by Jennifer Jenkins | @jnjenks and Rosi Linda Sanchez | @lindarosilinda

SoundCloud is the world’s leading social sound platform, where anyone can create and share sounds with their friends or privately upload them to blogs, sites, or social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, or Foursquare. Even better, SoundCloud can be easily accessed anywhere using the official iPhone and Android apps, as well hundreds of creation and sharing apps built on the SoundCloud platforms.

Just like any other social networking platform, SoundCloud understands the importance of innovation in keeping things fresh and modern for its users. It was interested in helping its audience make the music sound great and "look" great, too.

In order to do this, SoundCloud was looking to launch a new integration with a social networking company that focused on images that would allow its audience to have a more visual element to their music. And what more relevant social network is there at the moment when it comes to pictures than Instagram?

SoundCloud knew Instagram was the app where people go to share their lives, their creativity and stories through pictures. And since SoundCloud is the site to express yourself musically, the unison between the two was a perfect match.

Nope, Instagram isn’t just for throwback Thursdays anymore! Now users can turn hashtagged pictures into album artwork with the announcement of the integration between SoundCloud and Instagram. This collaboration makes it easier for people to add their favorite photos to their SoundCloud posts and profiles.

How It Works

You need to first connect Instagram feed to your SoundCloud account. Easy. Then you can start adding photos to your playlists, soundtracks or profile. Fun.

By adding personalized images, users can now revolutionize their album covers for records and music they have composed. What that means is that images can now be used as artwork to allow followers to see who they are listening to... allowing the SoundCloud artists to brand themselves in a new creative form. It’s an entirely new way for artists to share music and tell their story.

Examples

Bands such as Kaskade and Krewella have already taken advantage of this new innovative collaboration. Maybe the next generation will have popularized “Instagram album covers.” Imagine having one of your creative art images as an album cover to a best-selling soundtrack! It sounds as cool as it would look...