by Alleigh Keyes ‘16

Before he presses upload, sophomore Khari Johnson checks to confirm his track is mastered. Then, he listens to it a couple more times to make sure it sounds perfect. He decides to promote the track by releasing clips of it before he fully releases his original beats and rap songs.

At the click of a button, Johnson can share his original songs and sounds using the popular online-music platform SoundCloud. This platform, launched in 2008, allows users to post, listen to, and download audio.

“I listen to music on SoundCloud all the time, and I post every so often when I come up with a good song,” Johnson said.

Typically, singer-songwriters use SoundCloud as a medium to post music. As a singer-songwriter who is passionate about her craft, sophomore Lily Rathbun uses SoundCloud to post originals and covers of popular songs. Rathbun has originals titled “Drifting Away” and “Let You Go.” As for covers, she has put her spin on the likes of Ed Sheeran and Christina Perri.

“I post my music on SoundCloud so I can share it with family and friends for free,” said Rathbun, who is currently working on another song to be released in the coming weeks.

Instead of posting emotive songs with emphasis on vocals, others such as sophomore Kevin Keating use SoundCloud with a focus on production. Keating uses this platform to share his electronic dance music (EDM) or rock tracks. “My best track was an EDM track. It took me a while and it was a product of my favorite sounds in music,” Keating said.

With this platform, musicians are also encouraged to collaborate with those who share similar interests. Senior Alex Martinez collaborated with a slew of students, including seniors Tony Niverth and Carley Kolker, to make a song for their swim team.

“I thought SoundCloud would be the easiest to use and would make it easier for the others to hear it,” Martinez said. They plan on dropping an EP with more swim team songs this summer.

SoundCloud has become a prominent force in music streaming. Spotlighting everyone from serious singer-songwriters to producers to other entertainers, SoundCloud expresses the abilities of a variety of extraordinary students who have many talents and skills.