Master Mi Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 (edited) Yo, dudes. I'm looking for a free online platform where you can upload and stream (in the best case an unlimited amount of) high quality audio (and maybe video) files with at least 192, 256 or 320 kbit/s audio quality. I'm just a little frustrated that popular platforms like Soundcloud only support up to 128 kbit/s audio quality for streaming. ... 'cause I'm working on a music project with lots of good-sounding cymbals (good-sounding at least in the uncompressed project file) and you really hear the difference after soundcloud has transcoded the lovely hi-fi quality to their kinda degraded 128 kbit/s audio stuff right in the stream. Does somebody know some secretly overlooked platforms for high quality audio uploads out there? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since audio streaming platforms like Clyp fell apart 'cause of a new unlucky financial course (so, with a former free account you won't be be able to upload any further musical content - they still might keep the old content from free accounts, but I deleted my account because with the new rules it wasn't of further use for me since it's also a less known platform)... ... I decided to concentrate much more on Youtube as a free and well-known (and for free conditions pretty good) video and audio streaming platform and Soundcloud as a free (and for free conditions at least fairly good) audio streaming platform. ... In the meantime, I've found another really good video and audio streaming platform where free accounts are possible and very useful. It's a Japanese platform called Nico Nico Douga (or simply called Niconico after 2012). It might not have the big and useful interaction and commenting features (allows only pretty short comments) like Youtube has to offer. But you can still navigate through an English interface for your account and the main features of the platform in English language. And - this is important - you might be able to upload and stream files in a much bigger quality than Youtube allows (possibly files with around 192 kbit/s, 320 kbit/s or maybe even lossless audio files) with a free account. The funny and for Japanese developments pretty iconic thing is that your account develops like a RPG character - with specific points and level ups, depending on your feedback of the community and things like that. I still haven't made it past LV 2 there - but I won't give up so easily. ^__^ Definitely a platform with very great potencial - so, feel free to check it out: https://www.nicovideo.jp/ ------------------------------- So, just to make a little list with free and useful video + audio streaming platforms or just audio streaming platforms for every content creator or content savourer out there: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) Youtube https://www.youtube.com/ 2) Niconico https://www.nicovideo.jp/ 3) Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/ If you know other free, really good and innovative platforms like these ones (which might remain free, really good and innovative in the future as well), feel free to share your knowledge with the rest of this community and I might add further ones. )) Edited February 23, 2021 by Master Mi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frederic Petitpas Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 Well, YouTube is 192 at least. The gap between 128 and 192 is enormous, it's not 320 but you still retain enough lows and highs to be appreciable. Master Mi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 SoundCloud The streaming may be 128kbps, but you can make your music downloadable in 320kbps or whatever MP3 encoding level you want, or you can just upload in lossless format instead. Bandcamp You upload lossless, and people can DL the format they want. MP3s from there are downloadable as either 320kbps or VBR0. If you're concerned strictly about higher bitrate streaming (as opposed to downloading), I'll join the popular sentiment: the demand isn't there, and the difference to the ear isn't practically discernible. As bandwidth capabilities rise over time, it'll eventually happen in the same way FLAC has grown as an increasingly offered downloadable option, but the baseline standard of quality is currently phone earbuds, so it'll require a sea change of sorts in maybe 5-10 years. timaeus222 and Master Mi 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zubaru Posted March 12, 2017 Share Posted March 12, 2017 As far as I know, YouTube can take up to 256 kbps. Bandcamp is probably your best bet, or else try and search on google, there are many sites. Master Mi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torzelan Posted March 13, 2017 Share Posted March 13, 2017 I've been using https://instaud.io/ a bit, AFAIK does not re-encode*. 15MB file limit though so maybe not actually ideal for WAVs or really long tracks, but it's been pretty neat for my quick VBR MP3 sharing needs. Not a platform to "build" anything on I guess, but you did say overlooked platforms. (*I'm not the greatest mixer, but here's a pretty clear example on the cymbal thing where SC really does a number on them: instaud.io vs SoundCloud, same MP3 upload) Master Mi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mi Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Thanks for the hints on Bandcamp and Instaud - I'll check these out soon. )) PS: I've just read on Bandcamp that you can only upload covers if you got the permission of the artist who made the original - so, how to handle it with video game remixes? >>> https://bandcamp.com/terms_of_use ---------------------------------------------------- For the controversy about the audio quality of Soundcloud vs. Youtube I would say that Soundcloud was a bit better than Youtube in the past. But at the moment Soundcloud seems to be even worse than Youtube. Check out my latest Star Tropics remix. 1) Youtube version (loaded as WAV into Windows Movie Maker, exportes as a WMV with just 192 kbps (max) audio quality and uploaded on Youtube) >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGhY2cxDv5Q 2) Soundcloud version (uploaded as a 320 kbps mp3 file on Soundcloud - but sounds as compressed and tuned down as the WAV file I had uploaded there before - you'll hear the big difference in the undefined cymbal sounds - sounds worse than in the Youtube version and much worse than in my uncompressed project file) >>> https://soundcloud.com/master-mi/star-tropics-the-fire-of-the-southern-cross-master-mi-remix I don't know why Soundcloud sucks this much in these days - but I guess it's about the financial interests behind the platform that is going to destroy the original concept. Besides - somebody gave me a good tip with the audio streaming platform "Clyp": >>> https://clyp.it/ There you can upload (and download) tracks with about 100 MB per file in the free account - obviously no upload limit and streaming with at least 320 kbps audio bitrate. A really good source - spartan design but really functional and useful. The cymbals in my Star Tropics remix sound really nice there in the audio stream (uploaded with 320 kbps quality) >>> https://clyp.it/ggch1nth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastling Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 clyp.it is NOT 320kbps. if you pay 72 dollars a year it's lossless but otherwise they convert to 128kbps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mi Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share Posted March 22, 2018 Hm, thx for the hint. They must have changed it recently - some time before it was 320kbit/s and some time before this you could upload and stream wave data content... with a free account. But seems to be a general problem in the last years of western capitalism. Lots of those halfhearted businessmen and private investors obviously try to buy up good content platforms (like formerly free music platforms, mail providers etc.) and want to drag max. profits outta this and every poop that accidentally sniffs its first fresh air... from the "Fresh Air Company". So, I guess one of the best free audiovisual content platforms that doesn't change its essential rules for a very long time is still Youtube. There seems to be still a good audio bitrate of about 192 kbit/s, you can implement (for example) gameplay videos into your musical videogame remix content and its always nice to get some feedback there (compared to simpler, more unknown and now pretty expensive platforms like Clyp). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mi Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) In the meantime, I've found another really good video and audio streaming platform where free accounts are possible and very useful. It's a Japanese platform called Nico Nico Douga (or simply called Niconico after 2012). It might not have the big and useful interaction and commenting features (allows only pretty short comments) like Youtube has to offer. But you can still navigate through an English interface for your account and the main features of the platform in English language. And - this is important - you might be able to upload and stream files in a much bigger quality than Youtube allows (possibly files with around 192 kbit/s, 320 kbit/s or maybe even lossless audio files) with a free account. The funny and for Japanese developments pretty iconic thing is that your account develops like a RPG character - with specific points and level ups, depending on your feedback of the community and things like that. I still haven't made it past LV 2 there - but I won't give up so easily. ^__^ Definitely a platform with very great potencial - so, feel free to check it out: https://www.nicovideo.jp/ ... And just for hearing the differences in the stream from the worst to the best audio quality at Soundcloud, Youtube and Niconico, check out my Star Tropics remix I've uploaded on all three platforms (watch out for the point after 1:25 in the remix where the drum parts - especially the hi hats and cymbals - kick in): 3) Soundcloud (kinda sloppy sounding hi-hats and cymbals - streaming quality of the audio might be around 128 kbit/s...) 2) Youtube (pretty good-sounding hi-hats and cymbals - streaming quality of the audio in the video might be somewhere around or just a little bit below 192 kbit/s...) 1) Niconico https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm34221065 (maybe just my imagination, but I think the hi-hats and cymbals are just a little bit cleaner than in the Youtube stream (make sure to choose the best settings in the video options) - so, the streaming quality of the audio in the video might be really at 192 kbit/s... but just because it's the maximum audio bitrate my video editing program can export, since I still use the Windows Movie Maker for video editing...) Edited February 23, 2021 by Master Mi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H36T Posted February 27, 2021 Share Posted February 27, 2021 One thing to keep in mind is conversions, mastering, and such. Even though YT technically supports a higher nitrate, I seldom get good sound quality from it personally. Even at 128 sound cloud still gives me decent enough depth in audio that I want to share with others. I dunno why, it could just be how I make videos and uploads but it always manages to sound like somehow the soul of my music got sent to the shadow realm on YT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mi Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 Of course - your mixing and mastering skills are radically important for the clarity and definition of your soundtracks. For example, with my new/actual studio equipment (Yamaha MSP 3 studio monitors + Fostex PM-SUBmini 2 subwoofer and Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro headphones + Lake People G109-P headphone amp) I can hear much more the unclean passages and acoustic problems in my tracks and see much more the potencial to improve my previous tracks just with a better mixing and mastering. But if you also use free accounts on Soundcloud and Youtube just like me, the reasons why your soundtracks might sound better or cleaner on Soundcloud than on Youtube (which is kinda the opposite of my experience with both platforms) could be probably the video export settings and the quality (bitrate) of your audio file you use in your video program. I only use uncompressed WAV audio files of my DAW music project for further processing in my video editing program to avoid unnecessary data compression chains (for example one of the worst case scenarios: first bigger audio compression process during the export of your audio file in your DAW project - maybe at a bitrate of 192 kbit/s or even lower >>> second audio compression process after video editing with your video editing program >>> third audio compression process with the upload on the online platform at which you finally share your track). I also avoid the use of compressors/limiters in my DAW because these tools also lower/degrade your sample quality by destroying or even radically cutting the signal peaks right in the DAW project file. ... All those kinds of compression in multiple process chains might decrease all the exciting information in your music stepwise and in an accumulative way into something with less definition, clarity and "life" (dynamics) within - so, I'd try to avoid as much of it as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H36T Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Yeah I figure it has to do with the conversions and stuff. I'm thinking of using davinci in the future to see if it helps me get better results. That's a nice setup btw! Can't wait to get my old setup back. Couldn't bring it with me to Japan. Master Mi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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