SoundCloud iPad app revamp looks good, but where are the social features?

SoundCloud iPad app revamp looks good, but where are the social features?

SoundCloud today released a major revamp of its iPad app, which brings it in line with the look and feel of the iPhone update released in June 2014. The app is very slick, snappy and focuses exclusively on the listening experience. 

The company’s design decisions, for example the omission of the users’s ability to post comments on tracks from the app - one of the defining features of SoundCloud at launch - clearly indicate that the SoundCloud is working towards becoming a “proper streaming service”, although there has been no substantial news in regards to progress being made in its quest to bring Universal Music to the table. 

What is puzzling about SoundCloud’s direction is that whilst the service is primarily used simply to listen to music, it also has a very strong social backbone: people use SoundCloud to talk about music, discover and share new artists and comment on tracks.

None of those social element aside from pure sharing make an appearance in the current iteration of the apps. This could be justified as a reaction against the myriad of services that are incorporating social/messaging features poorly or for the sake of it, but may end up discouraging engagement. 

Now that the iOS and iPad apps are aligned in terms of design and both stripped to their bare bone features, let's hope that the company will start adding more functionality to make the mobile experience more engaging and well-rounded. 

(Andrea Leonelli)