Spotify’s online studio Soundtrap launches tools for live collaboration and auto-recording

Soundtrap, a digital audio workstation acquired by Spotify in 2017, offers live collaboration and autosave tools as new testing features, allowing artists to work on a project from different devices in real time.

The new features currently in beta were revealed by Bryan Johnson, Spotify’s Head of Global Artist and Industry Partnerships, to music ally in an interview on Tuesday (August 9).

Along with live collaborations and autosave tools, Soundtrap will also allow commenting so that collaborators can share comments on a certain section of their podcast or music projects.

“Live collaboration and auto-save – which is currently in beta – means we can show real-time changes between collaborators without a ‘sync’ button. It shows real-time changes and auto-save is automatic, which means users can stay in that creative flow,” Johnson said.

Soundtrap will showcase the new tools in a Spotify for Artists Masterclass video to be released on Wednesday (August 10).

The development comes about five years after Spotify acquired the online recording studio for an undisclosed sum.

Swedish tech news briefing break it said the deal was worth at least $30 million based on an estimated increase in Soundtrap’s value since its $6 million Series A fundraiser in 2016, which valued the company at $25 million of dollars.

Soundtrap is a platform where creators can combine beats, loops and instruments or connect their own tracks. They can save, edit and collaborate on different devices and store their work in the cloud. Some of its features include its proprietary Auto-Tune function, automation settings, amplifier, and pattern beatmaker.

Pricing starts at $7.99 per month for music creators and from $11.99 per month for podcasters, though Soundtrap still offers unlimited projects, 4,880 loops, 440 instruments and sounds, and 150,000 effects. sounds for free, even without a premium subscription.

Since joining Spotify, Soundtrap has rolled out various offerings to increase its user base. In May 2019, it launched a podcast recording, editing and publishing tool called Soundtrap for Storytellers, which offers recording, multi-track remote interviews with video chat, smart file transcription and editing. spoken audio and other features.

Soundtrap for Storytellers pricing starts at $14.99 per month. An annual plan is also available starting at $11.99 per month.

“We see more and more people creating songs and wanting to create on the go and with people around the world. It is important to provide intuitive and accessible tools.

Bryan Johnson, Spotify

Soundtrap has also allowed Spotify to launch on Roblox via Spotify Islandoffering music creation tools as well as virtual merchandise and games.

When asked why Spotify continues to offer tools like Soundtrap instead of letting creators use other digital audio workstations, Johnson told Music Ally that the company is focused on being with creators at every stage of music production and release.

“We see more and more people creating songs and wanting to create on the go and with people around the world. It’s important to provide intuitive and accessible tools,” Johnson said.

The exec also touched on whether Spotify will integrate its artificial intelligence music lab into Soundtrap in the future. Johnson said the goal was to innovate with Soundtrap.

“We listen to the creative community and ask them what they want in a DAW, or in tools…Any tool is about how you use it, and when you use it, and the vision you have – any tool we launch will be for creators to use and interpret with their artistic vision,” Johnson added.

Spotify’s increased focus on Soundtrap comes after the company sold another recording platform, Soundbetter, to its founders in late 2021, just two years after SPOT acquired the company.The music industry around the world