SoundCloud Rumbles & Rumors

When SoundCloud released their iOS app update this summer, rumblings within their music community were loud and clear: What was SoundCloud thinking?!

Much of the app's meat--comments within tracks, playlist functionality, community networking--was completely stripped and replaced with a slick, simple interface designed for optimum music streaming by consumers; not for the composers who've created the site's entire content.

"If you want to focus on the listening experience you've got to pare everything down and simplify," said SoundCloud's designers.

For now, SoundCloud's core musician-friendly functions are still in place and accessible, but only via their website and iPad app (update forthcoming).

Forbes has a theory: that SoundCloud is positioning itself for not just streaming. It's preparing for a corporate acquisition. By Twitter. For real, this time.

What do you think of SoundCloud's dumbed-down iPhone app?

Are they trying to look more stockholder-friendly for the big music studios with whom they've yet to secure licenses? Could a few studios on the board make them look rosier to the likes of Twitter (who almost bought them this year)? What does this mean for the music community that built their product for them in the first place?