What is Mixcloud?’ video after the jump…

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I’m a bit of a purist me. I don’t like adverts on the radio. Not mad keen on the TV either but at least it’s a good time to pop to the loo or make a brew. But when I’m listening to an album, I don’t want to have the album I’m listening to interrupted but over excitable pseudo funny people telling me how I can’t live without their car/bank/snack. Which mostly I can.

It’s why I’m a big fan of BBC radio. I know I’m only going to get one song at a time. And there will be talking in between. But I know when it’s coming and mostly the DJ’s banter fits in with the time of day and style of music. Radio 6 being my station of choice for daytime and hallelujah for the arrival of Lauren Laverne who was on top form in today’s show (her arrival made all the better by bumping off George “Stratospheric Ego” Lamb). And Radio 3 or Radio 4 to kick the day off or bring it to a close. Anyway, advert free stations with ego-less DJ’s – that’s what makes BBC Radio so good.

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January saw a “highly productive and optimistic” MIDEM 2010 conference take place in Cannes. The event had kicked off with the “New Models At Work” panel session, with Amanda Palmer speaking about her 2009 self-funded solo album, and her online community of fans. Hal Ritson from The Young Punx added that artists need to “get some emotional contact with [the people listening to their music]” and that music bloggers giving away free downloads should be viewed as the modern equivalent of radio promo. Starting with an inspirational DIY discussion is great, but I’m sure people were looking for other ways to get involved, as each artist’s strategy will be completely different.

Luckily, there was a diverse set of panelists and topics; with video games and mobile device apps being two major industries in the future of music, as well as possible revenue streams for artists, I am glad to see that those topics were of great importance, and even had specific discussion panels (see below). One of the quotes from the ‘Apps’ panel became the most retweeted live posts of the conference… the news that “Shazam #App is selling 300,000 songs a DAY via iTunes”.

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Christmas songs. Some people love them, and some hate them. There are certainly differences of opinion in the Music Jobs offices as to whether Cliff Richard, Noddy Holder, The Pogues & co. are part of that warm seasonal feeling, or more likely to invoke a baul-baul assault on the purveyor of such torturous material.

We decided to make a Spotify playlist of some of the best / worst / most discussed / most amusing / most disturbing Christmas songs, and, assuming there’s no riot in the offices today, we’d love to hear your views!

Click the image below or check out http://open.spotify.com/user/leejarvis/playlist/2riHqaBAfCXQR1kJJQJsE2

Tracklist:
Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas – Stu: Best
Let It Snow – Tara: Best (I’ve included the fantastic Ella Fitzgerald version ~Lee)
Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody – Matt: Worst; Stu: Best
The Darkness’ Christmas Time – Lee: Best
Clay Aiken’s Merry Christmas With Love – Tammy: Best
The Pogues’ & Kirsty MacColl’s Fairytale of New York – Matt: Best
John Lennon’s Happy Xmas (War is Over) – Matt: Best
John Denver’s Please, Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas) – Tammy: Best
Cliff Richard’s Mistletoe and Wine – Stu: Worst
Rockin Around the Christmas Tree – Tara: Best (the Brenda Lee version, which will forever remind me of a young Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone ~Lee)

Special mention for Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite, which I stumbled across via a twitter link this week. Although unavailable on Spotify, you can check it out here.

Happy (or Harrying?) Holidays,

Lee “I can only bear to hear Christmas songs for one day, and so I do all my shopping on Christmas Eve” Jarvis

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Soundcloud is possibly my favourite music website. I use it at least every week for a variety of music purposes. I love the clean feel of the site and the intuitive simple functions. It is such a user-friendly and well evolved website, that it is hard to believe they are just celebrating their 1st birthday. As any kind of musician, label owner, radio / podcast show host and more, Soundcloud is a great way to send and receive music, and it provides an efficient way to distribute, privately or publicly. It is becoming a hugely popular tool, and yet their friendly nature is still seen across the site. In their words, “We’re a few people who moved from Stockholm to Berlin, found some more cool people there and set up a small company to create the best dedicated music site in the world.”

Quick Facts
* SoundCloud is an online audio platform for music professionals that makes sending and receiving music simple and efficient.
* Accounts are accessible to everyone.
* SoundCloud is in use by many of the worlds leading electronic music producers and labels.
* Some people think of SoundCloud as an email application but for music, and with a play button.
* Founded in 2007 by Swedes Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss and based in Berlin–Mitte, Germany.

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