turntable.fm!!!

edited July 2011 in Diversions
Thought I would start a thread just for turntable.fm instead of cluttering up Plong42's Google Music Beta thread.

turntable.fm is a great place to discover new music. So far, it is free. At first it was world-wide, but they racheted down to USA-only apparently due to licensing issues. So use a proxy if you're not in the USA.

There are different "rooms" to click on, or you can make your own room. I joined the music gourmets room at first (another music-centric forum kinda like emusers.org), but have had a lot of fun in some 80s rooms and a sad bastard room that only plays pitiful songs, and a machinima room for people who work at that company. About the only thing I haven't seen is a classical room, but I could just be missing it.

You sign up via facebook. So far it's invitation-only, but isn't difficult to get invites. I made a facebook profile just for this tt.fm thing. Feel free to friend me. The tt.fm facebook page also has plenty of posts from people who will gladly friend you to get you in. You can unfriend us after you use us ; )

You can also change your tt.fm screen name as soon as you log into tt.fm if you wish. In other words, it doesn't have to be your facebook name if you want privacy in that area.

Once you're in, add music to your queue. You need to have some tracks in there before you hop up onto a DJ spot. There are tons of tracks already in the tt.fm database, or you can upload tracks from your PC. mp3 format only, no flac or aac.
You don't have to DJ, either - you can just listen. If you hear something and want to note it for later, hit the banner under the DJ table for links to add it to your tt.fm queue, a lastfm playlist, or spotify.

If you go to an empty room and try to DJ, it will only play a sample of whatever song is playing from your queue. Something about licensing I guess? So don't DJ to an empty room.

The volume controls for the page are on the speakers.
If you like a song, hit the awesome button and the DJ playing it gets a point. If you don't like it, hit the lame button. With more points, you can change your avatar.

If you like a DJ's stuff, or just see an online freind in there, you can become their fan, so it's easy to find them later. You'll get an email when they start to DJ somewhere, so if you don't want emails, turn that option off. You can still find them though, if they are on the tt.fm website their facebook avatar will show in the list of rooms.

I think that's it for the quick-start guide. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Comments

  • I'm in, about to spin first track ... NERVOUS
  • edited July 2011
    w000t!
    I'll see if I can find you there? What room are you in?

    edit - I am going to be standing in the music gourmets room. Gotta do some dishes & stuff, but I'll be checking to see ifyou show up.
  • I started out in a jazz/funk room. Now I'm in no Depression, but just watching
  • edited July 2011
    OK I just found you & now you have a fan ;)
    Watch out, I have had to set a timer on myself with this entertaining distraction!
  • I had to turn off google music. It was interfering with tt.fm & hearing the music.
  • I just started yesterday too. It is addicting. Could give a new meaning “to what are you listening now?”
  • do you get added automaticaly to the DJ panel when someone leaves or do you have to add yourself when a space arises?
  • edited July 2011
    you have to click the open spot to hop on up. Also when someone leaves, the remaining DJs shift right.
  • Yeah, that's kinda annoying in a popular room. Gotta sit here al eagle eyed at the screen ...
  • hover your mouse over the right-most DJ spot while you are eagle-eyeing it.
    Some rooms have a list to get on. Such as the 80's play 3 & step down.
    Or, just ask if anyone is leaving soon.
  • edited July 2011
    Well I can get a DJ spot easy now - cos no one else is in the room. LOL. It's only 8.30pm here and I'm ready to go - get outta bed, Americans!!
  • So I'm pretty addicted to turntable now. My first chioce is to hang in the "No Depression" or other country/twang rooms however (as above) with the time difference when I get home and am ready to spin at say 6pm my time its the middle of the night in USA and the country rooms are usually deserted. The jazz rooms OTOH usually have at least a few people in them. So, I can declare with scientific certainty that jazz fans are defnitely more night owls than country fans.

    I am a jazz fan but of the "I don't know much about jazz but I know what I like" variety and I'm much more confident about being able to play crowd pleasing things in the country/folk/blues genres but being "forced" by the time difference into the jazz rooms has really been cool for me. Back in the day when eMusic and the label let me download the Prestige/Fantasy stuff I got into jazz seriously for the first time and its been fun to go back to all that to dig up particuarly good things to play. I've also been exposed to a lot more acidy, free 70s type jazz which I find I dig and have bought a few CDs of that.

    So yay. Thanks to katrina for the invite.
  • edited November 2011
    Not looking good for turntable.fm according to this analysis - and the comments further down.
  • Based on their Facebook wing, Turntable seems to have gone the way Guerva in becoming an advertising venue. Not long ago they had Pepsi rooms and now the odd room hosted by Food Critic Anthony Bourdain: https://www.facebook.com/pages/turntablefm/128433533924920

    Somewhere between weird and annoying. Time to unlike this bad boy.
  • I haven't been on there for ages! Well, it was fun for a while...
  • Turntable.fm is now shutting down. They will have a last dance on December 2.

    Craig
  • Aww. Not surprised, though. Other internet timesucks have appeared ; )
  • Off topic, but Winamp is going away too.
Sign In or Register to comment.