This article was written while listening to “Downtempo + Triplets,” a playlist from Parker Lieberman on Dropp.fm. Here’s the first song from that list for you to listen to while reading. Hit play, and continue on….
If you’re a dedicated Spotify user, you’re not listening to the coolest, new music available. It’s that simple. Now, that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with being a Spotify user. It’s a great service. But, if you’re looking to expand your playlist and discover new music as it drops, there’s a new social music platform launching today that may just become your favorite place on the web.
The site is called Dropp.fm, a new social music platform that allows you to discover, collect and share new music that’s streaming across the web. It was founded by Parker Lieberman, a Boston University alum and indie music producer in New York City. As you’ve likely noticed, it’s becoming common practice for artists and bands to debut their music on YouTube and SoundCloud before it’s available on the radio, through streaming services, and even iTunes.
“The biggest differentiator for us is we have access to new music,” he explained. “Everyone from Drake and Beyonce are putting their music out first on either YouTube or SoundCloud. That music isn’t making it to Spotify, iTunes or any license service for 4-6 weeks at a minimum. People in the know are listening to this music, and if you’re on Spotify you don’t have access to it. However, the second a track goes out, it can be on Dropp.”
The idea for the site came from an email chain he’d started with a few of his buddies. It started out simple enough, but as the chain grew and new people were added to the list, it quickly got out of hand. “I thought there has to be a better way to do this,” said Lieberman. “I went searching for a platform on the web and found some stuff that just wasn’t right.”
That’s when he decided to tackle the problem himself, and today Dropp is a working platform that allows users to easily collect and share YouTube and SoundCloud files from one location. Plus, you can discover and play others’ curated playlists from the best of the web, which is really what the site is about, making it easy for anyone to share and discover great music, no matter what genre that may be.
“We’re not trying to be hip or cool. I didn’t want to design the site so it was only for the indie rock listener,” Lieberman said. “I want it to be for everyone, for anyone who is out there looking for new music and wants to listen to good new music. I want it to be some place where everyone feels comfortable going and can easily find new music. And I don’t think that exists right now.”
At least, not until Dropp.fm launched today that is… As I write this article, I’m listening to Lieberman’s Playlist “Downtempo + Triplets.” His “Sunday Morning” playlist is pretty great, too, which is currently his favorite. “I’ve been building a few different playlists,” he said. “One of my favorites is the “Sunday Morning” playlist. It’s what you’d want to listen to on a spring, Sunday morning. Downtempo is electronic music [you] can listen to while you’re working.”
Whether you’re a serious music enthusiast that scours the web for all the latest tracks and artists or a casual listener, this service is perfect for many types of users.
“One of the coolest things I’ve found is it’s an amazing tool for the heavy users who are digging through blogs and already putting time into finding music,” he shared. “But, people who really love the site were people like my girlfriend, who didn’t want to take the time to go find all this new music. Now she’s in the know and in the loop with all this great new music without having to put in the effort.”
Now that the site is launched, they’ll be focusing their efforts on growing their user base, but they do have plans to add the ability for private Dropps in the future. Right now, your playlists are all public.
“I want to have the best collection of music listeners and lovers, and I want to have those people entice the non-music listeners to get on and start listening to more music,” he said of his goals. “From there, we’re going to listen to our community and build the site in the direction that everyone wants it to go.”
Get started on Dropp.fm. It’s easy to sign up through your Facebook account, and with their bookmark, it’s easy to add new music to your Dropp with a click of a button.
Once you set up your account, Lieberman recommends you follow Callender Edward, Keith Markovich, Keith Quon, Lindsey Metselaar, and of course, his account, too, Parker Lieberman. Just search for them on the right side of the site.
So, what new music are you listening to? Follow me on Dropp.fm and help me and all your friends discover great, new music. See you there…