Twitter Launches New Audio Cards To Provide Users Access To SoundCloud ...

Micro-blogging site Twitter, Inc. ( TWTR: Quote) revealed Thursday in a blogpost that its is introducing SoundCloud tracks on the Twitter timeline on the mobiles of users that will let them stream music, podcasts, and other audios by using Twitter's new audio cards.

The facility is available to Twitter users following a partnership deal between Berlin-based audio-streaming service SoundCloud and Twitter.

However, the facility is now only available to some SoundCloud creators starting today. They will be able to use Twitter's new audio cards to share music & audio right in their followers' Twitter timelines on both iOS and Android devices. Twitter said the audio cards will also soon be available in the weeks ahead to anyone who posts on SoundCloud.

Twitter said its audio cards can now be accessed by the small group of music & audio creators such as This American Life (@thisamerlife), NASA (@nasa) and The White House (@whitehouse), as well as David Guetta (@davidguetta), Steve Aoki (@steveaoki) and Zeds Dead (@whoszed).

The feature will enable Twitter users to hear audio that has been shared on their timeline by others. Twitter added that the user can even dock the audio card if they want to continue browsing in the Twitter app.

Meanwhile, there were reports in mid-May that Twitter was in talks to acquire SoundCloud in a bid to expand its user base.

Music and audio-sharing company SoundCloud was recently also in the process of striking copyright deals with major record labels in return for a small 3 to 5 percent stake in the company and also a percentage of future revenues. This will enable SoundCloud to continue playing their songs on the popular music sharing platform and avoid potential legal disputes.

SoundCloud has in recent years become one of the most popular services for people to share music. However, when users upload music on the site it could be infringing copyrights. The major record labels still see online piracy as one of the main threats to their industry.

Berlin-based SoundCloud, digital music service start-up, has more than 250 million listeners a month. It is an audio music sharing site like what Google, Inc.'s (GOOG) YouTube is for video.

SoundCloud claims that 12 hours of audio is uploaded every minute on its site. It is backed by venture capital companies including Institutional Venture Partners and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Known as the 'YouTube for audio', the social sharing platform for audio enables users, from individuals to DJ collectives to bands, to upload, record, promote and share their audio clips. The music streaming service is primarily free, but it charges for premium subscriptions from those who upload more than two hours of audio a month.

SoundCloud was launched in October 2008 by Swedish sound designer Alexander Ljung and Swedish artist Eric Wahlforss. The audio platform gives users unprecedented access to a huge community of music and audio creators.

TWTR closed Thursday's regular trading session at $48.23, down $1.76 or 3.52% on a volume of 30.82 million shares.

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by RTT Staff Writer

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