Implementation of the soundtrap platform as a learning medium in the basic digital audio workstation (DAW) course at the music education study program

Abstract

Conventional Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) learning is currently constrained by high hardware specifications, software licensing costs, and limited opportunities for students to engage in independent practice outside computer laboratory sessions. This study aims to analyze the implementation of the Soundtrap platform as a cloud-based learning medium and to examine students' experiences and responses during its use in the Basic Digital Audio Workstation course within the Music Education Study Program, Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Padang. This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. The participants were one course lecturer and 37 students from three classes selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through classroom observations, analysis of students' digital music projects and course documents, a student survey, and semi-structured interviews with the lecturer and seven students, and were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña with source, technique, and time triangulation. The findings indicate that Soundtrap reduced hardware specification and software licensing constraints, as it can be accessed flexibly from various devices. All 37 students produced a digital music project covering recording, virtual instrument arrangement, editing, mixing, and exporting, and [XX]% of the surveyed students agreed that the platform was easy to use. Three themes emerged from the interviews: flexible access beyond laboratory hours, collaborative project development and feedback, and technical constraints related to internet stability and the free version. These findings suggest that cloud-based DAW platforms can complement, rather than replace, laboratory-based DAW instruction, particularly for students with varying levels of technological proficiency.