The beloved social music site Turntable.fm returns surprisingly almost eight years after it was closed in 2013. In fact, there are Two new versions: The original Turntable.fm, recently revived by founder Billy Chasen, and the mobile one Turntable.org, created by several hazelnuts Turntable.fm.
While both services allow users to create personalized avatars and host or join online listening parties, they differ in their business models, features and availability.
Turntable.fm
Turntable.fm preserves the original experience of the site. It’s free to use, and you can create playlists of music available on YouTube. (And SoundCloud, once that integration is active.) But there’s a critical catch. Turntable.fm is available now, but only for those who know the password.
You can request the password by sending your favorite email and song. If the song is “good”, you will receive the password in an email. We have no idea what Turntable.fm considers a “good” song – otherwise, we offer suggestions to help your chances of entering.
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I haven’t heard of my request yet. (Hopefully anyone who shares codes likes it Sleep is “Dopesmoker”.)
Turntable.org
Unlike free Turntable.fm, Turntable.org requires a subscription to use. Although you may not be able to sign up for the service yet, there are also special reward packages available for purchase, which will bring you unique items and discounts for your subscription when Turntable.org airs. The money goes to development costs.
The other major difference of Turntable.org is that users can upload and play their own MP3 tracks – they will not be limited to music hosted on other websites. This will help independent artists host parties to listen to their own music.
Join the beta
A beta version of Turntable.org launches in April. Interested users can sign up for the waiting list on the official website. There is also a special registration form for artists who want to host digital shows through Turntable.org.