APP OF THE MONTH: Dragontape brings mixtapes to the digital world

by Knar Bedian

February 26, 2014

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Dragontape is an app that reinvents the mixtape for the YouTube generation. Intuitive controls, built-in fade adjustments, and the ability to publish “tapes” all make the app a useful instant playlist builder. Magazines, labels, blogs, and artists have utilized the app to create everything from special compilations to highlights of their recent releases. Even BBC Radio’s Gilles Peterson publishes Dragontape mixes to his site.

Dragontape supports YouTube and SoundCloud. Just search for the song, and the app pulls selections from both platforms, allowing you to choose from the plethora of results (from covers to acoustic sessions to live takes) found online. We spoke with Dragontape Co-founder and CEO Tamas Szakál about the development process and the importance of keeping the app simple.

 

AUX: How did you decide which platforms Dragontape would support? Have you considered introducing others, such as Vimeo, Bandcamp, or even Vine?

Tamas: We wanted to support the most popular ones of course, those where most of our potential users already are and which they use to compile their favourites. We have an internal policy that says we wait with further integrations until at least 100 people want it. Then it’s a matter of a few days to implement it, as the app is conceptually built to be able to use any source.

AUX: Have you considered allowing overlapping sources (soundtracking videos with different audio, etc.)?

Tamas: Yes, we considered it at the beginning, and this is why we’re allowing 5-15 second fade times on the audio channel. But we always wanted to comply with the YouTube terms and rules which only want third party apps to change the original material for understandable reasons. Also, we thought it was a better idea to create just a simple mixtape service, rather than a VJ tool with all the freedom to remix the web, which would be a lot more complex and not as easy to use. In our other service called Metta we are allowing users to overlap videos and text over pictures, for example, but even there the app is compliant with all the rules of the services it integrates.

AUX: Where do you think Dragontape will go in the future? Any big plans?

Tamas: Dragontape is not a quick thing that exists today and disappears tomorrow, we want to make it your long term companion when it comes to beautiful playlists. We want to bring it to all of those smart devices (phones, TV sets, etc.) that are used at home, at parties, in the car and anywhere you might want to enjoy personal mixtapes.

This article originally appeared in the February 2014 Issue of AUX Magazine.

Download and subscribe for free in the app store.

Tags: Tech, Interviews, App of the Month, Aux Magazine February 2014

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