Music streaming service SoundCloud has introduced a new feature. The on-demand streamer now allows listeners to browse the top 50 most-streamed songs in various genres.
In preparation for some of these major changes, SoundCloud appears to be focusing on organization and facilitating music discovery. The streamer has just introduced charts, similar to those available on iTunes and Spotify, which display the most popular tracks both overall and according to genre.
More than 30 genres are represented, with various subgenres of electronic dance music (EDM), one of the most popular musical styles among SoundCloud listeners, accounting for many of the choices.
Users can search the Top 50 Trap, Dubstep, Deep House and Drum And Bass songs, along with more mainstream genres like Pop, Country and Classical. Many of the top 50 overall songs on the first-ever SoundCloud chart come from hip-hop/R&B stars like Kanye West, Future and Travis Scott.
It looks as if SoundCloud needs to work on its classification methodology, however, as the top Alternative Rock song is listed as "Marvin Gaye" by Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor - a pop R&B track that has no connection to the alternative rock style it is categorized under.
It looks like snippets of songs are eligible to make the charts as well. A minute-and-a-half clip of Skrillex and Diplo's Jack Ü project's "Where Are Ü Now" (featuring Justin Bieber) sits at No. 8 on SoundCloud's new Dance and EDM chart. Artists like Skrillex have been vocal in their criticism of label decisions to allow only portions of their full songs to be accessed on SoundCloud, but ultimately have no control over the decision.
The charts also seem to represent a diverse mix of old and new songs. For example, the top track on the aforementioned Dance and EDM chart is Major Lazer & DJ Snake's "Lean On" (feat. MØ), which has been out for almost a full year and has also been named Spotify's most-streamed track ever worldwide. Meanwhile, the No. 2 song on the list, the 3LAU mashup of The Chainsmokers vs DJ Snake vs Lil Dicky, known as "Roses & Money," has been out for only one month.
