The live streaming scene might feel crowded, but this week Mixcloud has introduced their own endeavor. They’ve launched a streaming platform built specifically for DJs, Mixcloud Live—not only taking on streaming giants like Facebook, Twitch, and Youtube, but also creating much-needed relief for DJ streams that are continually flagged for copyright.
The team at Mixcloud writes:
Over the past month we’ve received an unprecedented level of demand from the Mixcloud community to build live streaming functionality. It’s a massive task that we’ve been working on day and night to get into your hands as fast as possible and we’re delighted to announce the first version is now available.
Mixcloud Live links directly with streaming tools like Wirecast and OBS, which makes setting up and sending out your stream painless. The team has warned, however, that this is a beta version, released “much earlier than we’d normally do”—so you can expect “various user experience flaws and technical bugs.” If you test it out and have issues, you can drop your feedback on their Feedback Form.
DJTT editor Dan tested the streaming service earlier – he writes:
It works reliably just like you might expect with any other streaming service out there right now. The advantage of not being worried about any takedowns is huge, and licensing being sorted means that artists played will get paid.
That said, Mixcloud carries with it the challenge of not having as many built-in/on-platform discovery watches on it – like you might get on Twitch or Facebook. Very promising!
Mixcloud has long served as a reliable platform for artists to upload their sets, podcasts, radio shows, and other long-form audio. With its reliability and reputation within the industry, it’ll be interesting to see how many users move to using Mixcloud Live. Here’s the biggest win: the service is a licensed platform, which should mean that DJs can theoretically play their tracks on Mixcloud without getting shut off. This has been a continual issue on Facebook, but since Mixcloud pays its own licensing fee, artists could have the opportunity to play uninterrupted.
Mixcloud Live will also soon have the ability to archive the audio directly to a saved mix on the site as well, though the timeline here has not been made clear.
Mixcloud Live has also been integrated with the platform’s SELECT program, offering an opportunity for creators to generate revenue.
We’re intrigued to see another company dive into the livestreaming platform pool—we’ll see how quickly this will catch on in the online music world, if at all. The only catch: unlike Twitch, which is free, you can only use the livestream service if you have a Mixcloud Pro account. Those run for $15/month (but pssst – they are offering a 90-day free trial right now, so swipe it while you can).
Want to dive into livestreaming, but not sure how to get it all set up? Check out our mega how-to guide. Stream on, friends.
